Stormwater Management Plan
The topography of the wider Victor Harbor area is characterised by the Inman and Hindmarsh rivers, and surrounding steep areas that meet flat low-lying land along the coastline. This type of topography is prone to stormwater drainage issues, including ponding at low points within catchments experienced frequently during and following rain events, and sheeting flows through steep areas.
The City of Victor Harbor, with funding from the Stormwater Management Authority, has prepared an Urban Stormwater Management Plan for the Victor Harbor urban area in partnership with a consultant team led by Southfront. The Plan provides greater clarity to the extent of the stormwater management related issues in the area. The Plan will also guide Council’s decision making processes to better manage flood risk, water quality, stormwater detention/retention and development in the area.
Work on the Stormwater Management Plan commenced in 2020. The project was put on hold between 2021 - 2023 while the Attorney General's Department developed updated flood mapping. A final Urban Stormwater Management Plan is now awaiting approval by the Stormwater Management Authority.
What are the goals of the Urban Stormwater Management Plan ?
Council has identified the following goals for the Urban Stormwater Management Plan:
- Identify flood prone areas and opportunities to reduce flooding, taking into consideration the management of stormwater infrastructure and the projected impacts of climate change
- Improve the water quality of stormwater discharging to the local rivers and coastline
- Improve understanding of the Catchment and its systems as a whole
- Protect and enhance water dependent ecosystems
- Provide principles and policies to inform future decision making regarding stormwater management
What is the study area?
The study area consists of 24 catchments, varying in size and land-use type. The study area extends from Jagger Road on the Southern end of Encounter Bay through to Ocean Road in Hayborough and focuses on highlighting and understanding the stormwater issues and important values in the urbanised and developed areas of the study area.
Some of the catchments identified within the study area include the Inman valley and Hindmarsh river catchments, the Tabernacle
Road catchment, the Encounter Lakes catchment, the CBD and the Breckan Avenue Catchment - all of which eventually discharge to the coast.
The total study area is approximately 3400 hectares in size. The study area includes large areas of private housing developments with their own internal drainage networks. Investigation of these systems, and various other recent residential developments that are not within the scope of this.
How does the Stormwater Management Plan relate to previous studies?
The Stormwater Management Plan will build upon a range of studies and works previously undertaken by Council
including the 2019 Victor Harbor Watercourses Floodplain Mapping Study and other catchment specific studies such as the 1994 Tabernacle Road Drainage Strategy report. Throughout the development of the Stormwater Management Plan, attention will be given to previous Council drainage strategies, while considering recurrent flooding issues and identifying potential improvements to drainage.