Building Over Sewer (Brisbane)

Hello,
Looking at purchasing a property, easements currently on property for sewer.
Eventually looking to knockdown existing property and rebuild, utilisng more of the block than what the existing house does currently.
House next door has obviously done this over existing sewer line/easement, brand new build only a few years ago, so has this set the precedent?

Any issues I should be aware of/experiences with BCC?
Any general thoughts on whether I should purchase this property would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks




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That block is the devil"s work. Avoid unless it's being given away.

 

You need to get a copy of the bimap which shows the depth of the sewer and than ask a structural engineer to look at it.

 

I would discuss with a town planner re options and possible difficulties/solutions/deal breakers. I would definitely be doing a prelodgement meeting with council during the due diligence clause I would use while I got it off the market to see where they stand with your plans. But TP is first call.

 

It's not in BCC but I built a cracker of a sewer protection tunnel this year so I could build over it. It cost a FORTUNE - like almost $100k so that I could build permanent structures over it

 

the green is probably storm water by the looks. might be easier to get through council than sewer

 

the build over sewer won't be too bad as it is a 150mm pipe, but the 600mm stormwater and 450mm stormwater could be interesting.

A private building certifier is the person you want to speak to. You won't be able to load the ground where the pipes are and will need to build a bridge over them (if doing a slab). Looks very expensive.

 

The green lines are Brisbane Council owned Stormwater lines, and the orange line is QLD Urban Utilities owned Sewer. You or the engineer or certifier just need to apply to these authorities for their consent to build over their infrastructure. All you require is a structural engineer's design for the foundations and slab of the house which comply with their requirements, i.e. can't have a bored pier within 1m of the pipe, etc. This is fairly easy stuff and happens all the time They cost about $800 for each application (one with council and the other with QUU). Just make sure your house is minimum 1m horizontally clear of the sewer connection point (the stub on the northern side boundary) otherwise you will need to pay QUU to relocate the connection point, costing thousands. You will need to organise a pre and post construction CCTV inspection report on the stormwater line (QUU don't require this for the sewer) which is another few hundred each. Otherwise it is going to cost you more in concrete and labour to bridge below the sewer line.

The other issue with this site is the overland flow (flooding). You will need to get a hydraulics flood study done which certifies that the proposed dwelling will not result in a material increase in the flood level or flood hazard upstream, downstream or on adjacent properties. This is straight from the BCC city plan flood overlay code. The consultant will also tell you the minimum floor level for the site, as you may need to build on stumps to get above the flood level. Generally speaking, in overland flow sites you can't use fill to artificially raise the ground level and build on a slab, as this will most likely affect the flooding on adjacant properties, so the engineer won't sign off on it.

I suggest you talk to a hydraulics flood consultant to get an idea of costs and to see if your proposal is feasible.

 

Personally, I would suggest looking for another site. There are other sites without 1001 complications.

 

negative nancy... there's only 3 pipes!

 

Me no pipe expert.. .but me know when to run away...

 

Geez, you guys!

I just thought it was the bad feng shui due to the block's orientation and street number.

 

For each 'major' issue there is, certifying authorities will raise 3 more. This site wouldn't pass my own risk profile but Best of luck to the op.

 

Stupid question but where can we access such maps as the original map pasted by the original poster? That is, for Brisbane, how do I look up maps of stormwater and sewer lines? Or do I need to contact a townplanner for this info? Can I subscribe to such maps?

 

You can subscribe to e-bimap

eBIMAP2 mapping service | Brisbane City Council

There is a day rate option.


Lots of free info on
www.pdonline.brisbane.qld.gov.au

but not for services.

 

OK thank you

 

Are you not a wizard? ?

 

I haven

Wizard in training I'm afraid - not yet licensed, otherwise I would just wave the magic wand and hey presto, new building!

 

Dial before you dig will give you everything you need for free

 

Not stormwater (generally)