Tree removal in Altona: good to know
Find 1.4 metres
Measure 1.4 metres up the trunk from the ground and mark it with chalk or tape. You can do this from the ground with a tape measure.
Wrap the tape around
Measure the full distance around the trunk at that mark. Hobsons Bay counts 110cm or more as a significant tree. For a tree with several stems, council measures around the outside stems together.
Note where it stands
Pace out how far the trunk is from the front and rear boundaries. Clause 52.37 covers canopy trees within 6 metres of the street frontage or 4.5 metres of the rear boundary on a lot with a house.
Then ring council
Call Hobsons Bay with your measurements and photos. Council's arborists can tell you which permit, if any, applies.
Tree removal permits in Altona
The Community Local Law 2025 needs a permit to interfere with, remove, damage, destroy or kill a significant tree on private land. It also covers a significant tree that overhangs land you own or occupy, so a big tree next door can bring you into it.
The state's canopy tree clause is separate, and council says a tree the planning permit doesn't cover can still need a Local Law permit. Applications go through council's online permit portal, and only the property owner can apply.
Tree removal in Altona: what's local
On the bay since 1842
Altona was first settled in 1842. Its foreshore includes Altona Coastal Park, which council says has coastal saltmarsh, mangrove habitat and mudflats, and the Truganina Coastal Parklands.
Cherry Lake
A 3.5 kilometre walking and cycling trail circuits Cherry Lake. Trees in parks and foreshore reserves are council land and need a council permit for any work.
A low canopy to protect
Hobsons Bay had only 6 per cent canopy cover in 2018, against a Greater Melbourne average of 15.3 per cent, and wants 30 per cent by 2040.
Who to call about power lines
Powercor runs a zone substation called Altona, while Jemena's area reaches nearby Williamstown. Check your bill to see whether to call Powercor or Jemena.
Hiring an arborist in Altona
We'd measure the trunk ourselves before paying anyone, since the 110cm test settles a lot. If it's over, we'd let council's arborist do the first inspection, because council won't grant a permit for a healthy, sound tree that isn't causing damage or a safety risk. If council says no and you disagree, that's the point to commission your own consulting arborist.