The Greens candidates for Wollongong Council want to see stormwater slowed down so that it does not flood properties, cause erosion, or dump sediment in the lake or the ocean. Stormwater should be collected at construction sites, on rooves, and beside roads. It can then be used in yards and gardens, or be allowed to settle before a slower release to the drains.
Stormwater: make it a resource!
The Greens candidates for Wollongong Council want to see stormwater slowed down so that it does not flood properties, cause erosion, or dump sediment in the lake or the ocean. Stormwater should be collected at construction sites, on rooves, and beside roads. It can then be used in yards and gardens, or be allowed to settle before a slower release to the drains.
This could help prevent damage to property, to the lake, to the ocean and provide a useful resource for people and plants.
Jamie Dixon, lead Greens candidate in Ward 3 says, “A warming climate means more drought, and more wild storms. We need to save rain and stormwater, not let it escape from construction sites and from roofs and other hard surfaces. Stormwater collects soil, pollutants and litter as it goes, eroding waterways, flooding roads and properties and ending up in our creeks and, especially, in Lake Illawarra.
“Perhaps the biggest threat to Lake Illawarra is stormwater pollution and sedimentation from the big developments in its catchment.
“According to the NSW Office of Environment, a single building block can lose four truckloads of soil in one storm. If we collect and hold more stormwater, we can keep much that sediment on the land where it belongs. We know how to do this.
“We have to spend some money on the solutions, but in the long run doing this will save us money. We do not have to depend on a labyrinth of concrete piles and channelised creeks. There are better methods of stormwater control that more closely mimic nature.”
More information: Jamie Dixon 0403 402 114