Auburn's homes and climate, in brief
Strata since the 1960s
The Dictionary of Sydney says the Strata Title Act of 1961 did more to change post-war Auburn than anything else, allowing multi-unit blocks right through the suburb, with cluster developments from the 1970s. In 2021, 47.3% of occupied homes were flats or apartments.
Plenty of houses too
Another 42.0% were separate houses and 10.0% semis or townhouses. The older ones include workers' houses the government built or helped others build.
Beyond the sea breeze
Sydney's summer sea breezes don't make it 9 km inland, and the western suburbs run 6 to 10 degrees hotter than the CBD in late spring and summer.
Climate zone 6
The ABCB's map puts the Cumberland council area in zone 6 (mild temperate), with Parramatta and Blacktown, rather than the coast's zone 5.
Close to half rented
49.9% of occupied homes were rented in 2021, so a landlord, a strata committee or both often have a say.
What a typical Auburn job looks like
A split in a walk-up unit. The work is in the details: where the outdoor unit can sit, how far the pipes travel and where the drain empties. A new reverse cycle unit is a minor strata renovation in NSW, so expect a vote at a strata meeting unless a by-law lets the committee approve it.
Reverse cycle for a house. ActronAir says an air conditioner loses cooling capacity above 35 degrees, and Western Sydney averages 10 to 20 of those days a year. Ask for a heat load worked out room by room, not a guess from the floor area. Our ducted air conditioning in Sydney page goes into sizing.
Getting a split into an Auburn unit, in order
Check the by-laws
Ask your strata manager whether the committee can approve air conditioners or whether it has to go to a meeting.
Get the plan on paper
Have the installer mark the outdoor unit, pipe run and drain. If the work changes the outside of the building or common property, a special resolution or by-law change may be needed.
Renting? Ask in writing
NSW Fair Trading says changes need the lease's allowance or the landlord's written permission.
Check the licence
Air conditioning work in NSW, including its wiring, needs a licence or certificate. Service NSW's check searches by name, number or suburb.
What we'd do
Where we'd start in Auburn
In a unit, we'd settle the strata answer and the outdoor spot before comparing models. In a house, we'd want a heat load that treats Auburn as a western suburb, with heating and cooling output in writing. Tell us the job and licence-checked installers around Auburn who handle that kind of work will see it. The one who takes it is the only one who gets your contact details. Installers elsewhere in NSW may see it too if no one around Auburn takes it within 48 hours.
