What is On-site

Stormwater Detention?

Floodplains of the Upper Parramatta River Catchment

OSD storage can be provided in landscaped

areas (top) or in driveways and in belowground tanks (above).

Areas shown above in pale blue would be inundated in the largest possible flood by water
overflowing the main creeks. Flooding also occurs in many other areas due to overflow of
the local stormwater drains. OSD helps prevent both types of flooding in storms up to the
100-year magnitude.

Who should I contact for more information?

For more information please contact the Trust or your local council

Baulkham Hills Shire Council

Parramatta City Council

Address:

Address:

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

129 Showground Road

Castle Hill NSW 2154
PO Box 75
Castle Hill NSW 1765
02 9843 0555
[email protected]
www.bhsc.nsw.gov.au

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

On-site Stormwater Detention

30 Darcy Street
Parramatta NSW 2150
PO Box 32
Parramatta NSW 2124
02 9806 5000
[email protected]
www.parracity.nsw.gov.au

(OSD) is a way of collecting the

rain that falls on a site (known as

Blacktown City Council

Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust

Address:

Address:

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

62 Flushcombe Road
Blacktown NSW 2148
PO Box 63
Blacktown NSW 2148
02 9839 6000
[email protected]
www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

Level 1, 10 Valentine Avenue

Parramatta NSW 2150
PO Box 3720
Parramatta NSW 2124
02 9891 4633
[email protected]
www.uprct.nsw.gov.au

stormwater), storing it temporarily

and then releasing it slowly so that
it doesnt worsen downstream

UPPER PARRAMATTA RIVER

CATCHMENT TRUST

flooding.

Holroyd City Council

Address:

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

16 Memorial Avenue
Merrylands NSW 2160
PO Box 42
Merrylands NSW 2160
02 9840 9840
[email protected]
www.holroyd.nsw.gov.au

or request an OSD Handbook, which is

available from the Trust or visit us online
at www.uprct.nsw.gov.au.
These OSD facilities in a front set-back area have been cleverly
designed and built to provide a discreet, economical and easyto-maintain solution.

Why does urban development cause flooding?

An Inspector examines a brick wall which forms

the boundary of the above ground storage area.

What does an OSD facility

look like?
There are three parts of an OSD facility. The
Discharge Control Pit (DCP) restricts the rate at
which stormwater can leave the site. This causes
stormwater to overflow into a Storage area
where it remains until the rain eases. The last
part is the Site Drainage System which collects
and delivers all the stormwater to the DCP.
The DCP is a small (1 m3) pit with a limitedsize outlet through which the stormwater drains
into the Council street drainage system. Most of
the DCP may be above the ground so that water
can overflow from it into the storage.
The storage can be a surface area (such as a
garden, lawn, car park or paved courtyard) which
can fill up with water, or a below ground tank,
or a combination of both.

The Site Drainage System is the roof gutters

and downpipes as well as paths and driveways
which direct stormwater flows towards the DCP.

Why do we need OSD?

On-site Stormwater Detention (OSD) ensures that
new developments (villas, townhouses, factories,
roads etc) do not cause more downstream flooding
in either local drainage systems immediately downstream or along the creeks and rivers further
downstream.
OSD is not the only way to ensure that developments do not make flooding worse, but when
an area is already urbanised, it is often the only
practical alternative. OSD is built when and
where the new developments occur. So potential
flooding problems are controlled at their source.

rainfall

Extensive urban development has resulted in

previously vegetated catchments being covered
with hard surfaces such as roads, roofs and
paving. The hard (or impervious)
surfaces prevent stormwater
soaking into the soil. Instead, the
stormwater is carried away by
a series of pipes and drains
to the local creek. When
the volume of stormwater
gets too much for the drainage pipes or watercourses to carry, flooding occurs.
New development also speeds up the flow of
stormwater into the creeks because the new
roofs, paving and drainage pipes collect the
water more efficiently and this increases the
peak flow in the creek.

Therefore more development,

means more stormwater run-off,
and quicker stormwater runoff.
Without OSD more flooding may
occur.
The most common developments in this
catchment reflect the change from rural to urban
land use and from low density to higher density
development.

