Glenorchy's homes
A post-war boom
Glenorchy grew quickly after the Second World War as returning soldiers settled in Hobart's northern suburbs. The Brooker Highway came through in 1952, and city status followed on 24 October 1964.
Lots of renters
43.7% of occupied homes were rented, 26.7% owned with a mortgage and 25.8% owned outright.
Smaller homes
33.7% of homes had two bedrooms and 15.3% were flats or apartments. The median age was 35.
TasNetworks
TasNetworks owns the poles and wires through Glenorchy. Report shocks, sparking or a fallen line to 132 004, at any hour.
Tasmania's rental electrical rule
A Tasmanian owner can't enter into, extend or renew a lease unless every power point and the wiring in the walls and ceiling is safe and supplies electricity, apart from anything noted as not working in the condition report. The maximum penalty is 50 penalty units.
Rental smoke alarms must be mains powered or have a 10-year non-removable battery, and owners must clean and test them so they all work before a new tenant moves in.
For a landlord, that adds up to a simple routine: an electrician's check of the power points, wiring and alarms before each new lease or renewal. Electrical rules for landlords covers the other states as well.
Boards from the boom years
Houses from Glenorchy's fastest-growing decades were wired long before safety switches were standard. You might find rewireable fuses, a black backing board, or a switchboard that's been added to piece by piece. Black backing boards made before 1987 can contain asbestos, so leave the board to an electrician.
In Tasmania, the person responsible for electrical work must give you a copy of the record in the approved form once the work is energised, and keep their own for at least 10 years. Ask for yours and keep it.
Where we'd start in Glenorchy
For a rental, we'd book the electrical check before the lease is signed or renewed, not after, because that's the moment the law looks at. For an owner-occupied house from the post-war years, we'd start with a switchboard check; it tells you if the answer is a repair or a full upgrade.
Want a specialist to sort it?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match the licence-checked local electrician who does this kind of work, and they call you. No ring-around, and your number goes to them alone.