Implementing WSUD concepts will:
- reduce rainwater inundation of the piped system that causes flooding and overflows of sewage in the streams and the sea
- help bring more native flora and fauna into urban areas
- improve the attractiveness of the urban environment and the quality of life for Wellingtonians.
In Wellington the intention is to use storage and soakage to the ground to compliment the piped network, and not to replace the piped network.
Examples of WSUD incentives in Wellington
The Council has already implemented a number of WSUD solutions in the city which provide stormwater treatment and storage for run off from roads, pavements and other hard surfaces:
- rain gardens along the quays
- tree pits in lower Cuba Street
- wetlands at Waitangi Park
- Westchester Drive swales (shallow, sloping hollows designed to slow the flow of stormwater, trap pollutants and replicate nature).
The National War Memorial Park in Buckle Street will incorporate rain gardens to detain stormwater to irrigate the terraced park.
Background to the guide
The WSUD guide has been produced in discussion with property developers, engineers, urban designers, landscape architects, parks and planners.
Submissions received through formal consultation from the community, the Environmental Reference Group and other stakeholders on the draft WSUD guide resulted in a decision to change the presentation of the guide.
The most significant message from the submissions was that while the draft guide may encourage some to consider WSUD approaches, it lacked sufficient detail and clarity to facilitate implementation. Due to this feedback, we decided to split the guide into two separate but related documents.