$50,000 Funding Stormwater Feasibility Study Grant
Stormwater Shepherds $50,000 Funding Stormwater Feasibility Study grant invites metropolitan Councils and Council River Alliances in Melbourne, South East Queensland and Sydney to apply.
Unmanaged stormwater increases water quantity, decreases water quality, increases the cost of water and wastewater treatment, and reduces the assimilative ability of water bodies.
Countries worldwide realise that new stormwater utility charges are needed to successfully fund immense infrastructure to mitigate extensive riverine and urban flooding, improve water quality, allow for complete operational and maintenance schedules, supports WSUD, and prepare for the future. Click here to learn more.
The objectives of the feasibility study are:
- Identify your LGA’s stormwater issues, including modelling flood-prone areas
- Identify how to resolve your LGA’s stormwater issues
- Identify who will resolve your LGA’s stormwater issues
- Identify the cost to resolve these issues from the backlog, ongoing maintenance, new infrastructure and running a new stormwater department
- Identify the funding model required to manage your LGA's stormwater correctly
- A sustainable, fair, safe and accountable funding model to mitigate riverine and urban flooding, improve water quality, cool cities and towns and prepare for the future
- Significant job creation from increased maintenance and a new stormwater department
- Community awareness campaigns on their role in affecting stormwater - impervious surfaces and conveyed pollutants
The grant will include expertise from the United States to manage the study. The study group will include council employees from departments such as stormwater, assets, land use, sustainability and, if permissible, a Councillor. The study should take 3-6 months to complete.
A key pressure facing most councils is the capacity of the organisation to manage the ever-increasing scale and value of assets, in the context of limited revenue streams and community expectations. WSUD assets are often left off asset management databases and maintenance schedules, from inadequate operational funding.
Correctly managed stormwater
Decreases Water Quantity
- reduces riverine and urban flooding
- reduces property damage to private and public lands
- reduces peak flow - less treefall, turbidity, erosion and harm to local biota
- less dirty water, rubbish and debris and foul odours
- less mental health anguish
- better insurance premiums
- less loss of life to human & livestock
Correctly managed stormwater
Increases Water Quality
- improves the health of local biota, better riparian habitat quality
- improves recreational uses for ratepayers - swimming, fishing, boating
- economic gains - fisheries, recreation businesses, tourism
- less disease from dirty water
- provides sustainable urban water management
- decreases lawsuits relating to Fundamental human rights – clean water, safe food
Correctly managed stormwater
Improves Social Living
- more green spaces, cooler cities and towns (less impervious surfaces)
- promotes mental and physical health - embracing nature
- a new water source from stormwater reuse
- water bodies and surrounding lands transform into community assets
- increased property values
Straightforward application process
- Fill out an Expression Of Interest
- Watch a 45-minute webinar explaining the application process. (as part of the criteria, we ask for a councillor interested in the environment or who heads an environment/sustainability committee to attend the webinar. The CEO or a representative for the CEO also needs to attend the webinar). Other councillors or employees in stormwater are welcome to attend.
- Answer 4 questions (500 -1,000 words per question)
- Submit a video or case study [for up to 3 mins video/or 3 pages] on a complex stormwater issue in your LGA.
Effects on aquatic lifeforms from untreated stormwater
- Reduced number of offspring
- Reduced growth or growth inhibition
- Delayed development
- Deformity
- Death from cancer, stress
The amount of rubbish is greatest on the coastline of city fringes.
80% of plastic pollution comes from the land, most is conveyed by stormwater
Stormwater conveys gross pollutants, road runoff from vehicle emissions and tyre rubber, chemicals, animal waste, organic matter, sediment and soil, fertilisers and more to sensitive inland waterways and oceans and the effect on aquatic biota is devastating. Learn more about the consequences of unmanaged stormwater.
Is your council facing operational funding Issues from
- A lack of capital budgets for new infrastructure causing competition within council depts for funding?
- A disconnect between internal depts - low-cost maintenance preferred over managing stormwater correctly?
- Development pressures?
- Extent of plastic litter and other pollutants that are not trapped?
- More severe one in one-hundred-year weather events, leading to flash flooding?
- Manage the ever-increasing scale and value of stormwater assets to maintain?
- Installed the correct number of WSUDS in your LGA?
The $50,000 Funding Stormwater Feasibility Study is a must if councils want to manage their LGA’s stormwater correctly.
FAQ's
Only metropolitan Councils, Riverkeeper Groups and River Initiatives can apply from Melbourne, South East Queensland and Sydney. It is a requirement that applications from Riverkeeper Groups and River Initiatives submit letters of support from their collaborating councils.
Yes, collaboration is allowed and encouraged. We recognise that many councils collaborating on borderless waterways may want to apply. The Riverkeeper Group or River Initiative must apply on behalf of collaborating councils. Councils must endorse the submission with a letter of support. The Riverkeeper group or River initiative can submit the application form and enter into a grant agreement with Stormwater Shepherds. A Council that is part of a Riverkeeper Group or River Initiative may also apply separately. For more information, refer to Grant Guidelines.
Yes, you may attach supporting documentation when you submit your application.
Stormwater Shepherds will pay invoices directly up to $50,000 + GST. Councils, Riverkeeper Groups and River Initiatives are welcome to contribute funds to extend the feasibility study to the next step of how to set up a stormwater funding model. Third-party funding is also applicable, Grant funding does not cover council employees’ salaries or remuneration to citizen group members. For more information, please refer to Grant Guidelines.
The form is an online application form that you must submit electronically. We will not accept applications by hand, fax, email, or Australia Post.
Yes, every submission will receive feedback, and we will offer assistance wherever possible.
Your application must be submitted by 17:00 AEST, Friday 13 May 2022. Applications should be submitted well before the closing time.
Sadly, no, late applications, we will not accept late applications.
Yes, you may attach supporting documentation when you submit your application.
Yes, collaboration is allowed and encouraged. We recognise that many councils collaborating on borderless waterways may want to apply. The Riverkeeper Group or River Initiative must apply on behalf of collaborating councils. Councils must endorse the submission with a letter of support. The Riverkeeper group or River initiative can submit the application form and enter into a grant agreement with Stormwater Shepherds. A Council that is part of a Riverkeeper Group or River Initiative may also apply separately. For more information, refer to Grant Guidelines.
Stormwater Shepherds will pay invoices directly up to $50,000 + GST. Councils, Riverkeeper Groups and River Initiatives are welcome to contribute funds to extend the feasibility study to the next step of how to set up a stormwater funding model. Third-party funding is also applicable, Grant funding does not cover council employees’ salaries or remuneration to citizen group members. For more information, please refer to Grant Guidelines.
You must complete your grant feasibility study by 31 October 2022.
Only metropolitan Councils, Riverkeeper Groups and River Initiatives can apply from Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. It is a requirement that applications from Riverkeeper Groups and River Initiatives submit letters of support from their collaborating councils. For more information, refer to Grant Guidelines.
The form is an online application form that you must submit electronically. We will not accept applications by hand, fax, email, or Australia Post.
Yes, every submission will receive feedback, and we will offer assistance wherever possible.
