The Illawarra in houses and pipes
How the ABS draws it
The ABS Illawarra region joins four areas: Dapto - Port Kembla, the Illawarra Catchment Reserve, Kiama - Shellharbour and Wollongong. At the 2021 Census, 71.7% of its occupied homes were separate houses, 14.5% flats and 29.0% rented.
Sydney Water plants down the coast
Sydney Water treats Illawarra wastewater at Wollongong, Shellharbour, Bombo and Gerringong-Gerroa.
Plants that run only in storms
Its Bellambi and Port Kembla facilities, part of the Wollongong system, only receive flow during storm events, discharging at Bellambi Point and Red Point headland in wet weather.
Coastal hazards remapped
Wollongong City Council's Coastal Hazards Study 2026 brings more properties inside its hazard maps. Most of the added land is in coastal inundation areas already mapped as flood affected.
Three councils, three sets of rules
| Wollongong City Council | Shellharbour City Council | Kiama Municipal Council | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our suburb pages | Dapto, Thirroul | Shellharbour, Albion Park | Kiama |
| Creeks and stormwater | Most creeks are on private land, and owners maintain them | Stormwater flows untreated to ponds, lakes, rivers and the sea | Stormwater must not be sent into the sewage system |
| Flood and water notes | Hewitts Creek plan adopted 27 July 2026 | Macquarie Rivulet plan adopted April 2024 | Surf Beach water rated Poor in 2026 |
Rain in the sewer
Two of Sydney Water's Illawarra plants only receive flow in storms: that is rain finding its way into sewers. Sydney Water says stormwater overloading its network in heavy rain also causes blockages, and Kiama Council forbids sending stormwater into the sewage system.
On your block, that means downpipes connected to the stormwater system, an overflow gully that isn't a downpipe outlet, and sound private sewer pipes.
Licences and records
In NSW, plumbing, drainage and gas fitting are specialist work: whoever contracts for it needs a contractor licence, whatever the cost. The NSW Public Register shows a licence's categories, expiry and any conditions.
The Illawarra is inside Building Commission NSW's inspection area, so plumbers lodge their Notice of Work and Certificate of Compliance through its MyInspections Gateway. Sydney Water holds sewer service diagrams for the Illawarra, available through its Tap in portal. For the full Sydney Water rules, see the Wollongong page.
What we would do
Work out which council you're in before you ask about trees, creeks or flood levels: the rules differ. For anything on the sewer, the rules are Sydney Water's wherever you are. Before you book, look up the business on the NSW Public Register, and keep the certificate of compliance the plumber gives you at the end.