Bundoora facts before you book
More than one council
Banyule lists Bundoora as one of five suburbs that are also part of nearby council areas, and Darebin publishes its own Bundoora guide. Your rates notice says which council is yours.
Mostly houses
At the 2021 Census, 76.1% of occupied homes in the suburb of Bundoora were separate houses and 9.1% flats or apartments. 36.5% were owned outright and 27.6% rented.
Banyule protects trees everywhere
Banyule says all its residential areas have tree protection overlays, and that plumbers are among the contractors who need the right permit for works near a protected tree.
Darebin's significant tree test
Darebin's local law covers a tree taller than 8m with a trunk more than 100cm around at 1.5m above the ground.
Trenches near trees in Banyule's part
Banyule wants no open trenches inside a tree protection zone, and treats encroaching on 10% or more of the zone as major. It says the roots that collect water and nutrients sit in the top 600mm of soil, the layer a pipe trench cuts through.
If a protected tree is damaged during works, penalties can follow. So the permit comes before the excavator, and our tree roots page covers what a plumber checks first.
In Darebin's part
Darebin needs a local law permit to remove a significant tree. If you're applying because roots are damaging pipes or the house, it wants a report from a licensed or suitably qualified person, such as a plumber or structural engineer. Where Clause 52.37 already needs a planning permit, a separate local law permit isn't required.
Water and sewer
Yarra Valley Water says leaks and bursts on its network rise in hot, dry summers, as the ground expands and then compacts again after rain. A burst main in the street is its problem. A leak on the pipe from the meter to the house, which the owner owns, is yours: see leak detection.
Where Yarra Valley Water's part of the sewer begins depends on the property, so ask it. Sewage spilling inside a building with no sign of an internal plumbing problem is one of its major faults, so call it promptly. For blockages on your side, start with blocked drains in Melbourne or an emergency plumber.
What we would do
Check your rates notice before any drain work near a tree, because Banyule and Darebin handle permits differently. If sewage comes up inside with no obvious cause, ring Yarra Valley Water first. For anything on your side, have a drain specialist find the fault on camera before you agree to a dig, and get the tree permit sorted while you wait.