Inner West · AS 3660.1
Perimeter and under-slab termite barriers installed to AS 3660.1 for Mortlake rebuilds and townhouse stages along the Parramatta River, near the site of the old AGL gasworks.
Quick answer
Yes, a rebuild or new home in Mortlake needs a termite management system, since the suburb sits in a termite-prone part of the City of Canada Bay on the Parramatta River foreshore. The system is installed to AS 3660.1, with collars and under-slab work completed before the pour, and the durable notice plus installation certificate supplied to your certifier before the Occupation Certificate.
Termite barriers in Mortlake
Mortlake is a small City of Canada Bay suburb in postcode 2137, about 10 km west of the Sydney CBD on the southern bank of the Parramatta River, known for the Mortlake Ferry, better known as the Putney Punt, the last vehicle punt still running in Sydney. From 1883 the Australian Gas Light Company ran a large gasworks here, and that land was later redeveloped into the neighbouring Breakfast Point estate, while Mortlake itself is mostly townhouses and houses with foreshore reserves along the river. Our work covers townhouse stages on the redeveloped land as well as knockdown rebuilds on the older residential streets.
The river is the main influence on termite activity in Mortlake. Foreshore reserves and waterfront gardens bring moisture, and moisture supports subterranean termites as much as it does mosquitoes or ants, so blocks close to the water need a fuller perimeter than streets further inland. Townhouses often share walls and garages, which changes how a barrier is detailed at party boundaries, and older houses may have timber sub-floors that benefit from regular checks before any rebuild work begins. We look at your exposure to the river, your building type and any shared walls before recommending a system.
Reviewed by Ismail, founder · Inner West coverage · Updated September 2026 · More Inner West suburbs
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Local conditions
Three conditions shape termite risk in Mortlake, tied closely to the Parramatta River running along its edge.
Foreshore reserves and waterfront gardens along the Parramatta River keep soil damp through much of Mortlake, conditions subterranean termites favour when foraging toward a slab. Riverside blocks get a full physical perimeter as standard. That is how we keep quotes accurate on the ground.
Townhouses on the former gasworks land and elsewhere in Mortlake often share walls and garages, which changes how a barrier is detailed at party boundaries. We plan the perimeter around those shared elements rather than a single-house layout.
Older houses on Mortlake's established streets can have timber sub-floors that have carried undetected termite activity for years. We inspect the existing structure closely on any rebuild before recommending a system for the new work.
What we install here
We work on Mortlake townhouse and unit stages, particularly around the former gasworks land, and knockdown rebuilds on the suburb's older houses. We install under-slab membrane, collars and a physical or chemical perimeter suited to river-adjacent ground, with particular attention to shared walls and sub-floor ventilation. One fixed quote from your plans covers every stage, scheduled around your builder's pour date. We size the materials to your plans, never to a guess.
Local knowledge
Our Mortlake work sits close to Spyglass Park and the foreshore, where waterside reserves keep soil damp near several homes, and near Concord Golf Club and Cabarita Shopping Centre, where irrigated turf and commercial food waste add their own conditions. Toward Uhrs Point Reserve, the river's influence is strongest, so blocks in that area get the most attention at the perimeter.
Mortlake is certified through the City of Canada Bay, which requires the standard termite documentation before it will issue the Occupation Certificate: a durable notice is fixed inside the meter box, and an installation certificate records which products were used, which areas were treated and the installer's licence number. We supply both, along with maintenance advice suited to a riverside property.
Mortlake at a glance
| Suburb | Mortlake, NSW 2137 |
|---|---|
| District | Inner West |
| Distance from Sydney CBD | 10.0 km west |
| Certifying council | Sydney CBD Council |
| Standard applied | AS 3660.1 termite management systems |
| Installed | Before the slab pour, then staged through the build |
| Documents supplied | Installation certificate and durable notice |
| Typical builds covered | New homes, knockdown rebuilds, granny flats, duplexes, townhouses |
Systems we install
Every photo below is from one of our own Sydney jobs. We look at your slab design, site and budget, then recommend a system or a combination.
01A termite-resistant sheet laid over the whole prepared footprint before concreting, so termites can't come up through the slab anywhere.
02A sealed collar on every pipe, conduit and service that passes through the slab. These gaps are the most common hidden way in.
03Protection at the slab edge and into the wall cavity, which stops termites building hidden tunnels up the outside of the slab.
04An APVMA-registered termiticide zone in the soil, with an optional pipe network under paving so it can be recharged later without digging.
05Barriers for bearers, piers and raised timber floors on sloping or elevated blocks, where there's no slab to protect.
06Detailing for sandstone cuts, block retaining walls, step-downs and cut-and-fill sites, which are common across Sydney.
Why during construction
A retrofit can only treat around a finished house. A pre-construction system protects the parts nobody will ever be able to reach again.
A barrier put in during the build costs a fraction of a post-construction system, and far less than repairing termite damage.
