Melville facts for a plumbing job
Houses, mostly owner-occupied
At the 2021 Census, 78.0% of occupied homes in the suburb of Melville were separate houses and 19.0% townhouses or semis. 44.5% were owned with a mortgage and 15.5% rented.
A place named for water
Melville takes its name from Melville Water. The corner of Stock Road and Leach Highway, once High Road, was a significant site for Aboriginal people because of a well-known fresh water spring.
The City prunes street tree roots
City of Melville crews maintain street trees, roots and branches included. Owners can't do any work on a street tree without prior approval, and doing so can bring an infringement.
Roots from next door
The City doesn't currently regulate trees on private land. Roots or branches coming from a neighbour's tree are a civil matter between the two owners.
Easements and building work
An easement is a strip of your land, registered on the Certificate of Title, that gives the City or another party access for a set purpose, often to protect a stormwater drain, sewer or power line. Before building, the City asks owners to check with its engineering team and Water Corporation that the work won't affect an existing drainage or sewer easement.
A building permit application also needs a site plan showing how stormwater will be disposed of. The City's Stormwater Drainage Design Calculator is a guide to the right mix of soakwells or drainage cells.
When roots reach the sewer
Water Corporation's rule puts blockages in the property's own sewer connection, as far as the junction with its main, on the owner. If the plumber finds the blockage in the main instead, Water Corporation's crew clears it and pays the plumber a standard locating fee.
The verge carries power, gas and telecommunications, and owners look after its landscaping and irrigation. Digging near the street needs an application to the City. See blocked drains in Perth and tree roots in drains.
What we would do
Before an extension, pool or new soakwell, get a copy of your Certificate of Title, look for easements, and ask the City and Water Corporation about any you find. If a street tree's roots seem to be part of a drain problem, report the tree to the City rather than cutting it. Then let us match you with a drain specialist.