Strata and body corporate buildings on the Central Coast present unique challenges for drain and drain relining. Shared pipe systems, questions over who owns what, committee approval processes and the practical challenge of relining pipes running through or beneath multi-unit buildings all make this more complex than a single residential property. This guide covers the key issues.
Quick answer (BLUF)
In NSW strata schemes, pipes that serve more than one lot (common property pipes) are the responsibility of the owners corporation to maintain and repair. Pipes within a lot that serve only that lot are the lot owner’s responsibility. Drain relining in common property areas requires owners corporation approval and is funded from the capital works fund. The no-dig nature of relining makes it particularly well suited to strata environments where excavation would be impractical.
Who owns which pipes in a strata scheme?
This is the first question to resolve before any drain work begins. NSW strata law under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 generally establishes:
Common property (owners corporation responsibility):
- Pipes within common property walls, floors and structures
- Pipes that carry waste or water from multiple lots
- Pipes from where individual lot drains converge to a single main
- Stormwater infrastructure serving the whole building
Lot owner responsibility:
- Pipes within the lot boundary that serve only that lot
- The connection from the lot to the common property system (in many cases, check your strata plan)
- Internal fixtures and fittings
The exact boundary is determined by the strata plan registered with NSW Land Registry Services. If in doubt, the owners corporation manager can provide guidance. In practice, most significant drain problems in older Central Coast strata buildings (Gosford CBD apartments, Terrigal resort-style units, older Erina commercial strata) involve common property pipes, because those are the shared mains that accumulate defects over time.
How the decision-making process works
For common property drain relining, the owners corporation must approve the expenditure. The approval pathway depends on the dollar amount:
Delegated authority (committee decision): For expenditure within the committee’s delegated threshold (typically set in the scheme’s by-laws, often $2,000, $5,000 per item), the strata committee can approve works without a general meeting.
General meeting resolution: Above the delegated threshold, a resolution at an ordinary general meeting is required. This can cause delays, if the next meeting is three months away and there is an active drain problem, that is three months of unresolved issues.
Emergency works: Under the Act, the owners corporation can carry out emergency maintenance works without prior approval if failure to act would cause significant damage or a health and safety risk. A blocked common property sewer main flooding multiple lots qualifies as an emergency. Document the situation clearly before acting.
Capital works fund: Significant relining works should be funded from the capital works fund (formerly the sinking fund). If the fund is insufficient, a special levy may be required. This is another reason why proactive planned relining (identified in the capital works plan before failure) is more budget-efficient than emergency response.
Why drain relining is especially well suited to strata
Traditional pipe replacement in a strata building is enormously disruptive. Common property pipes often run:
- Through concrete slabs between floors
- Within cavity walls shared by multiple units
- Under tiled bathroom or kitchen floors in common areas
- Beneath basement car parks or driveways
Excavation of these areas is expensive, disruptive to tenants in multiple lots and creates weeks of construction activity. Drain relining resolves the same problems with access from a cleanout or inspection point, no concrete breaking, no tiling removal, no significant common area disruption.
This is a compelling case to take to a strata committee. The relining cost is typically 30-60% of the excavation-and-replacement cost, and the disruption is a fraction.
Getting a drain relining project approved at your strata
For lot owners or strata managers trying to get a drain relining project over the line, the following approach tends to work well:
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Commission a CCTV inspection report: A written report with footage showing the specific defects and a written recommendation for relining gives the committee something concrete to act on. Without it, a verbal report of “drain problems” is too vague to approve expenditure.
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Obtain two or three written quotes: Strata committees are required to exercise due diligence. Multiple competitive quotes demonstrate this.
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Frame it in capital works planning terms: If the strata scheme has a 10-year capital works plan, the drain relining should be referenced against the plan. If the pipes are not in the plan, the CCTV report provides the evidence to add them.
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Quantify the cost of inaction: If the drains have been repeatedly jetted at emergency rates, calculate the total spent on reactive callouts in the past three years. This often exceeds the cost of relining, making the case straightforward.
Multi-storey buildings: vertical stack relining
Central Coast residential towers and three-to-five storey walk-ups (common in Gosford CBD and along The Entrance waterfront) have vertical soil stack pipes running through multiple floors. These can be relined using the same inversion or pull-in-place method as horizontal pipes, with access from roof access panels or basement cleanouts.
Vertical stack relining requires specialist equipment for the inversion and cure, but is fully achievable with no floor penetration.
Commercial strata: Gosford CBD and Erina business parks
Commercial strata properties, office suites, retail centres, light industrial parks, follow the same legal framework as residential strata under NSW strata law, but the pipe infrastructure is often larger diameter (100 mm, 225 mm) and serves higher-volume commercial use.
Trade waste connections in commercial buildings may require Central Coast Council approval before relining work in the trade waste line. Confirm this with the council or through your strata manager before commencing any work on trade waste infrastructure.
FAQs
The drain problem is clearly in the common property but the owners corporation is slow to act. What can I do?
As a lot owner, you can formally request the owners corporation take action in writing. If they fail to maintain common property in a reasonable state, they may be in breach of their statutory duties under the Strata Schemes Management Act. NSW Fair Trading’s strata dispute resolution process is available as a next step. In the interim, document all damage resulting from the owners corporation’s inaction.
Can I reline pipes in my own lot without body corporate approval?
For pipes within your lot that serve only your lot, you can proceed without body corporate approval (check your scheme’s by-laws). For any pipe that touches, passes through, or connects to common property, you need owners corporation consent.
How much does drain relining cost in a strata building?
For common property pipe runs in a residential strata building, expect similar per-metre pricing to residential relining ($200, $400/m) with some uplift for access complexity in multi-storey situations. A common property main serving 10-20 lots might be 25-50 metres long, making the project $6,000, $18,000. This is typically far less than excavation.
Does the owners corporation need to notify tenants during relining works?
Yes, owners corporations and lot owners are required to give reasonable notice of access for maintenance under the Strata Schemes Management Act. For drain relining (which requires temporary water isolation), advance notice of 48-72 hours is standard practice and legally prudent.