Burwood facts for a plumbing job
Shared with Monash
Whitehorse lists Burwood as shared with the City of Monash. Your rates notice tells you which council is yours.
Plenty of renters
At the 2021 Census, 37.2% of occupied homes in the suburb of Burwood were rented (Victoria 28.5%). 57.9% were separate houses, 26.6% townhouses, terraces or semis and 15.4% flats or apartments.
Some older blocks were never connected
Whitehorse says some older subdivisions weren't connected to Council's drainage when they were built. Residents can ask for a drainage scheme, which they pay for, and Council maintains it afterwards.
Canopy trees in every residential street
Whitehorse says all its residential areas now have some tree protection under Clause 52.37.
Stormwater, council by council
In Whitehorse's part, if your street has no Council drain to connect to, ask about a drainage scheme: the residents who benefit share the cost of building it, and Council takes over repairs once it's in.
In Monash's part, you're responsible for all private drains within and from your property, and Monash says to get a registered plumber's advice for those. Its own maintenance can include removing tree roots and other blockages, and it aims to respond to reported drainage issues within 10 working days. Its standard is to act when water directly affects the inside of a home.
Trees near the pipe
In Whitehorse, a permit is needed to remove, lop or destroy a tree within 4.5m of the rear boundary or 6m of the front boundary that's more than 5 metres tall with an average canopy at least 4 metres across. Dead trees and emergency works are exempt.
If a drain repair means taking out or heavily cutting back a tree like that, check with Council first. Our tree roots page covers the plumbing side, and pipe relining can sometimes avoid a trench.
Water and sewer
Yarra Valley Water owns the meter and stop tap and repairs the pipe from the main to the meter; from the meter to the house, the pipes are the owner's. For a sewer blockage that's your responsibility, you arrange and pay for a licensed plumber. Yarra Valley Water can confirm where its part begins for your property.
Renting? Report urgent plumbing, such as a burst water service, to your rental provider. For other jobs, see blocked drains in Melbourne, leak detection or hot water.
What we would do
Start with your rates notice: Whitehorse or Monash changes the drain rules and the tree permit. Then find the stop tap at the meter so you can shut the water off quickly if a pipe bursts. For a blockage, have a drain specialist locate it on camera, and if it sits under a protected tree, sort out the permit before anyone digs.