Is OSD compulsory?
OSD is regulated by your local council through
its powers to control development. In the Upper
Parramatta River Catchment virtually all new
developments must have OSD. The size and
dimensions can vary depending on which
catchment you live in and the size of the
development. Your local council can advise you
of the appropriate size you need.
Owners of OSD facilities must also ensure
that the OSD facilities are adequately maintained
so that they continue to function. A Positive
Covenant and a Restriction on Use are imposed
on the title of the property to bind all current and
future owners.

Other solutions for flood

mitigation in an urban
environment

2c

2b

2a

street
discharg

Section of typical OSD facility, with (1) DCP at street frontage and a 3-stage Storage that fills
progressively (2a) small underground tank, (2b) storage in front setback, and (2c) car-park storage.

The councils and State and Commonwealth

Governments have spent, and are spending
millions of dollars on works to prevent flooding.
Since 1989 over $35million has been spent in
the Upper Parramatta River catchment. Flood
retarding basins have been built such as the

Loyalty Road flood retarding basin at North Rocks

and the Sierra Place flood basin at West
Baulkham Hills. These basins act like a very large
OSD system by temporarily detaining water
behind a wall, and releasing the water at a
controlled rate.

Some frequently asked

questions
Why do we have to provide OSD to fix up
Councils/State Governments past mistakes?
Why cant the Government spend money
to fix the problems?
OSD aims to prevent the current flooding problems
from growing, not solve the problems of the past.
The Councils, the Trust and State and Commonwealth Governments have spent millions of dollars
on works to overcome the flooding problems we
have inherited due to poor planning and development decisions in the past. That massive investment would be in vain if we allow the flooding
problem to grow again. OSD is one of the ways we
can prevent the flood threat from returning.
My neighbours have a larger development but
their facility is less restrictive on property use
than mine. Why should that be so?

Can I make any improvement to my garden if

its part of the OSD facility?
Changes which do not reduce the volume of
storage or redirect stormwater away from the
storage will generally be permitted. However,
because the levels and layout of the OSD facility
are critical to its performance, the Positive
Covenant on your title states that Councils
consent must be obtained prior to any changes.
Why is an 88B instrument required on
the title, and how does it get prepared?
What does it cost?
A positive covenant and restriction on use under
Section 88 of the Conveyancing Act must be
placed on the property title to ensure that future
owners of the property maintain the OSD facility
and do not interfere with it. This is important
because downstream residents will rely upon the
OSD facilities working as designed. Trust or
Council staff will visit all sites from time to time
to see that OSD facilities are kept in good
working order. A common form of covenant
restriction acceptable to all local councils is
available in the Trusts OSD
Handbook to
reduce

Both the cost and the impact of an OSD facility

on a property are the result of the OSD design.
Clever design can provide OSD facilities that
cost relatively little and are a feature of the
landscaping, rather than in impediment to your
enjoyment of the property. A good OSD facility is
a more likely outcome if it is considered early in
the design of the development, designed by an
experienced OSD designer and constructed under
the designers supervision.
Why doesnt a single dwelling
development, which could
have more paved area than
my dual occupancy, require
OSD?
Single dwellings are only
exempt from OSD when
built on an allotment
which existed in 1991.
Single dwellings are
required to have OSD
when constructed on a
new allotment.
These days there
are very few new
single residences
built on pre-1991
allotments within the catchment.

OSD Discharge Control Pit (in foreground) with a

grate on top through which excess stormwater
overflows into the garden that acts as a Storage.

the expense incurred in having these restrictions

placed on the property title. The cost depends on
what other changes to the property title are
made at the same time.
Can I get an exemption from the
requirement for OSD?
OSD prevents your development worsening
flooding so you will usually have to provide it.
However the OSD policy statement sets out
exemptions from the OSD requirements. There is
also provision for investigating claims that in
particular circumstances OSD is counterproductive. If these are not applicable to your
development, but you feel that the OSD
requirement is not in the community interest, you
can ask that Council waive or vary the OSD
requirements. Council will generally discuss your
request with the Trust.

Why does urban development cause flooding?

