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Council role in plumbing

Council advice on plumbing risk categories, applications and approvals is free. Your local council is the best source of general plumbing advice. We recommend you contact your local council before making any project commitments. This will help you understand the process or requirements affecting your enquiry. Councils also provide various levels of information on their websites. Visit the Local Government Association of Tasmania website to find your local council.

Processing plumbing approvals

It is the role of councils in Tasmania to administer and carry out the plumbing functions and requirements of the Building Act 2016. This includes the:
  • receipt of applications
  • processing
  • assessment
  • approval
  • inspection and
  • final approval of plumbing installations.
There are categories of plumbing work which need various levels of documentation based on the risk category of work.

Inspections of plumbing work

In Tasmania your local council provides the role of the plumbing permit authority. It has the responsibility to inspect or cause to inspect plumbing work. Most councils employ Plumbing Surveyors who perform these inspections on their behalf. The plumbing permit authority and plumbing surveyor work out when and how often plumbing inspections are done on each project.

Talk to your council for more information relating to plumbing work inspections.

Monitoring plumbing maintenance

Some plumbing installations and equipment need scheduled maintenance. These installations and equipment are generally Category 4 High Risk Work in the Director's Determination - Categories of Plumbing Work (pdf, 748.8 KB).

A qualified and licensed plumbing contractor must perform maintenance associated with these installations and equipment. The property owner must enter into a contract with a suitable plumbing contractor when there needs to be scheduled maintenance.

The owner must:

  • notify the local council that a contract for plumbing maintenance is in place, and
  • provide a copy of that contract to the local council as verification.
The contractor must carry out the maintenance as required in the plumbing permit/maintenance schedule. When the contractor has finished the maintenance, they must provide a copy of the service report to the owner and the local council showing:
  • the service is complete, and
  • include details of the condition and performance of the installation.
The owner must keep maintenance records for 10 years.
Talk to your local council before engaging a maintenance contractor.

Maintaining public plumbing records

Your local council collects and maintains plumbing installation records. This extends to sanitary drainage records, stormwater records and plumbing maintenance schedules. Property owners or their agents can request to view or get from council copies of these records for their property. These records are valuable historical records which go with each property and transcend individual ownership.