Northern Beaches facts that change a job
One council area
Northern Beaches Council covers the whole area. At the 2021 Census, 57.3% of its occupied homes were separate houses, 33.4% flats or apartments and 8.8% townhouses or semis.
More owners than renters
34.8% of homes were owned outright and 34.9% with a mortgage. 26.9% were rented, below the NSW figure of 32.6%.
Sewer damage won't move a tree
Council lists damage to sewer pipes among the reasons it will not approve removing a tree. It may allow root pruning to limit damage to structures.
Not every home is sewered
Council says a property that isn't connected to Sydney Water's sewage system will have an on-site sewage management system, which needs Council approval to install and to operate.
Roots and pipes
Some trees need no permit at all: those under 5 metres, species on Council's exempt list, and trees within two metres of an existing approved building, measured from the building to the trunk. Decks, pergolas and sheds don't count as the building. For anything else, plan on fixing the pipe rather than removing the tree.
The pipe is usually the owner's. Your wastewater pipes run to the junction on Sydney Water's main, and you're responsible for them up to and including that point of connection, roots in the junction included. Relining seals a cracked line from the inside.
Homes with a septic or treatment system
Council says running the system is your responsibility: saving water, going easy on chemical cleaners, avoiding large or sudden loads, and keeping service and maintenance contracts with qualified providers. Council inspects systems under a risk-based program.
Council can require a property to connect to a public sewer when one is within 75m. Selling or leasing? You must give the new owners or tenants the system's operating manual. Our septic systems page has more.
Flash flooding
Council says flash flooding happens when heavy rain sends creeks over their banks or overloads the stormwater network. It comes suddenly, with little or no warning, and drains away fairly quickly. Council's Flood Hazard Map sorts flood prone land into high, medium and low risk precincts, so look up your address before planning new stormwater work.
What we would do
Work out which of three situations you're in before you book: sewered with a root problem, on an on-site system, or dealing with stormwater. Each needs a different specialist, and on the Northern Beaches the tree and septic rules shape the fix. Tell us which one it is, and we'll match you with a plumber who specialises in it.