Living in Surfers Paradise
Eight in ten homes are flats
At the 2021 Census, 81.2% of occupied homes in the suburb were flats or apartments. Only 10.0% were separate houses.
Small households
25.1% of homes had one bedroom and 46.5% had two. The average household was 1.9 people, against 2.5 across Queensland.
Half rented
51.2% of occupied homes were rented and 26.8% were owned outright.
A high-rise precinct
The City's place making master plan describes Surfers Paradise as characterised by high-rise apartments and a mixed-use precinct with tourist accommodation, restaurants and businesses.
Pressure in a tall building
City of Gold Coast keeps mains pressure below 900 kPa to limit leaks and bursts, but AS/NZS 3500 caps operating pressure inside a building at 500 kPa. That's why buildings built or renovated since 2003 may have pressure reduction valves.
If one tap or shower is weak, the fault may be inside your unit. If a whole floor is affected, that's the building's plumbing and a question for the body corporate.
Backflow devices
If your building has a testable backflow prevention device, the City keeps it on a register. The owner must have it tested every year by a Queensland licensed plumber with a backflow endorsement, and the test report is due within 10 business days. A device that fails has to be repaired or replaced immediately, and removing or tampering with one without approval is a criminal offence. More on backflow testing.
Water coming through the ceiling
Protect your unit
Move belongings, put a container under the drip and turn off power to any wet light fitting at the switchboard.
Tell the building
Let the building manager know, and your agent if you rent. The source can be the unit above or a shared pipe.
Record it
Take dated photos of the ceiling and any damage, and keep them with the plumber's written findings.
Other help on the Gold Coast
For hidden leaks see Gold Coast leak detection, for strata buildings and businesses see commercial plumbing, and after hours try an emergency plumber.
What we would do
In a Surfers Paradise tower, call the building manager before a plumber when water is coming from above or a whole floor has lost pressure. If the fault is clearly inside your own unit, such as a dripping mixer, a running toilet or a leaking hot water unit, book a plumber who knows apartment work and ask them to sort out shutting off the water with building management first.