The City has new policy and guidelines around how we treat stormwater offsets within the Victorian Planning Scheme.
About this project
The City of Greater Bendigo has new Council approved policy and guidelines around how we treat stormwater offsets within the Victorian Planning Scheme.
The new policy formalises an existing informal arrangement we’ve had in place for approximately 14 years. It clarifies roles and responsibilities within Council and provides clarity in when and how we collect offsets and how Council will use the associated offsets funds.
The changes include a significant increase to the offset rate to $25 per square meter of impervious area after an external review found that the previous rate was too low to cover Council’s cost of the scheme.
Council have also created an offsets guideline to assist our land development customers navigate the changes and understand when and where this voluntary scheme can be used.
The updated policy will come into effect on July 1, 2025.
Frequently asked questions
The voluntary storm water offsets scheme is part of broader Victorian Government Policy encouraging offsetting within local Councils. The City had an informal scheme in place for many years. This formalises the voluntary scheme and provides clarity to land development applicants.
It is a voluntary scheme which aims to provide more options to developers when meeting Clause 53.18 and Clause 56 obligations to treat stormwater.
It was guided by advice from consultants who have direct experience in implementing this type of scheme and with support from the Victorian Government.
The change comes into effect from July 1, 2025 to allow land developers time to adjust to the change. Council has also been advising developers of this change informally and at our developer forums since September 2024.
The new rate will be $25 per square meter of impervious area and will apply to areas not met by other onsite treatments within a development site (such as tanks and re-use).
Find out more
If you have any questions about this project please contact the City's Climate Change and Environment Team via email or phone:
For more information on applying for a storm water offset, please contact the City's Development Engineering Team via email or phone: