Landcom Book 4 Maintenance - WSUD

Water Sensitive Urban Design
Item to be
Monitored
Purpose of Monitoring
Performance
Target
Schedule
Maintenance or
Investigation
Immediate
Action Required
Maintenance Action Required
Weeds and
invasive
plants
Weeds should be removed from the
sedimentation basin:
- Weeds can spread to downstream
environments, compromising
ecosystem health.
- Weeds compromise the visual
amenity of the sedimentation basin.
No weeds present Weeds present Noxious or
environmental
weeds present, or
weed cover more
than 25 percent
Hand removal or targeted herbicide
treatment (herbicides registered for
use around waterways).
Note: Herbicides should not be
routinely used to maintain edges
and batter slopes. General spraying
of batter slopes should not be
undertaken without follow up
revegetation with native species.
Plant
Condition
Plants are crucial to bank stability
and visual amenity
Healthy vegetation
Poorly growing or
visibly stressed
Die back / dead
plants
Schedule an investigation into the
cause of plant die-back or poor
health.
Maintenance action will depend
on the cause of die-back or poor
plant health. Once the problem
is rectified, infill planting may be
required, especially if more than 1
square meter of plantings has died.
Infill planting must be as per the
original planting schedule.
Litter
(organic)
Organic litter can provide an
additional source of nutrients and
on-native species which have a high
likelihood of being transferred to
downstream treatment systems and
waterways.
No litter visible Litter visible Litter thickly covers
filter media surface
or detracting from
visual amenity
Identify source of organic litter and
address with appropriate response
action: e.g. change of landscape
maintenance practices; community
education re: litter dumping
(appropriate for repeat incidences).
Accumulated organic matter / litter
can also cause offensive odours
(such as methane gas and hydrogen
sulphide, i.e. rotten egg gas).
In the interim, all litter must be
removed by maintenance crews.
Litter
(anthropogenic)
Litter can potentially block the inlet
and outlet structures resulting in
flooding, as well as detract from the
system’s visual amenity.
No litter visible Litter visible Litter blocking
structures or
detracting from
visual amenity
Identify source of rubbish: e.g.
from catchment (commercial
precinct); overflow of rubbish bins;
accumulation in backwater area
and schedule general maintenance
to remove rubbish. Where required
address source of rubbish (e.g.
increase in frequency of rubbish
bin emptying; gross pollutant traps
in high load generation land uses).
In the interim, all litter must be
removed by maintenance crews.
WARNING: Contact with sharp
objects, including hypodermic
needles is a risk when removing
litter. All workers must be made
aware of this risk, wear appropriate
protective gear and use caution.
Book 4 | MAINTENANCE 33