Batemans Bay in numbers
Colder than it looks
The Bureau's Batemans Bay (Catalina Country Club) station averages 23.8 days a year at or below 2°C and 5.4 at or below 0°C, from records kept between 1991 and 2026. It has recorded -2.9°C.
A quarter of homes empty on Census night
In the Batemans Bay urban centre, 24.5% of private dwellings were unoccupied on Census night 2021, against 9.4% for NSW.
Mostly houses, plenty of units
71.3% of occupied homes in the urban centre were separate houses, 13.9% flats or apartments and 13.0% townhouses or semis. 42.9% were owned outright.
Heavy falls
The station's wettest day on record brought 221.0 mm of rain, against an annual mean of 919.0 mm.
Closing up a holiday house for winter
Shut the stop tap
With the water off, a pipe that splits in a frost can't keep running until your next visit.
Lag what's outside
Wrap exposed pipes, especially on the shaded side and at the hot water unit.
Ask about the hot water
A plumber can tell you whether to switch the system off while you're away and how to restart it safely.
Leave a key with someone
A neighbour who can check after a storm or a frost can catch a leak early.
Water, sewer and septic
Your rates or water notice names the authority that supplies your water and sewer. Before paying for a sewer blockage that could be past your boundary, ring that authority and ask where its pipe ends and yours begins, and whether it will clear its side. Our guide to who owns the sewer pipe explains why the answer differs from place to place.
If your home isn't on the sewer, the tank, pump and trenches are yours to look after. See septic systems.
Before you hand over a deposit
- No licence number in the ad. NSW requires the licensee's name and licence number in all plumbing advertising.
- A name that doesn't match the Public Register. The register shows each licence's categories, expiry date and any suspension or cancellation.
- A heat pump offer that says you'll pay nothing. NSW's Energy Savings Scheme requires a minimum payment from you.
Paperwork under NSW rules
Contracting for any plumbing, drainage or gas fitting job in NSW needs a contractor licence. For most work a Notice of Work goes in first, and at the end a Certificate of Compliance confirms it meets the Plumbing Code of Australia; the plumber must give you a copy. Hot water replacements need a temperature control device. More on the NSW page and NSW hot water discounts.
Pick your specialist: burst pipes, leak detection, hot water, blocked drains or an emergency plumber.
What we would do
If your Batemans Bay home sits empty, the stop tap matters more than anything else: turn it off every time you lock up. Lag the outside pipes before winter, because the Bureau's local station averages 23.8 days a year at or below 2°C. And confirm any plumber's licence on the Public Register before the work starts.