After an extensive consultation process Council recently introduced the Tree Protection on Private Land Local Law.
The new law is designed to safeguard the city’s tree canopy by protecting significant trees on private land and means residents will have to obtain a permit to cut down trees over a certain size.
Protected trees have a stem diameter equal to or greater than 40cm. The measurement is taken at 1.4m above ground level. Trees declared noxious weeds or deemed an immediate hazard by a qualified arborist can be removed without a permit.
If you remove a tree covered by the new law you can be fined. The new law supports the work of Council’s Urban Forest Strategy 2021–28 which aims to improve our tree canopy for the benefit of the whole community.
Having more mature trees helps reduce the impacts of climate change by cooling our city streets.
Our current tree canopy level of nine per cent is the lowest in metropolitan Melbourne. Recent research confirms our tree canopy coverage is decreasing at a high rate due to land development, property maintenance, climate change, and pests and diseases.
Read more about how Council is managing and maintaining trees across Greater Dandenong.