An Inspector examines a brick wall which forms

the boundary of the above ground storage area.

What does an OSD facility

look like?
There are three parts of an OSD facility. The
Discharge Control Pit (DCP) restricts the rate at
which stormwater can leave the site. This causes
stormwater to overflow into a Storage area
where it remains until the rain eases. The last
part is the Site Drainage System which collects
and delivers all the stormwater to the DCP.
The DCP is a small (1 m3) pit with a limitedsize outlet through which the stormwater drains
into the Council street drainage system. Most of
the DCP may be above the ground so that water
can overflow from it into the storage.
The storage can be a surface area (such as a
garden, lawn, car park or paved courtyard) which
can fill up with water, or a below ground tank,
or a combination of both.

The Site Drainage System is the roof gutters

and downpipes as well as paths and driveways
which direct stormwater flows towards the DCP.

Why do we need OSD?

On-site Stormwater Detention (OSD) ensures that
new developments (villas, townhouses, factories,
roads etc) do not cause more downstream flooding
in either local drainage systems immediately downstream or along the creeks and rivers further
downstream.
OSD is not the only way to ensure that developments do not make flooding worse, but when
an area is already urbanised, it is often the only
practical alternative. OSD is built when and
where the new developments occur. So potential
flooding problems are controlled at their source.

rainfall

Extensive urban development has resulted in

previously vegetated catchments being covered
with hard surfaces such as roads, roofs and
paving. The hard (or impervious)
surfaces prevent stormwater
soaking into the soil. Instead, the
stormwater is carried away by
a series of pipes and drains
to the local creek. When
the volume of stormwater
gets too much for the drainage pipes or watercourses to carry, flooding occurs.
New development also speeds up the flow of
stormwater into the creeks because the new
roofs, paving and drainage pipes collect the
water more efficiently and this increases the
peak flow in the creek.

Therefore more development,

means more stormwater run-off,
and quicker stormwater runoff.
Without OSD more flooding may
occur.
The most common developments in this
catchment reflect the change from rural to urban
land use and from low density to higher density
development.

Is OSD compulsory?
OSD is regulated by your local council through
its powers to control development. In the Upper
Parramatta River Catchment virtually all new
developments must have OSD. The size and
dimensions can vary depending on which
catchment you live in and the size of the
development. Your local council can advise you
of the appropriate size you need.
Owners of OSD facilities must also ensure
that the OSD facilities are adequately maintained
so that they continue to function. A Positive
Covenant and a Restriction on Use are imposed
on the title of the property to bind all current and
future owners.

Other solutions for flood

mitigation in an urban
environment

2c

2b

2a

street
discharg

Section of typical OSD facility, with (1) DCP at street frontage and a 3-stage Storage that fills
progressively (2a) small underground tank, (2b) storage in front setback, and (2c) car-park storage.

The councils and State and Commonwealth

Governments have spent, and are spending
millions of dollars on works to prevent flooding.
Since 1989 over $35million has been spent in
the Upper Parramatta River catchment. Flood
retarding basins have been built such as the

Loyalty Road flood retarding basin at North Rocks

and the Sierra Place flood basin at West
Baulkham Hills. These basins act like a very large
OSD system by temporarily detaining water
behind a wall, and releasing the water at a
controlled rate.

Some frequently asked

questions
Why do we have to provide OSD to fix up
Councils/State Governments past mistakes?
Why cant the Government spend money
to fix the problems?
OSD aims to prevent the current flooding problems
from growing, not solve the problems of the past.
The Councils, the Trust and State and Commonwealth Governments have spent millions of dollars
on works to overcome the flooding problems we
have inherited due to poor planning and development decisions in the past. That massive investment would be in vain if we allow the flooding
problem to grow again. OSD is one of the ways we
can prevent the flood threat from returning.
My neighbours have a larger development but
their facility is less restrictive on property use
than mine. Why should that be so?

