Port Kennedy facts
Council: the City of Rockingham
Port Kennedy, called Becher until it was renamed in 1990, is one of the City's 16 suburbs. Stormwater, tree and septic rules come from the City.
Houses, and big ones
At the 2021 Census, 93.7% of the suburb's occupied homes were separate houses and none were flats or apartments. 78.6% had four or more bedrooms.
Mostly owner-occupied
51.9% of homes were owned with a mortgage and 22.4% rented, so most repair decisions sit with the people living there.
Stormwater stays on the lot
The City requires all stormwater to be disposed of within the lot without harming neighbouring land, using spoon drains or soakwells at the minimum.
Soakwell setbacks
Each soakwell must be at least as far from every building and boundary as it is deep, measured from ground level. On a smaller lot that can push soakwells to the front or back yard only, and an engineer may need to certify the design.
Adding a patio or extending the roof sends more water to the same soakwells. Our stormwater page explains what a plumber checks.
Roots from next door
The City says its Town Planning Scheme No. 2 needs no approval to remove a tree on a residential property, though clearing native vegetation can need other approvals. Problems with a neighbour's tree, roots included, are a civil matter between the two owners.
Water Corporation says roots creep into wastewater pipes through cracks, and suggests checking with Before You Dig Australia before planting a verge tree. If roots have reached your sewer, a drain specialist can find where they're getting in. See tree roots in drains.
At the meter and the sewer
Your mains tap is near the water meter, usually by the verge. Turn it clockwise to close; if it's stuck, turn it anticlockwise first to break the seal. At a detached home, a leak on the street side of the plumber's elbow is Water Corporation's, and on the house side it's yours.
For the sewer, the owner pays to clear a blockage in the property connection as far as the junction with Water Corporation's main. Large household? Mention how many people use hot water when you look at hot water in Perth. Other jobs: blocked drains, leak detection and emergency plumbing.
What we would do
After the first big winter storm, walk the block. If water pools near the house or bubbles out of a soakwell lid, get the soakwells looked at before the next one. Find your mains tap now, not during a burst. When you're ready, we will match the job with a plumber who specialises in it, and only that plumber receives your phone number and email.