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Landscape Standards Manual
Water sensitive urban design
The co-location of public open space with stormwater treatment assets presents potential risks to users of reserves. 

Royal Life Saving Guidelines

All open bodies of water including stormwater treatment assets such as:

  • sediment ponds

  • detention basins

  • retarding basins

  • raingardens

  • bio-retention basins

  • wetlands and

  • irrigation ponds

must be subject to an independent assessment by a suitable qualified person providing evidence of compliance with the Royal Life Saving Society of Australia’s ‘Guidelines for Water Safety in Urban Developments’.

Wetland planting

The construction of wetlands and the planting of ephemeral and aquatic plants in and around Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) features including wetlands retarding basins bioretention basins and raingardens should be undertaken in accordance with the following guidelines: