Overland flow/sloping blocks

Overland flow is the path down the slope following the contours of the land and occurs before any excavation, development or building is created. An upstream property owner cannot be held liable merely because surface water flows naturally from their land on to the lower land of a neighbour.

If you are a resident living on a sloping site, you should be aware that natural surface water run‐off flows down the slope following the contours of the block.

Unless the cause of the surface water meets the criteria above, you carry the responsibility to install surface water controls. Any diversion of surface water must be carried out in a way that does not have a detrimental impact on any other properties further down the slope.

Council is unlikely to investigate stormwater complaints involving the natural flow of stormwater from one property to another.