Osborne Park in four facts
Townhouses outnumber houses
At the 2021 Census, only 17.6% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses. 57.9% were townhouses, terraces or semis and 24.3% flats or apartments; 54.5% were rented, and 44.9% had two bedrooms.
Homes from the 1960s and 70s
The City of Stirling says most remaining dwellings date from the 1960s and 1970s, generally single detached brick and tile, with some timber character houses and many newer units.
An industrial suburb
By the 1980s industry dominated most of Osborne Park, leaving the north-east mainly residential. The industrial area holds showrooms, shops and offices, and over 200 street trees are planned there across 2026 and 2027.
Council drains, Water Corporation sewer
The City's stormwater network has 720 km of pipes, around 29,000 chambers and pits and 220 sumps. The main drains and the sewerage belong to Water Corporation.
In a unit or townhouse
With most homes townhouses or units, the first question is often whose pipe it is. Before booking, ask the strata manager or owner, because a leak or blockage may sit in a pipe several homes share.
Renting? Water Corporation says tenants generally pay for the water they use but not for leaks: the cost of leaks and repairs lies with the property owner unless the rental agreement says otherwise. Report leaks to the agent or landlord quickly.
Businesses and trade waste
Any business discharging trade waste to Water Corporation's sewer must by law hold a trade waste permit. Food businesses that prepare and cook food will generally need a grease arrestor, installed by a licensed plumber. Only a liquid waste contractor licensed by the environment regulator may clean it, at the frequency set on the permit.
Changing owner, name or processes? Water Corporation needs at least 14 days' notice, and it may mean a new permit. See commercial plumbing in Perth.
Roots, drains and flooding
The City of Stirling puts cameras in its own drain pipes to find root intrusion, then cuts roots out with high pressure water jets. That covers the City's pipes only: roots in the sewer pipe on your property are a job for a drain specialist, and our Perth blocked drains page explains where Water Corporation's part begins.
The City can't supply flood-risk letters for insurance, because it holds no flood mapping data. For other jobs, see leak detection, hot water or an emergency plumber.
What we would do
In a complex, find out where the inspection openings are and who manages the shared pipes before the plumber arrives; it saves time and argument over the bill. If you run a business, keep the trade waste permit on site and log every grease arrestor pump-out. We'll then find a plumber who specialises in that job; your phone and email go only to the one who accepts it.