Best practice guidelines for controlling stormwater ...

1 Best practice guidelines for controlling stormwater pollution from Building sitesmaY practice guidelines for controlling stormwater pollution from Building sitesthis document has been prepared with all due diligence and care, based on the best available information at the time of publication. mackay regional council holds no responsibility for any errors or omissions within this document. any decisions made by other parties based on this document are solely the responsibility of those parties. information contained within this document is from a number of sources and, as such, may not represent council and photographs within these guidelines (including the front cover main photograph) that are marked catchments & creeks pty ltd remain the property of catchments & creeks pty ltd and cannot be reproduced within another publication without written permission from catchments & creeks pty ltd.

2 O2 environment + engineeringmay 2012front cover images:main photograph: supplied by catchments & creeks pty ltdminor photograph (far left): supplied by the great Barrier reef marine park authorityminor photograph (middle): supplied by mackay regional council minor photograph (far right): supplied by the great Barrier reef marine park authorityBest practice guidelines for controlling stormwater pollution from Building sites1 Framework 2 purpose 2 environmental objectives 3 legal requirements 32 Erosion and sediment controls for building construction sites 5 evaluate site limitations 5 stabilise site entry / exit points 7 prevent erosion 8 manage stockpiles 9 divert up-slope stormwater 11 control roof water drainage 12 treat sediment laden water 13 manage site waste 15 appropriate staging of erosion & sediment controls on building sites 163 Appendix A Example erosion and

3 Sediment control plans 174 Appendix B Proforma statement certifying compliance with these guidelines 235 Appendix C Site inspection reporting proforma 25 taBle of contents1 Best practice guidelines for controlling stormwater pollution from Building sitesBuilding site exhibiting best practice erosion & sediment controlthe document includes:1. example erosion and sediment control plans (escp) which contain the required best practice control measures for a variety of building lots appendix a proforma statement from the development owner or contractor who submitted the development application certifying compliance with these guidelines appendix B.

4 3. a site inspection reporting proforma that can be used by the owner, builder or local government officers to monitor compliance with these guidelines appendix document has been prepared to provide the building industry with best practice guidelines for controlling stormwater pollution from building sites. it relates to urban development sites below the threshold in section of the state planning policy for Healthy waters. this involves the construction of six or less dwellings or involves disturbance areas of less than 2500m2. By following these best practice guidelines , builders in the mackay region will be doing their part to ensure that runoff generated from their building site causes minimal irreparable damage to the region s waterways and in turn, minimises the risk of environmental harm and the associated practice guidelines for controlling stormwater pollution from Building sites 1.

5 Framework Sediment already in stormwater drainage. A clear breach of the Environmental Protection Act 1994 Sediment from this building site will move to the stormwater drainage in times of rainfallWithout adequate erosion and sediment controls in place during the construction phase, the combined impact of runoff from many small building sites will contribute significantly to the total sediment loads entering the region s guideline identifies the controls that if installed, are expected to achieve compliance with the performance outcomes for protecting water quality in natural waterways, as prescribed in the State Planning Policy for Healthy Waters (SPP Healthy Waters).

6 Purposethe intention of this document is to provide:> clear guidance on the minimum requirements for erosion and sediment control on building sites.> a checklist to be used by regulatory authorities to provide consistent enforcement of the policy. this document applies to residential and commercial building sites with a total disturbance area of less than 2500m2. the document considers:> Builders and site managers - resources to assist builders or managers of building construction sites are provided in the body of this guideline and in the example erosion and sediment control plans in appendix a. these diagrams summarise all requirements stipulated in the text.

7 > councils and regulatory personnel - this checklist provides a mechanism to allow for consistent regulation of the policy and provides guidance on when regulatory enforcement may be appropriate. this document discusses Environmental Protection Act 1994 provisions only and it is recognised that other complementary enforcement provisions of other legislation, such as the Sustainable Planning Act 2009, may also be considered during enforcement practice guidelines for controlling stormwater pollution from Building sitesEnvironmental Objectivesthe objective of this document is for building works and associated construction activities to be planned and executed so that:> the environmental values of waters are enhanced or protected.

8 And> the water quality objectives and management goals of waters are RequirementsThe State Planning Policy for Healthy Waters (SPP HW) was made under section 775 of the Sustainable Planning Act. the spp Hw is intended to ensure that urban developments are planned, designed, constructed and operated to manage stormwater and waste water in ways that help protect the environmental values of waterways specified in the Environmental Protection (Water) Policy 2009 (EPP Water). the spp Hw sets our overall, performance and acceptable outcomes sought by the policy. the state planning policy guideline for Healthy waters which supports the spp Hw advocates compliance with these guidelines as the most effective and efficient way of addressing stormwater design objectives for small scale developments below six lots or 2500m2.

9 However, the risk of soil erosion and contaminated stormwater discharging to waterways must also be taken into account. an erosion and sediment control plan may be required for small scale developments posing more than a low risk to waterway pollution . stormwater runoff from building construction sites has a high potential to cause water contamination and environmental harm. this is regulated under the Environmental Protection Act 1994.> Under s440ZG it is an offence to unlawfully deposit a prescribed water contaminant to waters. prescribed contaminants are listed in schedule 9 of the Environmental Protection Regulation 2009 (EP Reg).

10 > Under s319 an obligation is placed upon all persons in Queensland who are carrying out activities which may cause environmental harm to comply with Mangrove ecosystems are the nursery habitat of the estuary. Suspended sediment levels need to decrease to ensure protection of these assetsFlood plume exhibiting high sediment levels after heavy rainfall4 Best practice guidelines for controlling stormwater pollution from Building sitesthe general environmental duty (ged). this requires that all reasonable and practicable measures must be adopted to prevent and minimise environmental harm. although not being able to demonstrate compliance against ged is not an offence, demonstrating that all reasonable and practicable measures have been adopted is a defence for offences such as water contamination.