Industrial Water Sensitive Development Initiatives: Opportunities, Challenges and Strategies: Case study of Auckland, New Zealand

Abstract

Urban development modes and practices always have an adverse impact on urban environmental quality and industrial processes by contributing significantly to the degradation of the natural environment. Sustainable Stormwater Management (SSM) has emerged in many countries and is widely applied in the development of residential and commercial areas to reduce the environmental impact of construction. However, SSM (termed Water Sensitive Design or WSD in New Zealand) does not adequately address urban industrial areas’ environmental impacts. This thesis investigates the application of WSD as an alternative approach to current industrial development modes. The thesis uses a three-step New Zealand case study to identify the priority issues to address when formulating guidance and strategies for industrial SSM. The first step reports on interviews with Auckland’s stormwater professionals to gain insight into the practice, motivation, and the benefits and barriers of applying Industrial Water Sensitive Development (IWSD). The second step is a questionnaire survey to reveal stakeholders’ perceptions and preferences towards implementing IWSD in one of Auckland’s conventional industrial areas. Results from this assist in the identification of feasible and effective strategies to apply and promote IWSD. The third step applies a local Decision Support Tool (DST) to examine and prove the benefits and feasibility of IWSD application in one of Auckland’s developing industrial areas. The thesis reveals the benefits and barriers of WSD application in industrial areas and develops guidance and strategies for IWSD. The main benefits of IWSD are: reducing stormwater pollution; maintaining and mimicking nature; disconnecting spill sources and receiving water bodies; and enhancing aesthetic amenity, comfort level, and human health. The barriers were mainly from three main aspects: physical challenges, cognitive challenges, and policy challenges. Supporting the benefits and minimising the barriers means emphasising the importance of initial planning and design within IWSD; potential space utilisation; combination of IWSD and existing conventional systems; public education programs and practitioner training guidance of IWSD; an official IWSD guideline; and a corresponding compliance framework. The study considers how industrial and surrounding areas can be enhanced from environmental and social aspects by integrating water sensitive and ecologically-based urban design approaches to deliver a sustainable and resilient industrial environment. The case study findings in Auckland and the IWSD practical and theoretical guidance, developed through the research, represent original contributions to knowledge of stormwater management and industrial development.