Tree removal in Kew: what's local
Big allotments kept
Victorian Places says Kew has had fewer of its fine house blocks redeveloped for flats or row houses than similar suburbs. If yours is one of them, measure the big trees before planning any work.
Heritage homes
Villa Alba, Studley House and Raheen are among Kew's heritage-listed mansions. Boroondara says a Heritage Overlay can protect trees too, with its own rules, so check VicPlan for your address.
Studley Park and the Yarra
Kew borders the Yarra on its west, and its riverside parks keep much of their original bushland. Nearby Yarra Bend Park, which Parks Victoria calls Melbourne's largest natural bushland park, has a river red gum landscape at Galatea Point.
CitiPower lines
Kew sits inside CitiPower's network area. For a tree on a street line, stay clear and ring CitiPower.
Tree removal permits in Kew
Under the local law, a canopy tree has a trunk of 110 cm or more around at 1.4 metres, or 150 cm or more at ground level. For a multi-stemmed tree, add the stems together at 1.4 metres. You need a permit to remove one, or to do works within 2 metres of its trunk.
Dead and weed trees aren't let off. Boroondara says you must get a permit to remove a canopy tree even when it's dead or a recognised weed species.
For pruning, Boroondara's rule for canopy trees is that the work meets AS 4373-2007, the Australian pruning standard, and it recommends a qualified arborist. Pruning a tree on its significant tree register needs a permit.
Boroondara aims to decide within 10 business days, and a permit lasts 12 months. It says it may fine $4,070.20 per offence under the 2024 law, require replacement planting or prosecute. The Boroondara permit page has the full rules.
Signs a tree needs an arborist in Kew
- A split or crack running down into the trunk.
- Shoots sprouting from the trunk or main branches, which can signal decline.
- Large dead branches high in the crown, or lots of rotten wood on the ground.
- Movement in the soil around the base on a windy day, seen from a safe distance.
- Sudden leaf loss, or new leaves that don't appear in spring.
Hiring an arborist in Kew
Measure first. If the trunk is anywhere near 110 cm at 1.4 metres, treat it as a canopy tree and apply before anyone cuts, dead or not. For a big old tree you'd rather keep, ask about pruning to the standard before you ask about removal, and read lopping vs pruning before accepting a quote that just says lop.