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Building over an easement and working near assets

If you have an easement or asset on your property, we need to be able to access it for maintenance or installations. Here's what you need to know about building over easements and working near assets.

An easement is a section of private property with a water main or sewerage pipe running through it.

If you have an easement on your property, you’ll see it on your property title. Easements let someone else use this land, even though they don’t own it.

An asset is equipment or infrastructure, like pipes or sewers. Our assets may be on or under your property.

We're legally allowed to access easements and assets on your property. Sometimes we need to access them to repair or maintain pipes.

We also need 24-hour access to all sewer and water assets, even if they're located on your property. You'll need to keep this in mind when you plan to build.

Additional information can be found at Works by other authorities.

Before building

You'll need our permission to build a structure over or near an easement on your property.

A structure can include:

  • sheds and carports
  • fences and retaining walls
  • garden beds, trees and landscaping
  • paving, decking and verandas
  • tanks and pools.

Plan your works

  1. Confirm the location of assets. 
    Visit our page on locating pipes and assets.
  2. Confirm the location of easements. 
    To find out if there are easements on your property check your property title.
  3. Determine if you need our permission to carry out your work. 
    Under the Water Act 1989, a water corporation's consent must be obtained before work occurs:
    • over an easement
    • over an asset
    • within 1-meter of an asset.
  4. Read the guidelines to check your designs comply.
Customer guide for building near water corporation assets (PDF 2.99 MB)

 

How to apply

You can apply to build over an easement through Property Plus.

So we can quickly process your application, make sure you provide:

  • architectural and drafting design plans
  • site, floor and elevations plans
  • engineering and structural designs, including foundation and footing designs
  • a title plan, including easement details
  • a title re-establishment survey.

Make sure you provide as much information as possible to help us understand what works are taking place and how they will be done.

Apply through Property Plus

Application process

You can check current application times before you contact us for an update on your application.

If your application is approved, we’ll put a note on the property to tell future owners about the build over easement agreement or approval.

If you have a question about your application, you can email or call us on 13 44 99.

Locating pipes and assets
Works by other authorities