Plumber and gasfitter for Mudjimba, Twin Waters and Marcoola
The North Shore runs from the Maroochy River up towards Mount Coolum: Twin Waters, Pacific Paradise, Mudjimba and Marcoola, with Sunshine Coast Airport in between. It’s just over the river from Clayton’s base in Bli Bli.
By road from Bli Bli, Pacific Paradise is about 4 km, Twin Waters and Mudjimba about 6 to 7 km, and Marcoola about 10 km. Close together, but built very differently:
Twin Waters was built on ti-tree and mangrove swamp known as the Black Bank. The resort opened in 1990, a canal estate grew alongside it, and fill was trucked in so houses sat above the flood plain. It became its own suburb in 2003. Residents are older than most: the median age was 60 at the 2021 census, and just over half of homes were owned outright.
Pacific Paradise is low-lying land beside the river, and most of the suburb is still farmland or marsh. Its housing subdivisions, including Maroochy Woods and Maroochy Waters, were planned in the 1980s.
Mudjimba began as a beachside estate called Surfrider Estate, and its residents association dates from 1960. About a quarter of homes (27.2%) are townhouses or semi-detached.
Marcoola has the airport in the south, cane farms to the west, and suburban blocks and holiday accommodation along the beach. A third of its occupied homes (32.3%) are flats or apartments.
Low ground, tides and floods
Council lists flooding as one of the main limits on growth on the North Shore, and the history backs that up. In 1893 a Maroochy River flood left the site of today’s Pacific Paradise State School about 1.5 m under water. In February 1992 about 225 homes in the lower Maroochy were flooded, up to 80 cm deep, and the Bureau of Meteorology names Pacific Paradise as the worst-affected area. BOM also notes that river peaks near the mouth usually coincide with the high tide, and that storm surge is a major flood risk in the lower catchment.
What that means for your plumbing:
Stormwater lines that drain towards the river back up when heavy rain meets a high tide, and Unitywater notes that its sewers get overloaded when stormwater gets into them. Keep the overflow relief gully clear so any sewer backflow spills in the yard, not through the shower.
Gas appliances, regulators and hot water units that have been in floodwater need checking before they’re used again.
Much of the North Shore is close to sea level (Twin Waters is listed at about 5 m). The Queensland Government says coastal land below 5 m AHD is likely to contain acid sulfate soils, so digging for new drains on low lots may need extra care.
Holiday units and empty houses
On census night in 2021, 17.9% of Marcoola’s private dwellings were empty, along with 11.5% in Mudjimba and 8.7% in Twin Waters. Many are holiday units and investment homes, and an empty house hides problems: a cistern trickling into the bowl, a hot water relief valve that won’t stop, or a slow leak behind a vanity.
A check between guests or at the end of the season finds small leaks before the water bill does. See leak detection.
Work can be planned with the owner or property manager around bookings.
In unit blocks, shared pipes and body corporate rules mean the leak is traced first, so the right party pays.
Full houses in the holidays test the hot water system. If guests keep running out, the unit may be too small or failing.
Salt air, summer rain and where the water comes from
Every suburb here backs onto the beach or the river mouth, with Mudjimba Island about 1 km off Mudjimba Beach. Salt air is hard on anything metal outside:
Hot water units, especially the casing, fittings and relief valve
Gas regulators, bottle connections and BBQ hoses
Outdoor showers, garden taps and pool equipment
A sheltered spot, a rinse of outdoor fittings now and then, and a unit suited to coastal sites all help. Winters are mild (July mornings average 9.7 °C at the airport), which suits heat pump hot water.
Rain comes hard in summer. The Bureau of Meteorology’s Sunshine Coast Airport station averages 1,499 mm a year, with February the wettest month at about 215 mm. Drinking water comes from Unitywater’s Maroochy North supply: the Image Flat treatment plant, fed by Cooloolabin, Wappa and Poona dams, supplies the coastal developments north of the Maroochy River.
Jobs that come up on the North Shore
Hot water replacements for units worn out by salt air
Twin Waters, Pacific Paradise, Mudjimba, Marcoola and nearby (postcodes 4564).
What customers say
★★★★★
Clayton has been doing work for me in my bnb business for a number of years. I would never use anyone else again. Wonderful man with great family values. Very friendly trustworthy and professional.
amanda hicks · Google review
★★★★★
Can highly recommend Cassel's Plumbing & Gas after having a gas cooktop & oven repaired recently. Clayton was very professional and knowledgable and knew straight qway from my phone call what the problem was.
Do you cover Twin Waters, Pacific Paradise, Mudjimba and Marcoola?
Yes. The whole North Shore is part of the regular service area, just across the river from Bli Bli. Quotes are free and the price is agreed before work starts.
Can you work on our holiday unit while we’re away?
Yes. Access and timing can be arranged with you or your property manager around bookings, and the price is agreed before work starts.
Sewage is coming out of the grate in the yard. Whose problem is it?
It depends where the blockage is. The owner is responsible for the private drain from the house to the inspection opening, and Unitywater looks after its sewer beyond that. Stop using water, keep people and pets away and call a plumber. If the blockage turns out to be in Unitywater’s pipe, the plumber reports it so Unitywater can fix it. Unitywater’s faults line is 1300 086 489.
Will salt air shorten the life of my hot water system?
It can. Corrosion attacks casings, fittings and valves faster near the beach. A sheltered position, regular checks of the relief valve and a unit suited to coastal sites all help. Check the manufacturer’s installation instructions for coastal locations before choosing a new unit.