New houses (Class 1) and outbuildings (Class 10) with termite-susceptible framing need a compliant termite management system.
Pipe penetrations and slab joints can only be fully protected while they're still open, before the concrete goes in.
An under-slab system covers ground that no treatment from outside the finished house can ever reach.
Your certifier needs the certificate and durable notice before issuing the Occupation Certificate. We supply both together.
Documented, compliant protection gives buyers, building inspectors and lenders confidence when the home is sold.
Installation stages
A termite barrier isn't a single visit. Each part goes in when the site is ready for it, and we fit around your plumber, concreter and bricklayer.
Send your plans and slab details. We recommend a system and give you one fixed price that covers every stage.
Collars go on every service once the plumber has set out, then the membrane or soil treatment is installed across the prepared site.
Perimeter and cavity protection is fitted as the brickwork or cladding goes up, so there's no unprotected gap at the slab edge.
Where it's specified, the chemical perimeter or reticulation system is completed around the building before paths and gardens go in.
A durable notice goes in the meter box, and the installation certificate goes to your builder and certifier.
The owner gets simple care instructions and an inspection schedule so the system keeps doing its job for years.
Compare systems
Both can meet AS 3660.1. The best choice depends on your slab type, what surrounds the house and how much ongoing upkeep the owner wants.
Physical protection
Entry-point protection
Soil protection
Top-up protection
Most of the Sydney builds we work on use a combination: physical collars on every penetration plus a physical or chemical perimeter.
For builders & developers
Builders, developers and owner-builders get a fixed quote from plans, a technician who turns up when the site is ready, and paperwork that never holds up sign-off.
Consistent pricing across lots, one point of contact and a full document set for every dwelling.
Missing durable notices and unclear install records are a common reason Occupation Certificates get held up. We hand everything over together so your certifier has it all in one go.
Paperwork
A complete document set for the builder, the certifier and every future owner of the property.
A permanent notice in the meter box showing the system, install date, installer, any chemical's life expectancy and inspection advice.
For: certifier, owner, future owners
Written confirmation of the system and products used, the areas protected and our licence details.
For: builder, certifier, owner
Details of the physical system or termiticide installed, including safety data sheets for any chemicals.
For: builder, owner
How to keep the system working, plus the recommended inspection frequency under AS 3660.2.
For: homeowner
From real jobs
Photos from our own Sydney sites, not stock images. Tap any photo to see it larger.
Membrane barrier across a large residential slab
Barrier work on a Sydney Harbour site
Installation through sandstone excavation
Perimeter barrier and sleeves on a new slab
Waffle pod formwork with collared penetrations
Membrane detailed against a retaining wall
Membrane sealed around a column
Protected slab edge with collar in place
Collared penetrations before the pour
Perimeter barrier on a completed slab edge
Pipe penetrations sealed into the membrane
Collars fixed through mesh before concreting
Google reviews
Real, verified reviews from homeowners and businesses we've worked with.
Pricing
Every build is different, so we don't guess. We price from your plans and give you one fixed written quote. Quoting is free.
After handover
A barrier only works while it stays intact and visible. Pass these on to the owner.
Free fixed quote
Tell us about your build and get a clear, fixed price, fast. We usually reply within 30 minutes during business hours.
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Mortlake questions
Still unsure? Call and talk it through with a licensed technician.
+61 450 515 215Usually, yes. Foreshore soil holds moisture longer than blocks further inland, and subterranean termites favour that dampness, so we generally recommend a full physical perimeter rather than a minimal strip for anything near the river in Mortlake. We are happy to talk through the specifics once we see your plans. Reach out early so we can lock in a suitable date.
Yes. Shared walls and garages change where the perimeter needs to run, since a barrier has to work around party boundaries rather than a single free-standing house. We plan that detail as part of the quote for any townhouse in Mortlake. We keep a copy of every certificate on file for later.
Yes. Timber sub-floors on older houses can already carry termite activity that has gone unnoticed for years, so we inspect the existing structure closely during the quote. The rebuild still gets the standard collars, membrane and perimeter to AS 3660.1. That keeps the whole process simple for you and your builder.
In most cases, yes. The National Construction Code requires a termite management system for new houses and outbuildings in termite-prone areas where the primary building elements can be damaged by termites. Sydney is termite-prone, so the system is installed to AS 3660.1 and your certifier asks for the installation certificate and durable notice before the Occupation Certificate is issued.
It depends on slab area, perimeter length, the number of pipe penetrations, the system chosen, site complexity and how many visits the build needs. Send us the plans and we return one fixed written quote covering every stage. Quoting is free.
Nearby
Same crew, same staging and the same certifier-ready paperwork, right across the Inner West.
Service areas
From the Eastern Suburbs and Inner West to the Hills, the Shire and the western growth corridors. Every suburb has its own page with the local ground conditions, the council that certifies the work and the questions builders there ask us.
Slab pour coming up?
Send us your plans today for a fixed quote, or call and talk to a licensed technician about your site.
