Tree removal in Ocean Grove: what's local
Bellarine Yellow-gum
The threatened Bellarine Yellow-gum grows only on the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast, and Greater Geelong says a large share of what's left stands in the streets and gardens of Ocean Grove's significant tree precinct (SLO15).
Moonah on the dunes
South of Orton Street, the hillside overlay (SLO7) says the dunes may hold remnant Coastal Moonah Woodland, with Moonah and Coastal Tea-tree. North of Orton Street it's grassy woodland, yellow-gums included.
The nature reserve
In 1962 locals raised money to buy 143 hectares of the area's last significant bushland, now the Ocean Grove Nature Reserve. The Thacker Street overlay (VPO2) protects nationally significant yellow-gum and manna gum woodland that links to it.
Coastal storms
Greater Geelong's emergency plan records gusts of more than 100km damaging trees across Geelong and the Bellarine on 29 October 2021, and cutting power to large areas.
Powercor's lines
Greater Geelong tells owners of private trees near power lines to contact Powercor directly.
Tree removal permits in Ocean Grove
| SLO7: Ocean Grove Hillside Area | SLO15: Significant Tree Residential Area | |
|---|---|---|
| Significant tree | Any Australian native tree 3 metres or taller | Any Australian native tree 3 metres or taller |
| Removing, destroying or lopping | Needs a permit, subject to the schedule's exceptions | Needs a permit, subject to the schedule's exceptions |
| What it protects | Moonah on the dunes, yellow-gum woodland on the hillside, and shared sea views | A bush garden setting where houses sit below the canopy |
| Room for trees | Building conditions include at least 30 per cent of the site clear of hard surfaces | Building conditions include at least 40 per cent clear of hard surfaces, and no works in a significant tree's drip line |
Neighbours' trees in Ocean Grove
SLO15's building conditions look past your boundary. They rule out works inside the drip line (the outer edge of the canopy) of a significant tree on the neighbour's land or the nature strip, so a new deck or shed under next door's yellow-gum is a planning question before it's a building one.
Street and park trees are a separate matter. Greater Geelong says only its own arborists may remove or arrange removal of them, and pruning one without approval is an offence under its local law.
Planning work near a big native? An arborist report showing how the tree will be managed during construction is what council's guidelines for SLO15 look for.
Hiring an arborist in Ocean Grove
Pull the planning property report for your address, then measure the native trees you're thinking about. Anything 3 metres or taller in SLO7 or SLO15 is worth a call to Greater Geelong before you book work, and if it's a yellow-gum, we'd look hard at pruning and keeping it.