Why Lilydale is different
Kinley, on the old quarry
Yarra Ranges Council describes Kinley as a 163-hectare residential development on the former Lilydale Quarry, expected to deliver over 3,200 dwellings. The land was only rezoned in January 2022, so a lot of Lilydale's roofs will be brand new for years yet.
Older streets near the station
Town land was sold in 1860 and the railway from Hawthorn opened in 1881. Housing didn't spread beyond walking distance of the station until after the 1980s, when it pushed south towards Mooroolbark and north beyond Nelson Road. De Castella Street still has its 1876 court house and 1889 shire hall.
Storms off the ranges
In the storm of 9 to 10 June 2021, the Dandenong Ranges took the brunt and thousands of trees came down. The VICSES Lilydale unit doubled its annual callout average in that one week.
Flash flooding as well
VICSES records significant Yarra Ranges floods in February 2005, September 2010, October 2010 and February 2011, and Lilydale has its own Local Flood Guide. Olinda Creek, which rises in the Dandenongs, runs right through town.
Townhouses as well as houses
At the 2021 Census, 79.7% of Lilydale's occupied homes were separate houses and 18.9% semi-detached or townhouses. Flats barely register.
The jobs most likely in Lilydale
Defects in new homes. In a new house, a leak or a lifted flashing is the builder's problem first. Victorian builders must meet implied warranties that apply by law and can't be signed away. Report it in writing with photos, and keep copies of everything.
Storm checks on established homes. After strong winds, look from the ground for slipped tiles, bent flashings and branches on the roof. A roof inspection with dated photos gives you a record of what the storm did.
Gutters and downpipes. Lilydale has flash flooding on record, so downpipes need to run freely. When water can't get away fast enough, it backs up and finds a way inside.
Where we'd start in Lilydale
If your home is new, don't pay a roofer to fix a builder's defect before the builder has had a fair chance to. Write to them first. If it's an older home, we'd get the gutters cleared and the roof photographed before winter, and again after any big storm. When you do need a roofer, send us the details: if we have a licence-checked roofer for Lilydale, your phone number and email go to that one roofer, and if we don't, we'll tell you so on the spot.
Want a roofer to take a look?
Tell us the job and your postcode. We match it with a Find My Roofer certified roofer who specialises in that kind of work, and they call you to quote. Your number goes to them alone.
