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At Development Victoria, we’re creating a more sustainable future for all Victorians.

Our developments use water-sensitive urban design to deliver social and environmental benefits for local flora, fauna, and the community – creating smart, adaptable, beautiful places where both people and the environment can thrive.

Our water-sensitive design sees stormwater as a resource, not a burden, and uses it to create urban environments where the water cycle functions naturally.

For more than two decades, Development Victoria has been delivering water-sensitive design initiatives at projects like Jawbone Reserve, Cairnlea, Officer, and Aurora.

Read about plans to build a new wetland system at Knoxfield

The benefits of water-sensitive urban design

  • reducing the volume of stormwater entering waterways to mitigate floods
  • improving water quality downstream in rivers and bays by filtering pollutants
  • reducing reliance on drinking water to irrigate green spaces
  • enhancing the social and environmental amenity of the urban landscape
  • improving biodiversity by expanding and diversifying habitats
  • decreasing the ‘urban heat island’ effect by increasing irrigation capacity, soil moisture and, green space
  • reducing capital and maintenance costs for stormwater systems

Development Victoria’s commitment to water-sensitive design is enshrined in our sustainability strategy, our responsibilities under the Water Act (1989), and the Victorian Government’s Water for Victoria plan.

Find out more about the extensive wetlands that save around 160,000 kilolitres of drinking water each year at Cairnlea

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Updated on 27 May 2024