How to achieve best-practice integrated land-use and safety assurance policy for hazardous on-farm water storage

•Developments downstream of on-farm water storages are at threat from failure.•Inadequate integration of land-use planning and dam safety assurance policies.•Paper develops key guidance on the design of best-practice integrated policy.•Includes cost-effective flood safety tool to help planners globally mitigate threat.

Communities downstream of hazardous on-farm water storages are at threat because of the severe consequences of potential dam failure. This threat exists due to inadequate development and integration of land-use planning and safety assurance policies in relation to private dams. Adequate policy integration is key to saving lives, public and private property and the environment downstream from dam failure. Whilst numerous studies have explored land-use policy and its relationship to safety, there has been limited attention to the safety risk posed by dams above increased housing development. Thus, this paper aims to explore the interrelated land-use policy and engineering issues associated with planning for and assuring safety of hazardous farm dams involving land developments and how best to integrate the policies. The extent of this problem is demonstrated in the Australian context but also has international relevance. Key guidance on the design of best-practice integrated land-use planning and safety assurance policy is provided based on (1) a comparative review of policy and practice in a wide range of different jurisdictions in Australia against indicative evidence of policy performance to determine best-practice policy elements for integration, and (2) development of a cost-effective flood safety review/design tool to help policymakers and planners with the integration process as well as minimising cost burdens to dam owners. This guidance follows on from previous research reported in this journal to help jurisdictions world-wide address the threats associated with farm dams and land developments within catchments.