Tree removal in Epping: good to know
This page is for Epping, Victoria, in the City of Whittlesea. Sydney's Epping sits under New South Wales rules, which work in a completely different way.
Epping's original township is on higher ground west of the Darebin Creek, and most of the suburb was built from the 1970s onwards. The north is still being developed, so you'll find old remnant gums, decades-old garden trees and brand new estates within a few streets of each other.
Tree removal permits in Epping
Check the zone and size
Whittlesea applies clause 52.37 across its residential zones. The current test is a tree at least 5 metres tall with a canopy averaging 4 metres across.
Work out where it stands
With a house on the block, the clause covers boundary canopy trees near the street frontage or rear boundary. On a vacant lot, Whittlesea says every canopy tree is protected.
Lodge the right application
One tree can go in as a VicSmart application. More than one tree runs on standard timeframes.
Bring the arborist report if it's about health
Whittlesea only asks for a report when removal is for health or stability, and wants it from an arborist with a level 5 qualification (a Diploma of Arboriculture).
Expect replacement trees
Approval usually comes with a condition to plant replacement canopy trees, and that condition binds future owners of the land.
Tree removal in Epping: what's local
River Red Gums
Whittlesea gives River Red Gums extra protection in its planning scheme, through local policy at Clause 12.01-1L, and estimates many are 200 to 500 years old.
An outdated test on council's page
When we checked on 3 November 2026, Whittlesea's private tree page still showed a trunk circumference test that clause 52.37 dropped on 24 September 2026. Ask council which test it's applying.
Street trees
The City of Whittlesea manages almost 137,000 street trees. Nature strip trees are council's to prune or remove.
AusNet's Epping substation
AusNet runs a zone substation called Epping that supplies mostly residential customers in the northern suburbs, and Jemena serves areas nearby. Check the distributor named on your power bill to see whether to call AusNet or Jemena.
Hiring an arborist in Epping
With a big old gum, we'd assume it's protected until Whittlesea says otherwise, and get an arborist to name the species first. If health or stability is the reason for removal, we'd pay for a proper report from a level 5 consulting arborist before lodging, because that's what council will assess. Ring the planning team before anyone books a crane.