Strathfield, by the numbers
Split three ways
Strathfield Council, Burwood Council and the City of Canada Bay all list Strathfield. ABS figures put 66.3% of its dwellings in Strathfield, 22.9% in Burwood and 10.8% in Canada Bay.
Half apartments
At the 2021 Census, 49.3% of the suburb's occupied homes were flats or apartments and 45.4% separate houses. 43.9% were rented, against 32.6% across NSW.
Trees over 4 metres
In the Strathfield Council area, any tree taller than 4 metres is protected unless it's on Council's exempt species list.
Heritage listings
Strathfield Council says significant and rare examples of its architectural styles are protected by statutory heritage listing. Its own premises sit in the Redmyre Road Heritage Conservation Area.
Digging a drain near a protected tree
Sewer and stormwater lines can run close to established trees. In the Strathfield Council area, removing or pruning a protected tree needs approval, and Council may ask for more information with the application, including a plumbing report.
On a heritage item, inside a Heritage Conservation Area or for a tree on Council's Significant Tree Register, the bar is higher: removing or pruning it, or a neighbour's tree, needs a Development Application. Plan for that time before the trench is booked. Where roots have broken into an existing pipe, pipe relining may fix it without the excavation.
These are Strathfield Council's rules. If your rates notice says Burwood or Canada Bay, ask that council about its tree and heritage rules instead.
Plumbing in a unit block
With so many apartments, a lot of Strathfield jobs start with the strata manager. Under NSW strata rules, in most cases a lot owner is responsible for internal-wall plumbing and fixtures, and the owners corporation for pipes in boundary walls and under the floor.
Some upgrades need a vote. A kitchen renovation or installing or replacing a heat pump is a minor renovation that needs strata approval, while a bathroom renovation is major because of the waterproofing. Tenants should write to the landlord first. Our page on bathroom plumbing in Sydney covers the plumbing side.
The sewer connection
Sydney Water's responsibility starts at the junction on its main. Your private wastewater pipe is yours up to and including that point of connection. Plumbers use Sydney Water's sewer service diagram to find it, so having a copy ready saves time on any drain job.
What we would do
Before agreeing to any digging, check two things: which council your property is in, and whether it's a heritage item or in a conservation area. Then ask the plumber for a written report you could attach to a tree application. If roots are the problem, get relining priced too, since it may avoid needing approval to work around the tree at all.