The perceived economic impact of the City of Johannesburg’s storm water attenuation policy on private property developers

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Date
2009
Authors
Buys, Fanie
Aldous, Mike
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Free State
Abstract
English: Over recent years storm water attenuation policy has become a contentious issue for the property development community, both locally and internationally. Increased urbanisation has forced municipal authorities to reconsider the role of storm water management in an evolving urban landscape. It is within this context that the legislative support and municipal policy for storm water management in the City of Johannesburg (CoJ) has been considered, with direct regard to the perceived economic impact of storm water policy on private property developers. Factors considered included the cost, risk, and time factors of policy compliance within the development process. Research of international policy implementation issues in countries with welldeveloped storm water management frameworks formed the basis for the design of a questionnaire to evaluate the response of local private property developers to the relevant issues. Results of the research indicated that developers had a below average level of knowledge with regard to the storm water management policy of the CoJ, as well as of the underlying supporting legislation. The results of the survey further indicated that developers were strongly opposed to the loss of developable area, but indicated a limited financial impact of the current storm water attenuation policy. The risk element inherent in incorporating attenuation facilities within a development was identified as being low, with little perceived impact, while indications highlighted the inclusion of attenuation facilities as a significant contributing factor in the delay of approval and acceptance of new developments. The additional maintenance costs associated with attenuation facility inclusion were indicated to be of a low level of importance to developers.
Afrikaans: Stormwaterverminderingsbeleid het oor die afgelope jare ‘n netelige saak vir die eiendomsontwikkelingsgemeenskap nasionaal en internasionaal geword. Verhoogde verstedeliking het munisipaliteitsowerhede gedwing om die rol van stormwaterbestuur in ‘n groeiende stedelike omgewing te oorweeg. Dit is binne hierdie konteks dat die wetgewingsondersteuning en munisipale beleid oor stormwaterbestuur in Johannesburg oorweeg word met direkte verwysing na die oorwegende ekonomiese impak van stormwaterbeleid op privaateiendomsontwikkelaars. Faktore wat oorweeg word, sluit in: die koste, risiko, en tyd van beleidooreenkoms binne die ontwikkelingsproses. Navorsing oor internasionale beleidsimplimentering in lande met goed ontwikkelde stormwaterbestuursraamwerke vorm die grondslag vir die ontwerp van ‘n vraelys om die reaksie van plaaslike privaat eiendomsontwikkelaars oor die relevante sake te evalueer. Resultate uit die navorsing dui aan dat ontwikkelaars ‘n laer as gemiddeld kennis van stormwaterbestuursbeleid asook van die onderliggende ondersteuningswetgewing van Johannesburg gehad het. Die resultate dui ook aan dat ontwikkelaars sterk teenkanting getoon het teen die verlies van ontwikkelbare gebiede, maar dui ‘n beperkte finansiële impak van die huidige stormwaterverminderingsbeleid aan. Die risiko element van die inkorporering van verminderingsfasiliteite binne ‘n onwikkeling was as laag aangedui met ‘n klein impak, terwyl die insluiting van verminderingsfasiliteite as ‘n merkbare bydraende faktor in die vertraging om goedkeuring en aanvaarding van nuwe ontwikkelings te verkry, uitgelig is. Die addisionele instandhoudingskoste wat met ingeslote verminderingsfasiliteite geassosieer word, is aangedui om van min waarde vir ontwikkelaars te wees.
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Keywords
Stormwater, Economics, Attenuation, Pond, Detention
Citation
Buys, F., & Aldous, M. (2009). The perceived economic impact of the City of Johannesburg’s storm water attenuation policy on private property developers. Acta Structilia, 16(2), 18-45.