Can I make any improvement to my garden if

its part of the OSD facility?
Changes which do not reduce the volume of
storage or redirect stormwater away from the
storage will generally be permitted. However,
because the levels and layout of the OSD facility
are critical to its performance, the Positive
Covenant on your title states that Councils
consent must be obtained prior to any changes.
Why is an 88B instrument required on
the title, and how does it get prepared?
What does it cost?
A positive covenant and restriction on use under
Section 88 of the Conveyancing Act must be
placed on the property title to ensure that future
owners of the property maintain the OSD facility
and do not interfere with it. This is important
because downstream residents will rely upon the
OSD facilities working as designed. Trust or
Council staff will visit all sites from time to time
to see that OSD facilities are kept in good
working order. A common form of covenant
restriction acceptable to all local councils is
available in the Trusts OSD
Handbook to
reduce

Both the cost and the impact of an OSD facility

on a property are the result of the OSD design.
Clever design can provide OSD facilities that
cost relatively little and are a feature of the
landscaping, rather than in impediment to your
enjoyment of the property. A good OSD facility is
a more likely outcome if it is considered early in
the design of the development, designed by an
experienced OSD designer and constructed under
the designers supervision.
Why doesnt a single dwelling
development, which could
have more paved area than
my dual occupancy, require
OSD?
Single dwellings are only
exempt from OSD when
built on an allotment
which existed in 1991.
Single dwellings are
required to have OSD
when constructed on a
new allotment.
These days there
are very few new
single residences
built on pre-1991
allotments within the catchment.

OSD Discharge Control Pit (in foreground) with a

grate on top through which excess stormwater
overflows into the garden that acts as a Storage.

the expense incurred in having these restrictions

placed on the property title. The cost depends on
what other changes to the property title are
made at the same time.
Can I get an exemption from the
requirement for OSD?
OSD prevents your development worsening
flooding so you will usually have to provide it.
However the OSD policy statement sets out
exemptions from the OSD requirements. There is
also provision for investigating claims that in
particular circumstances OSD is counterproductive. If these are not applicable to your
development, but you feel that the OSD
requirement is not in the community interest, you
can ask that Council waive or vary the OSD
requirements. Council will generally discuss your
request with the Trust.

What is On-site
Stormwater Detention?

Floodplains of the Upper Parramatta River Catchment

OSD storage can be provided in landscaped

areas (top) or in driveways and in belowground tanks (above).

Areas shown above in pale blue would be inundated in the largest possible flood by water
overflowing the main creeks. Flooding also occurs in many other areas due to overflow of
the local stormwater drains. OSD helps prevent both types of flooding in storms up to the
100-year magnitude.

Who should I contact for more information?

For more information please contact the Trust or your local council

Baulkham Hills Shire Council

Parramatta City Council

Address:

Address:

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

129 Showground Road

Castle Hill NSW 2154
PO Box 75
Castle Hill NSW 1765
02 9843 0555
[email protected]
www.bhsc.nsw.gov.au

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

On-site Stormwater Detention

30 Darcy Street
Parramatta NSW 2150
PO Box 32
Parramatta NSW 2124
02 9806 5000
[email protected]
www.parracity.nsw.gov.au

(OSD) is a way of collecting the

rain that falls on a site (known as

Blacktown City Council

Upper Parramatta River Catchment Trust

Address:

Address:

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

62 Flushcombe Road
Blacktown NSW 2148
PO Box 63
Blacktown NSW 2148
02 9839 6000
[email protected]
www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

Level 1, 10 Valentine Avenue

Parramatta NSW 2150
PO Box 3720
Parramatta NSW 2124
02 9891 4633
[email protected]
www.uprct.nsw.gov.au

stormwater), storing it temporarily

and then releasing it slowly so that
it doesnt worsen downstream

UPPER PARRAMATTA RIVER

CATCHMENT TRUST

flooding.

Holroyd City Council

Address:

Phone:
E-mail:
Website:

16 Memorial Avenue
Merrylands NSW 2160
PO Box 42
Merrylands NSW 2160
02 9840 9840
[email protected]
www.holroyd.nsw.gov.au

or request an OSD Handbook, which is

available from the Trust or visit us online
at www.uprct.nsw.gov.au.
These OSD facilities in a front set-back area have been cleverly
designed and built to provide a discreet, economical and easyto-maintain solution.