Hi Dave,
If you don’t have a framework or policy that guides consistent discretionary decision-making here you may end up in an unintended tough space. I agree, the peeps who know stormwater (and how it runs off in major storm events) are the ones who should probably come up with the guidelines.
Does your Council have a stormwater management charge policy? Shoalhaven does, I’ll email you a copy.
Every Council is different of course. Personally, I’m always inclined to keep the gate fairly closed with Stormwater (if I can). It is a nominal charge (unless some huge business site). How much Admin do you want to wrap around a $25 charge? In most locations it can be argued that very few properties have completely adequate storage for stormwater run-off in a major stormwater event. Of course some will have fabulous set ups but most don’t. Somewhere water runs off their land and on to someone else’s land and likely into Council’s stormwater infrastructure at some point, and at $25 per year, best not to have administer and adjust fees.
