What plumbing or drainage work requires council approval?

All plumbing work in Queensland is regulated by state government legislative requirements and is categorised as:

• Regulated work
• Notifiable work
• Minor work
• Unregulated work

Only regulated work is approved by Council. Information on regulated work, as well as some helpful information, is listed below. Further information on plumbing and drainage can also be found in our Plumbing and Drainage FAQs.

Regulated work

Regulated work is a type of plumbing and drainage work that requires a licensed person to perform. You can only perform the regulated work covered by your license (for example, a licensed drainer can perform regulated drainage work). All regulated work must be assessed by council, and before commencing regulated work, you must obtain a compliance approval for your proposed work. Once the regulated work has been satisfactorily completed, council will issue a compliance permit.

Notifiable work

Notifiable work extends the amount of work a plumber or drainer can perform without a local government permit or mandatory inspections. Notifiable work is defined in schedule 2 of the Standard Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2003. It includes most plumbing and drainage work performed in existing homes including:

• Kitchen and bathroom additions and renovations
• Installing or replacing hot water heaters and including electric, solar or heat pump hot water heaters
• Installing fixtures such as toilets, showers and sinks in an existing home
• Extending or altering pipework

For more information on Notifiable work visit the Queensland Building and Construction Commissions (QBCC) website.

Lodging an application

Applications to council for most regulated plumbing and drainage work use the Queensland State government Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002 forms, found on the Department of Housing and Public Works website:

Form 1 - Application for compliance assessment

Use this form to apply for Council to come and assess your plumbing and drainage work

Form 7 - Notification of the responsible person

Use this form to notify us if you have a new licensed person performing your plumbing and drainage work to when you began the work.

Lodge by:

Email: Council@bulloo.qld.gov.au

Post: Bulloo Shire Council, PO Box 46, Thargomindah QLD 4492

Visit: 68 Dowling Street, Thargomindah QLD 4492

When can I expect my application to be assessed?

The Plumbing and Drainage Act 2002 requires council to approve applications within 20 business days for all types of Plumbing and Drainage applications. However, council strives to:

• Have Residential applications approved within 10 business days
• Have Commercial applications approved within 15 business days