The Entrance: facts that shape a job
Units and renters
At the 2021 Census, 52.9% of occupied homes in the suburb of The Entrance were flats or apartments, against 21.7% across NSW. 57.2% were rented.
Empty on Census night
37.3% of private dwellings were unoccupied that night, nearly four times the NSW figure of 9.4%. A leak in an empty unit can run unseen.
Tides and storm surge
The NSW SES names The Entrance among the Central Coast's coastal suburbs exposed to tides and storm surges, which make flooding worse in extreme weather.
New lake flood levels
Council adopted its Tuggerah Lakes Flood Study Review on 25 August 2026. The highest lake level on its list is 2.1 m AHD in June 1949; the 1 in 100 AEP level is now 2.24 m AHD.
Strata repairs while you're away
In a block, the pipe that failed decides who pays. In most NSW strata schemes, water from inside another lot is that owner's responsibility, and plumbing in boundary walls or under floors is the owners corporation's.
In an emergency you can call a tradesperson yourself. If the fault was the owners corporation's, you may be able to get the cost back. Photograph everything and ask the plumber to write down what failed and what they did.
Digging near the estuary
Council notes that acid sulfate soils occur in every coastal estuary in NSW. Left alone they do no harm, but once dug up and exposed to air they produce sulfuric acid.
Council also asks owners not to excavate, build or landscape over or beside its pipes without speaking to it first. Before a trench goes in for a new drain near the lake, raise both with Council. The Tuggerah Lakes study may also change your Section 10.7 Planning Certificate.
Next steps
For units and holiday lets, leak detection and emergency plumbing are the usual starting points. Blocked stacks are covered under Central Coast blocked drains.
What we would do
If your unit sits empty for weeks, leave a key with someone who can reach the meter, and read the meter each visit. When water comes through from upstairs, stop it at the source first, then tell the strata manager and take photos before anything is cleaned up. For drainage work near the lake, ask Council about acid sulfate soils and its pipes before the trench is dug.