Stormwater Rate Review

Stormwater is rain or melted snow that flows off hard surfaces like roofs, driveways, and roads instead of soaking into the ground. This water travels through ditches, storm sewers, and ponds before reaching local creeks and rivers.

North Perth’s stormwater infrastructure is aging, and some systems require upgrades to keep them functioning properly. In certain areas, urban-style drainage systems don’t exist at all, which limits the community’s ability to manage heavy rain events.

Proper investment ensures we can:

• Prevent localized flooding and erosion
• Maintain and upgrade older systems before they fail
• Extend services to areas that currently lack proper urban drainage
• Reduce costly emergency repairs
• Build resilience against more frequent and intense storms

North Perth’s stormwater network includes 64 km of linear assets with a 2025 replacement value of $38 million. (Asset Management in North Perth)

How stormwater is funded today (and what’s changing)

• Listowel today: Some drains are already funded through a dedicated tax levy through property taxes and the general tax base. Transitioning to a stormwater rate would restructure how Listowel contributes.
• Atwood/Monkton/Trowbridge: Does not currently contribute through a dedicated stormwater rate.

What’s being considered: Moving to a stormwater rate—a dedicated, transparent charge used only for stormwater services. This would:

• Restructure how Listowel contributes, moving away from Drainage Act assessments embedded in taxes toward a clearer rate model.
• Introduce contributions for Atwood, ensuring all serviced communities share fairly in the costs of maintaining, upgrading, and potentially expanding infrastructure.