Tree removal in Gisborne: what's local
Protected native bush
Macedon Ranges is a semi-rural shire, and council says native trees, shrubs and even grasses can be protected by landscape, environmental, vegetation and heritage overlays. Covenants on land titles can protect vegetation as well.
The June 2021 storm
Wild weather in June 2021 felled thousands of trees and closed Macedon Regional Park, and crews cleared hundreds of large fallen and hazardous trees at Macedon. If a tree on your block lost limbs then, it's worth an arborist's look now.
Powercor lines
Powercor runs the network around Gisborne and New Gisborne. A tree on a street line is theirs to deal with.
Gardens and heritage
The Gisborne Botanic Gardens, north of Robertson Street beside the council offices, were first planted in 1992. Heritage overlays from the Gisborne and Kyneton Heritage Study joined the planning scheme in 2019, so check whether yours is a heritage property before major work.
Tree removal permits in Gisborne
Native vegetation is the big one. Clause 52.17 needs a planning permit to remove, destroy or lop native vegetation, dead vegetation included, unless one of its exemptions applies, and it matters most on land of 0.4 hectares or more. Standing dead trees 40 centimetres or more across at 1.3 metres stay covered.
In residential zones, the state canopy tree clause also reaches trees at least 5 metres tall with a 4 metre canopy near the front or rear boundary, native or not.
Macedon Ranges says clearing native vegetation without approval is illegal under the Planning and Environment Act 1987, and offenders may be prosecuted. The Victorian permit page explains the state clauses.
Storm damage and fallen trees in Gisborne
If anyone is hurt or trapped, call 000. Keep at least 8 to 10 metres from a fallen powerline and report it to Powercor. For a tree through the roof or one blocking your way out, VICSES can help. When the clean-up starts, Macedon Ranges warns that heavy machinery can need a permit if it exposes the soil and damages native vegetation, so ask before a bobcat goes in.
Bushfire clearing in Gisborne
The Macedon Ranges Planning Scheme includes a Bushfire Management Overlay, remapped by the state in 2017. Victoria's clause 52.12 clearing rules apply only where the home is on mapped bushfire land, mostly to homes built or approved before 10 September 2009, and only the 10 metre rule includes trees. Check VicPlan and the bushfire clearing guide before you clear.
Hiring an arborist in Gisborne
Ring council, or use its online native vegetation form, before you book anything for a native tree. If the tree is storm-damaged or leaning, get an arborist's written assessment and keep the photos. If it's an exotic tree in a residential street, the canopy tree clause is the one to check.