Plumbing Services
Permit Work
Permit Work must be performed by a licensed Plumber and they must only perform the work as covered by their licence.A Standard Application for Permit Work must be lodged with Council for assessment and approval with mandatory inspections required prior to a Final Certificate being issued by Council's Plumbing Inspector. To aid the process of submitting your application, please see the below Information Sheet:
On 17 July 2019, Council by resolution (R2985) decided to opt-out of Fast-Track Applications in accordance with Section 41 of the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019. Council as part of the same resolution also decided that no areas of the local government area were to be declared remote for the purposes of Permit Work.
Inspections
Upon the approval of a Permit Work, mandatory inspections must be carried out by Council’s Plumbing Inspector to ensure that the Plumbing or Drainage Works are undertaken in accordance with the approved plans and specifications. Council’s Plumbing Inspector is available between 7:00am – 4:00pm Monday to Friday upon appointment.
Notifiable, Minor and Unregulated Work
The Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019 prescribes extends the amount of work a Plumber and Drainer can perform without a Local Government Permit. Notifiable Work is defined within Schedule 1, Minor Work is defined in Schedule 2 and Unregulated Work is defined in Schedule 3. The Department of Housing and Public Works provides several fact sheets to better assist in understanding these three types of works.
Onsite Sewerage Systems
Many properties in the region are not connected to a reticulated sewerage system. The treatment and disposal of all wastewater generated on these properties must be undertaken by an onsite sewerage system that stores, treats and disposes of household wastewater on the property. Poorly sited or maintained onsite sewerage facilities can impact public health and the environment. The owner of the facility is responsible for ensuring the system is maintained and functioning properly.
To provide assistance to the development community, Council provides the preparation of On-site Sewerage Designs and Reports. Upon lodgement of the application form and supporting material, the final Design and Report takes approximately 10 days and can be used in support of your Plumbing and Drainage Works Application. To aid the process of submitting your application, please see the below Application Form.
Backflow
Backflow prevention devices control the risk of backflow of potentially polluted or contaminated water into drinking and bathing water supply systems from commercial, retail, industrial, educational, health or other generally non-residential related land uses. There are several types of backflow prevention devices available that can only be installed, inspected and tested by a licensed plumber with a backflow prevention device endorsement.
Backflow prevention devices come under the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019. An owner of an installed testable backflow prevention device must register the device with Council and at least once each year and have the device inspected or tested by a person who is licensed to do the work. A person that inspects or tests a testable backflow prevention device must, within 10 business days after inspecting or testing the device, give the local government written results of the inspection or test in the approved form.
It is the responsibility of the owner of a testable backflow prevention device to ensure it is tested within 12 months annually with the test result submitted to Council within 10 days of the test. Failure to comply with the notice will result in a Penalty Infringement Notice being issued to the owner of the property. To aid the process of better understanding your obligations, see the below Information Sheet:
Trade Waste
In June 2020, Council, at its General Meeting approved the Trade Waste Environmental Management Policy and the Trade Waste Environmental Management Plan. These documents regulate Trade Waste across the Region in accordance with the Water Supply (Safety & Reliability) Act 2008.
As a result, effected trade waste generators will be contacted by Council who will inspect properties and advise on any actions that are required to achieve compliance. These actions will form part of conditions of trade waste licensing including a timeframe for the conditions to be met.
It many instances, properties and businesses are already equipped with pre-treatment devices. Council foresees in these instances, the lodgement and issue of license maybe all that is necessary for these properties. However where no pre-treatment device exists, generators may be required to purchase and install systems which are of a size and scale appropriate for the type of business discharging trade waste.
To provide fair and reasonable time to achieve compliance, Council is allowing generators a grace period up until December 2021.
License holders can amend their licence upon consultation with Council. To aid the process of better understanding your obligations, see the below Frequently Asked Questions:
Building and Plumbing Newsflash
The Queensland Government issues regular updates on the building and plumbing industry. To keep up to date, see the News Flashes here.
For more information in relation of any of the material above, please contact Council’s Regional Development Department on (07) 4761 5300.