Low Impact Stormwater Charge for vacant land

You can apply if you:

• Pay us a stormwater charge for your property.
• Appropriately manage the land on your property to aid infiltration of rainwater into the soil and ensure sediment and other water pollutants do not leave your property.

You can't apply if you:

• Don't pay Hunter Water a stormwater charge for your property.
• If you are a business property (<1000 m^2) as you are already being charged the lowest charge.

You must ensure that your land is appropriately managed such that rainwater can infiltrate into the soil and sediment or other water pollutants do not leave your property.

There are many ways you can do this. Some examples include:

• Plant suitable vegetation on your property to hold sediment in place and ensure soil is not exposed. This may include showing that your land is covered in natural healthy bushland (with no erosion gully lines), is covered in a native grass species, has appropriate garden beds with shrubs / trees or has been turfed and is regularly maintained.
• Do not stockpile grass clippings, sediment, bulk chemicals or rubbish on your property.
• Ensure your land is not contaminated from past uses (industrial, mining, agriculture).

Below is a list of information that should be provided when submitting your application. Please have this information available to attach to your application, noting that photos and reports must be in a digital format.

• You need to present photos of your property showing the vegetation and the slope of your land. Photos showing the large expanses of the property need to be included as well as some more close up photos to ensure the property can be seen in full context. For vacant land that is currently more natural bushland an assessment will still need to be carried out to ensure that the natural bushland is in good condition. Photos along any natural creek line need to be provided.
• You need to declare that you will not stockpile items on your property.
• You need to declare if there is any history of contamination on the property and declare that you will not contaminate in future.