Cockatoo
Blocked, burst or leaking in Cockatoo?
Blocked drains, burst pipes and leaks in Cockatoo, from the old holiday blocks by the creek to the township shops, passed to a licensed plumber day and night.
Plumbing in Cockatoo
Fire rebuilds in rich red soil
Ash Wednesday destroyed much of the township, and many residents came back, rebuilding their houses. A rebuilt home is likely to have newer copper and plastic pipe, while the cottage next door may still run an older drain, so one street can hold two quite different jobs.
Italian farmers grew potatoes, onions and strawberries in the rich red soil around the town. Heavy ground of that kind holds water and moves with the seasons, which can shift drain joints and soften trench walls when a line is opened.
Jobs in Cockatoo
Old cottage lines and newer rebuilds
Blocked drains
Drains on holiday house blocks working harder than they were laid out for.
CCTV drain inspection
A camera to tell a rebuilt home's newer line from an older cottage drain.
Gutters and downpipes
Gutters and downpipes on heritage shopfronts, matched after a council check.
What it costs: hot water replacement cost, gutter replacement cost, toilet installation cost
Cockatoo questions
A registered kindergarten, the oldest shop and weekend drains
Does drain work in the reserve need approval?
Yes. The former Cockatoo Kindergarten, a circular building in the Alma Trelour Reserve, is on the Victorian Heritage Register. A stormwater or sewer connection on registered land needs heritage approval before work starts, so allow lead time.
Can downpipes on the old post office shops be replaced?
Usually with a council heritage permit first. The Cash and Co shop pair, once the post office, appears to be the oldest commercial building in Cockatoo and is in the Heritage Overlay, so visible downpipes and gutters are replaced like for like after approval.
Why does a holiday house drain struggle now?
Creek campers made the town popular, which led to subdivisions and the construction of holiday houses on small bush lots. Their drains and tanks were often set out for weekends, so a household living there full time can overload a line never sized for it, and shared falls and tight access are common.
