Development of a national database of lifecycle costs of well-designed, decentralised water sensitive urban design (WSUD) assets is being proposed by Water Sensitive Cities Australia (WSCA), the organisation carrying forward the legacy of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities (CRCWSC).
Water Sensitive SA recently participated in an online session with WSCA partners and other interested parties to review the draft project scope. The group discussed project design criteria including identification of:
- suitable data collection methods and minimum standards for data quality
- benchmarking for priority lifecycle costs
- governance systems and processes to ensure ongoing usability of the database
- training requirements to ensure the full benefits of the final database can be realised by industry.
With a better understanding of the whole-of-life costs of WSUD assets, practitioners will be equipped to present stronger business cases for the adoption of WSUD principles into asset renewal or new capital works projects. We are currently exploring the potential for South Australian involvement in the project.
If you have ideas to contribute or would like to be involved in anyway, please get in touch with us.