Bassendean facts that change a job
Mostly houses
At the 2021 Census, 74.9% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses, 19.0% townhouses, terraces or semis and 6.0% flats. 27.2% were rented.
Stormwater stays on site
The Town requires stormwater to be kept on site unless a qualified civil engineer's geotechnical and soil testing shows the ground can't take it.
Regulated trees
Since a 2024 policy change, a private tree over 8 metres tall, with a canopy wider than 6 metres or a trunk 1.5 metres round at 1.4 metres up can't be removed or substantially damaged without the Town's approval, unless it's a weed species.
River flood awareness
The Town's Flood Aware Be Prepared campaign draws on flood modelling and a risk assessment of the Swan and Helena Rivers.
Connecting to the Town's drains
You need approval to connect a property's stormwater to the Town's system, and the Town only considers it once every on-site option has been investigated and ruled out. The application needs a geotechnical report and a drainage plan certified by a qualified engineer. Surveying the existing pipe levels is the owner's job.
For most homes that means soakwells. A plumber who specialises in stormwater can check how the ground drains and size them.
Digging near a big tree
Replacing a cracked sewer line or adding soakwells near a large tree? Check first whether it's a regulated tree. Street trees are different again: only the Town, or an arborist it approves, may maintain them.
Relining is a trenchless option worth asking about when roots and pipes tangle. See pipe relining in Perth and tree roots in drains.
Sewer spills and your side of the line
The pipes between your house and the sewer junction on Water Corporation's main are yours to keep clear. If wastewater overflows anywhere on the property, Water Corporation wants it reported to its 24-hour line straight away.
WA lets you plunge a blocked fixture or waste pipe yourself. Beyond that short list, the work needs a licensed plumber or permit holder. For urgent jobs, see emergency plumbers in Perth.
What we would do
Before you plan paving, a granny flat or a pool in Bassendean, ask a plumber to confirm the soakwells can cope, because the Town expects stormwater to stay on your land. If the pipe route crosses a big tree's roots, ask the Town whether it's regulated before anyone digs. And if sewage ever spills in the yard, report it to Water Corporation first.