An overview of on-site retention and detention policies for urban stormwater management in the Greater Western Sydney Region in Australia

This article presents an overview of on-site retention (OSR) concepts and practices as components of sustainable urban stormwater management within local government organizations (Councils) in the rapidly growing Greater Western Sydney Region. It is found that the policies regarding on-site detention (OSD), OSR and water-sensitive urban design (WSUD) vary significantly across the Councils in this region. Council specifications and guidelines are often inconsistent and inhibit sustainable urban stormwater management.