Councils are the local planning authority and responsible for the construction and maintenance of the local drainage system, including urban zones such as within the Koo Wee Rup Township.

Local drainage refers to drainage assets with a catchment area of approximately 200 hectares or less in a rural setting or 60 hectares or less in an urban setting.

Their responsibilities include:

• local road networks,
• street and property drainage, and
• nominating, for the landholder, the legal point of discharge for a site into a council or Melbourne Water drain.

Issues with, applications and approvals for all minor local drainage works not located on or impacting a Melbourne Water asset, need to be sought through council.

Councils are also responsible for providing a range of municipal services.

Baw Baw Shire

• (03) 5624 2411
• Baw Baw Shire Council

Cardinia Shire

• 1300 787 624
• Cardinia Shire Council

City of Casey

• (03) 9705 5200
• City of Casey

VicRoads is responsible for drainage along highways and major roads.

To find out which roads in the district VicRoads are responsible for go to the map on their website Map of DTP roads : VicRoads

If you have an issue with a drain along a highway or major road, you should contact VicRoads directly.

• Phone 13 11 70 (24 hours, 7 days)
• VicRoads

Southern Rural Water is the responsible authority for the issuing of farm dam and groundwater licences.

• 1300 139 510
• Southern Rural Water

As the local water retailer, South East Water are responsible for supply of drinking (potable) water to the district, along with collection of sewage and trade waste.

South East Water also collect the special precept charge through their quarterly water and sewage bill to Koo Wee Rup Flood Protection District landholders.

If you have an issue related to your billing, water or sewage, please contact South East Water directly.

• 13 16 94
• South East Water

The management and regular maintenance of private drains is the responsibility of the landholder including coverings, bridges or similar structures within your property that cover or cross our stormwater drains, pipes or culverts, unless they are owned by Melbourne Water.

You are responsible for providing stormwater drainage within your property boundaries and connections to the district drainage system.

As a landholder, you must:

• ensure that any works carried out on your property do not negatively impact on your neighbours by changing the flow of water across property boundaries
• contact the relevant authority, usually Melbourne Water or council, if you are planning to undertake works on any drains on your property.
• Under the Water Act 1989 Section 16, a person may be liable to pay for damages if they cause or interfere with the reasonable flow of water onto any land.

A culvert is a tunnel carrying a stream or open drain under a road or railway.

Property owners are responsible for ensuring their driveway culvert is of sufficient size, located in the correct position and clear of debris.

It is recommended that driveway culverts are checked regularly by residents and any debris removed, particularly following storm events.

Residents are reminded that under the Road Management Act 2004, the responsibility of the maintenance of driveways and culvert crossings that service private property rests entirely on the owner of the property to which they serve.

It is the responsibility of the property owner to ensure that water flow through their culvert crossing is not obstructed in any way.

To allow sufficient flow of water through the drainage system, councils recommend a minimum size and type of pipe to be used beneath driveway crossings.

Pipes that are undersized or of low structural integrity may limit access to and from your property and reduce the functionality of the drainage system.

Residents wishing to install or upgrade their driveway culvert must obtain consent to undertake works within a road reserve prior to the commencement of any works.

This can be obtained by contacting your council.

To maintain safe access for our staff to carry out works, you are required to provide us with access to your property. Our staff will be in touch with you in advance when this is necessary.

You must obtain our consent before you undertake building, landscaping or other construction work that is over, or adjacent to our drains or other assets which may damage, interfere with or obstruct access. Approvals for building, landscaping or other construction work that involves building over, or adjacent to, our drains or other assets are to be requested from us in advance of any activity being undertaken on the property.

Advise us immediately if damage occurs to any of our drains or other assets on your property, or report deliberate damage or suspected improper activity relating to our assets, by contacting us. You must ensure that water discharged into Melbourne Water drains is not polluted. The cost of repair of damage to Melbourne Water assets by a precept ratepayer is the responsibility of the precept ratepayer.

1. If your problem involves a neighbour, discuss it with them first.
2. Check with the relevant authority to determine whether activities are legitimate or in breach of the law or council's planning scheme.
3. Gather all relevant information about the issue. You will then be in a better position to decide what your next step should be.
4. Approach the issue in a co-operative way. Mutual resolution will provide better lasting solutions.
5. Mediation: if you cannot reach an agreement, you can seek to have your dispute mediated by a formal third party. The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV) provides a free and confidential service that can help you resolve common neighbourhood disputes involving fences, trees, animals, noise and drainage issues.
6. As a last step, formal legal proceedings might be the only appropriate course of action. This may include an Enforcement Order under the Planning and Environment Act or civil action under Section 16 of the Water Act 1989.

To contact the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria (DSCV), call 1800 658 528 or visit the DSCV website: www.reachingagreement.disputes.vic.gov.au for more information.

Melbourne Water will accept requests from the community to consider undertaking unscheduled work that is routine work not already planned in the annual maintenance program.

We must consider these requests carefully, as they divert resources and funds away from scheduled work planned and agreed elsewhere in the District and as outlined in our annual maintenance plan.

Requests for unscheduled works must be made in writing via email or mail.

All requests must detail:

• the location of the requested work
• the nature of the problem and why the work needs to be done – this should include information on how urgent the work is
• the drainage and flood protection outcomes the work will achieve and the beneficiaries
• Include photographs of the drainage related issue.
• If a flooding issue, the date and time that any issues were experienced.