Our recommendations

To better manage their stormwater systems to protect people and their property from the risks of flooding, we recommend that councils:

1. understand the current and likely future flood risks in their district or city sufficiently to take a proactive approach to reduce the risk and effects of flooding;
2. provide elected members with the necessary information and options, including about local flood risks and their stormwater systems, to make well-informed and deliberate decisions about investment in their stormwater systems;
3. improve the information they make available to their communities so that people can understand:
   • the potential risk of flooding;
   • what the council is doing to manage that risk, including how it is managing the stormwater system and at what cost; and
   • what the remaining risk is to the community;
4. improve their understanding of their stormwater systems, which will entail ensuring the adequacy of their stormwater asset data, including condition data and information on the performance and capacity of the stormwater systems; and
5. identify and use opportunities to work together with relevant organisations to more effectively manage their stormwater systems.