The Cardinia Shire Council has specific regulations for tree removal on private land. Here’s an overview of the key points:
Property Size:
If your property is 4000 square meters (1 acre) or more, you likely need a planning permit to remove, destroy, or lop native vegetation. If the property is less than 4000 square meters no permit is required. Native vegetation includes any plants indigenous to Victoria, such as trees, shrubs, herbs, and grasses.
Overlays:
If your land has any overlays like Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO), Vegetation Protection Overlay (VPO), or others, you will need a planning permit for tree removal. To check for overlays, you can refer to the Cardinia Planning Scheme.
Permit Conditions and Restrictions:
There may be conditions from previous planning permits or other restrictions (e.g., covenants, section 173 agreements) that affect your ability to remove vegetation. Checking the certificate of title or property certificate is essential.
General Guidelines:
- Permit Not Required: In certain cases, such as removing dead branches, branches damaging structures, or for bushfire management, you may not need a permit.
- Encouragement: The council encourages replacing any removed vegetation with indigenous plants and avoiding the removal of trees with hollows used by wildlife.
Bushfire Management:
Trees may be removed without a permit if they are part of bushfire risk reduction efforts.
For detailed information, you can visit the Cardinia Shire Council’s tree removal page Cardinia Shire Council