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Stonnington Council Regulations for Pruning and Removing Trees

When pruning or removing trees from your home or business in Stonnington, you need to be certain that you are not in violation of any council laws and regulations.

You will need to comply these laws if your property resides in Armadale, Toorak, Kooyong, Malvern, Prahran or Malvern East. You will also need to comply if you live in certain parts of South Yarra, Windsor or Glen Iris.

Map of Stonnington City Council Suburbs.

Map of Stonnington City Council Suburbs.

Common tree species

The London Plane ree (Platanus × Acerifolia) is one of the most common trees planted by Council in this area, while many home owners around Stonnington have Gum, Oak and Liquidambar 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. 

StonnINgton COUNCIL TREE PRUNING AND REMOVAL LAWS

You will need a permit to remove or prune a tree at your property or business address in Stonnington if your property meets either criteria listed below.

1. Your property is located within the Significant Landscape Overlay (SLO), or the Neighbourhood Character Overlay (NCO1) in Stonnington this is only applicable when in the Yarra (Birrarung) River Corridor Environs, or the Hedgeley Dene Precinct. To check if your property is located within these overlays:

  • Check the Planning Maps Online website and search for your property address to obtain a Planning Property Report for help with this you can call us on 0478 896 636

  • If your property IS located within an SLO or NCO, an Application for a Planning Permit will need to be submitted. (Note: a full, current copy of your property's title is required, and can be found on the Landata website)

  • If your property ISN'T located with an SLO or NCO1 area, continue below to '2'

2. Your tree(s) meet the requirements of a Significant Tree in The City of Stonnington Council Tree Protection Local Law if:

  • Its trunk circumference of 140 cm or greater measured at 1.4 m above its base;

  • It has a total circumference of all its trunks of 140 cm or greater measured at 1.4 m above its base;

  • Has a trunk circumference of 180 cm or greater measured at its base; or

  • Has a total circumference of all its trunks of 180 cm or greater measured at its base.

Violation of council regulations on tree pruning and removing can result in possible penalties such as fines, enforcement at VCAT, or prosecution through the Magistrates’ Court.

SIGNIFICANT/heritage PROTECTED TREES

Stonnington Council do not have heritage protected or significantly protected trees outside of the NCO1 and SLO zones, every tree that is above the permit size regulations listed above is considered a significant and therefore protected tree.

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 Stonnington council tree laws, 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. 

STONNINGTON COUNCIL PERMIT APPLICATION FORMS

CLICK HERE to download the Stonnington Tree Pruning or Tree Removal Permit Application form.

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 Stonnington City Council and their arborist team, Fill in your details and we take care of the whole process for you.

Do you need tree pruning, tree removal, or an arborist report for your Stonnington property? Fill in your details or Call us on 0478 896 636 for a fast and free quote.