Urbanisation and Its Impact on Stormwater Systems and Waterways

Urban growth is reshaping Queensland's waterways. Are our solutions keeping up? Join RBMS & Stormwater QLD to find out
About this Event

As urban areas continue to expand across Queensland, managing the impacts of development on stormwater systems and downstream waterways remains one of the greatest challenges facing our industry. While significant investment has been made in stormwater management, water sensitive urban design, and catchment planning, questions remain around the effectiveness, scalability, guidelines, and practicality of current approaches in protecting waterway health.

This joint event between the River Basin Management Society (RBMS) and Stormwater Queensland will bring together leading practitioners from across the stormwater, waterway management, geomorphology, planning, and design sectors to explore the relationship between urban development, altered hydrology, stormwater pollutants, and downstream waterway condition.

Through a series of expert presentations and an interactive workshop, participants will examine:

• The geomorphic and ecological impacts of urban development on downstream waterways
• The influence of urbanisation on frequent flow hydrology and stormwater pollutant generation
• Whether existing catchment management approaches are delivering desired outcomes, and where gaps remain
• Practical and innovative solutions that can be implemented to better manage development impacts while maintaining healthy waterways

The event will feature presentations from industry leaders and experts in geomorphology, regional stormwater prioritisation, flow management, water sensitive urban design, and ecological waterway restoration, including:

• From Drainage to Degradation: Are We Doing Enough? – Ben Walker (Alluvium)
• Protecting Waterways in Urban Catchments with MrsP (Method for Regional Stormwater Prioritisation) – Nicole Wheeler George & Geoff Vietz (Streamology)
• Setting Stormwater Flow Targets to Protect Waterways – Not for the faint-hearted! – Shaun Leinster (DesignFlow)
• Incorporating Ecosystems Services into Waterway Designs – Sally Boer & Dylan Cain (E2DesignLab/Water Technology)

The event will conclude with a facilitated panel discussion bringing together all speakers to explore pragmatic solutions for improving waterway health in urbanising catchments. Attendees will have the opportunity to contribute questions and ideas to shape the direction of Queensland’s approach to stormwater and waterway management.