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Melbourne Water is closed for non-emergency business activities from Saturday, 21 December 2024 to Sunday, 5 January 2025 inclusive. During this period we will continue receiving permit applications, and will have staff working to ensure priority applications are progressed.

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If you are developing or subdividing land you may be required to apply for an offer to enter into an agreement with us to meet our drainage conditions.

Developers apply for an offer, which outlines the conditions of agreement for the provision of drainage or stormwater facilities.
There are two types of drainage conditions. 

Non-works offers

A non-works offer sets out conditions that do not include Melbourne Water works to be constructed. This offer may request that you pay a contribution towards the funding of waterways and drainage infrastructure to service a new subdivision or development.

This document serves as:

A Payment Notice: A formal notification of the drainage contribution required under sections 196 and 268(1) of the Water Act 1989.

An Agreement with Melbourne Water: A contractual agreement between the property owner and Melbourne Water, specifying the requirements that must be satisfied before Melbourne Water can provide consent for the issuance of a statement of compliance.

Before applying for a non-works offer, please ensure that you have a valid planning permit and an approved Stormwater Management Strategy from Melbourne Water, unless advised otherwise.

Documents required

Before making an application for drainage conditions (non-works), please ensure you have:

  • Plan of Subdivision that Melbourne Water has consented to verify the details and the status of the subdivision
  • SPEAR reference of the Plan of Subdivision that Melbourne Water has consented to
  • The reference number of the planning permit issued for the relevant site
  • The reference number of an approved Stormwater Management Strategy for the site

All applications must be submitted online via our website and ensure they are prepared in conjunction with the relevant section of the Developer Minimum Application Requirements Guideline (478.38 KB, PDF).

Works offers

A works offer is a contractual document that specifies conditions related to the works that are to be constructed by the relevant party (in most cases, the developer) on behalf of Melbourne Water or council. The agreement also specifies the requirements that must be satisfied before Melbourne Water can provide consent for the issuance of a statement of compliance.

The document can also sometimes include any required contributions and is a formal notification of the drainage contribution required under sections 196 and 268(1) of the Water Act 1989. 

Before applying for a works offer, please ensure that you have a valid planning permit and an approved Stormwater Management Strategy from Melbourne Water, unless advised otherwise.

Documents required

Before making an application for drainage conditions (works), please ensure you have:

  • The reference number of the planning permit issued for the relevant site
  • The reference number of an approved Stormwater Management Strategy for the site
  • Functional Design Drawings for the proposed assets approved by the responsible asset owner for the relevant asset so that we can adequately scope an offer of conditions-works for the relevant assets.
    However, there may be instances where you need to apply for an offer of conditions-works before a Functional Design is finalised. In this instance, you would need contact Melbourne Water to discuss the circumstances and receive a directive from Melbourne Water to apply for an offer of conditions-works. This means that you will need to work with the relevant asset owner (Melbourne Water or other authority) to ensure that any key elements of the functional design have been deemed satisfactory.
  • Cost Estimate for the scope of scheme works that includes a breakdown to help us understand how it was derived 
  • Agreement on asset reimbursement: If the proposal differs from the original Development Services Scheme or Precinct Structure Plan, reaching an agreement on asset reimbursement will be required.

All applications must be submitted online via our website and ensure they are prepared in conjunction with the relevant section of the Developer Minimum Application Requirements Guideline (478.38 KB, PDF).

Duration

You'll receive our response within 28 days for non-works offers and 60 days for works offers.

Incomplete applications may be delayed or returned requesting additional information.

Fees

There are no fees for this service.

Contact us

If you need any help to complete this application, contact us on 131 722.

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