Work

Inconsistent adoption of Water Sensitive Urban Design in Australia: A climate-comparative review of council stormwater guidelines

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: • WSUD guidelines in Australia vary widely across climatic zones. • Most councils promote rainwater tanks, wetlands, swales, and bioretention. • Climate-specific design and adaptation are inconsistently addressed. • Long-term performance monitoring is rarely included in council guidance. • Stronger national policy alignment is needed for climate-responsive WSUD Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) is widely promoted in Australia as a nature-based solution to mitigate urban stormwater impacts, protect receiving waters, and enhance climate resilience. However, the extent to which WSUD principles are consistently and effectively institutionalised within local stormwater policy across Australia’s diverse climatic regions remains unclear. Following the PRISMA-ScR framework, this scoping review analysed 73 publicly available state and local government stormwater guidance documents from all Australian states and territories, systematically comparing WSUD policy content across major climate zones defined by the Bureau of Meteorology. The review assessed the presence and specificity of pollutant reduction targets, climate-responsive design guidance, maintenance and monitoring requirements, and regulatory enforceability. Substantial variability was identified: explicit quantitative pollutant reduction targets were specified in approximately 40% of documents, enforceable maintenance provisions in 21%, and climate-specific WSUD guidance in fewer than one-third. Councils in temperate and subtropical climates, particularly within larger metropolitan regions, more frequently articulated quantified and enforceable WSUD requirements, whereas guidance in arid, semi-arid, and remote regions was often less detailed or absent. These findings reveal uneven institutionalisation of WSUD as a nature-based solution, highlighting governance and capacity gaps that may constrain its scalability, long-term effectiveness, and contribution to climate-resilient stormwater management under a changing climate.

Source: Nature-Based Solutions

DOI: 10.1016/j.nbsj.2026.100314

Authors: Ashleigh Hayden, Karen Brakell, Lalantha Senevirathna

Institution: Charles Sturt University

Language: English

Topic: Urban Stormwater Management Solutions

Subfield: Environmental Engineering

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Sustainable cities and communities, Clean water and sanitation, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,910