City of Glen Eira Council Tree Regulations
Before removing or pruning trees in Glen Eira City council it is always a smart move to double check the council regulations so that you are not exposed to further action.
You will need to check these regulations if your property is in the following suburbs; Bentleigh, Bentleigh East, Carnegie, Caulfield, Caulfield East, Caulfield North, Caulfield South, Elsternwick, Glen Huntly, McKinnon, Murrumbeena, Ormond, and part of the suburbs of Brighton East, Gardenvale and St Kilda East.
Common trees in City of Glen Eira Council
The London Plane Tree (Platanus × Acerifolia) is one of the most common trees planted by council in this area, while many home owners around Glen Eira still have gum trees in their backyards; as more and more developments and apartments pop-up in this area the need for stump removals and professional tree pruning have increased in order to respect tighter land boundaries and a growing property base.
Heritage/Protected Trees
Glen Eira city council do not have “heritage protected” trees
City of Glen Eira Council Tree Pruning And Removal Laws
Glen Eira do not have any general tree laws that cover their council, you will only need a permit if your property resides within the Following Overlays;
Significant Landscape Overlay (SLO) There is currently only one site in Glen Eira (Omama Road, Murrumbeena) where the Significant Landscape Overlay applies. This control conserves and enhances the character of existing landscapes. A planning permit is required to remove, destroy or lop a specified tree or to construct a building or carry out works in areas specified as tree protection zones.
Vegetation Protection Overlay (VPO) This overlay protects areas of significant vegetation, maintains and enhances habitat and habitat corridors or indigenous fauna and encourages the regeneration of native vegetation. Kitmont Street Reserve, Murrumbeena and the southern end of Boyd Park, Murrumbeena are included in the Vegetation Protection Overlay, as this area contains Glen Eira’s only remaining significant remnant indigenous plant community. Swamp Gums and River Red Gums are protected in this area.
To check if your property lies within these zones click here
If your property does not fall under the SLO or VPO zones of Glen Eira council then you can remove or prune trees within your property without council permission.
Neighbouring trees
Occasionally tree pruning or removal is required for trees that aren’t on your property. When a tree overhangs your property line, but is not your tree, you are still required to conform to City of Glen Eira Council Tree law. Once you have a permit from the council or if the tree is below council regulation size, the tree is covered under Victoria property law.
This law means that you are within your rights to prune or cut anything that overhangs your boundary line, as long as you do not cause irreversible damage to the tree. You do not need your neighbour’s permission to do this, however, we recommend that you engage them along the way, in true neighbourly spirit. For more detailed information regarding tree pruning and removal on neighbouring trees click here.
Need Help?
Permit applications and dealing with council can be a confusing and time consuming process. If you have any queries related to paperwork need a hand with the paperwork or would prefer that somebody handled the permit process on your behalf, we would be happy to do so. We have years of experience dealing with Glen Eira City Council and their arborist team, simply fill in your details on our contact page and we’ll do the rest.