Groundwater Housing Risk Dataset

We’re pleased to share a new dataset on the SEED Open Data Portal that supports planning and assessment for building developments across the Greater Metropolitan Region of NSW, including Greater Sydney and surrounding regions.

The Groundwater Housing Risk Dataset has been developed to support the Housing Approvals Reform Action Plan, helping streamline development assessments where groundwater interaction may occur.

This dataset combines multiple groundwater-related factors into a single, integrated risk layer to assist in understanding potential impacts associated with building developments.

What this dataset provides

The dataset brings together several key environmental and planning considerations into a unified groundwater risk classification, identifying areas as low, medium, or high risk.

It incorporates a range of input layers, including:

• Acid sulphate soils risk
• Contaminated sites risk
• Groundwater works (bores and excavations) risk
• Water features (rivers, water bodies and coastline) risk
• Groundwater dependent ecosystems risk
• Groundwater systems and geological risk

These layers have been analysed and combined to produce an overall risk dataset that supports more informed planning and assessment decisions.

How it supports planning and development

The dataset is designed to assist in the assessment of building projects that may interact with groundwater, supporting requirements under the NSW Aquifer Interference Policy and broader environmental protection considerations.

By identifying risk levels across the landscape, the dataset helps:

• Streamline development application assessments
• Support consistent and transparent decision-making
• Highlight areas where additional investigation or mitigation may be required
• Enable more efficient planning aligned with housing delivery objectives

The dataset forms part of a broader approach to improving how groundwater risks are considered in urban development planning.

Supporting documentation

A comprehensive method report is available to provide detailed context on how the dataset was developed, including input data sources, analytical methods, and risk classification approaches.

This includes the derivation of input layers and the methodology used to combine them into an overall risk dataset.

Explore the dataset

Groundwater Housing Risk Dataset:
https://datasets.seed.nsw.gov.au/dataset/groundwater-housing-risk-dataset 

We invite you to contribute to this forum!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on how these resources could support your work or research. Click Reply below to share your feedback, comments, and questions, and help shape better water management strategies for NSW by engaging with this SEED forum and dataset.