Tree removal in Bentleigh: what's local
Sandy ground, old market gardens
Early growers picked Bentleigh partly because the sandy soil was easily worked. The market gardens disappeared fast once houses went up, and the trees planted then have had decades to grow.
A 1950s grid
Bentleigh and Bentleigh East grew rapidly through the 1950s on a grid of streets. On regular suburban blocks like these, a big tree is rarely far from a fence, a driveway or the house.
Shade lives in backyards
Reserves and sports ovals here are not over-generous in number, so a lot of the suburb's canopy is in private gardens, and that private canopy is what Glen Eira's local law protects.
Centre Road and the lines
Centre Road runs 5 km through Bentleigh and Bentleigh East. For a branch across any street line here, ring the network (United Energy covers much of the south-east), not an arborist.
Tree removal permits in Bentleigh
| Glen Eira local law | State canopy tree clause 52.37 | |
|---|---|---|
| Which trees | Palms over 8 m; a stump of 140 cm or more at ground level; or over 5 m tall with 140 cm of trunk at 140 cm up | At least 5 m tall with an average canopy at least 4 m across |
| Where on the block | Anywhere on private land | Within 6 m of the street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary, or anywhere on a vacant lot |
| What it covers | Removing, damaging, pruning, and works in the root zone | Removing, destroying or lopping |
| If both apply | The planning scheme prevails | One planning application |
How tree removal works in Bentleigh
Measure it
Wrap a tape around the trunk 140 cm above the ground, and again at the base if it splits low. Write the numbers down.
Pace out where it stands
Note how far the trunk is from the front boundary and the back fence. On a standard suburban block, the canopy tree clause takes in a lot of the front and back garden.
Ask Glen Eira
Use council's 'Lodge my request' link to confirm which permit applies, or ring Planning and Building Services.
Line up the evidence
If health or safety is the reason, Glen Eira wants reports from suitably qualified arborists at AQF Level 5, which is the Diploma of Arboriculture. An arborist report is that document.
Hiring an arborist in Bentleigh
Measure it and pace out the boundaries before ringing anyone. If it's a canopy tree under either rule, ask the arborist to quote the job and the paperwork together, and to suggest a replacement tree for the spot, since Glen Eira usually wants one planted. Then the whole job, from permit to planting, is on one page.