Thirroul: facts that shape a job
A plan adopted in 2026
The Hewitts Creek plan covers parts of Bulli and Thirroul and five waterways: Slacky, Tramway, Woodlands, Hewitts and Thomas Gibson Creeks. It looks at homes as well as roads and stormwater pipes.
Water rises quickly
The NSW SES flood plan says large parts of the catchment are prone to flash flooding, especially upstream of the railway and in low-lying land behind the coastal dune.
Culverts make the difference
Blocked culverts make flooding worse. The SES plan lists George and Lachlan Streets and Hewitts Avenue as known trouble spots.
Long-time owners
At the 2021 Census, 40.8% of occupied homes in the suburb of Thirroul were owned outright and 75.5% were separate houses.
Your share of the drainage
Wollongong City Council says most creeks in the city run through private land, and their upkeep falls to the owner. Council can't work on a private watercourse.
The new plan includes debris control so drains and culverts stay clear in big storms. On your block, that job is yours: grates, pits and the creek bank. Sydney Water adds that owners look after their pipes up to where they meet its stormwater and sewer networks.
Keep rain out of the sewer
When it rains, stormwater can get into wastewater pipes and overload them, and Sydney Water says overflows can reach inside homes. Common ways in are downpipes connected to sewer pipes, cracked private pipes and damaged or low-lying overflow relief gullies.
A drain specialist can test for those. See blocked drains in Wollongong or our guide to the overflow relief gully.
What we would do
Before storm season, clear the grates, pits and any creek running through your Thirroul block, because Council can't clear private watercourses. Check each downpipe ends in the stormwater system, not a sewer pipe or the gully. If you're planning an extension, ask Council what the Hewitts Creek plan means for your property before the drainage is designed.