Tree removal in Mulgrave: what's local
Between freeway and creek
Mulgrave runs from Clayton east to Dandenong Creek, and from the Monash Freeway and Wellington Road south to Police Road. The freeway crosses it on a diagonal, with Brandon Park and Waverley Gardens at either end.
The valley slopes
Monash's tree overlay statement says the western slopes of the Dandenong valley carry a dense canopy of native trees, mostly planted since the houses went in, with some large remnant trees among them. Mulgrave's east end reaches down to that creek.
Waverley Park
The old stadium's car park became about 1400 homes. On a smaller lot, check the distances: the canopy tree clause covers trees within 6 metres of the street frontage or 4.5 metres of the rear boundary.
Orchards and business parks
Mulgrave stayed farmland well after the war, with orchards along High Street Road; today office parks, warehouses and food businesses line its main roads. For a shared or commercial site, see strata and commercial tree work.
Tree removal permits in Mulgrave
Check the overlay
Look your address up on VicPlan. In a Monash VPO area, a permit is needed to remove a tree over 10 metres tall with a trunk over 50 cm around at 120 cm above the ground.
Ask for council's assessment
Monash offers residents in VPO areas an arboricultural assessment of whether a permit is needed. It isn't available for developments of more than one dwelling.
Pick the right path
One VPO tree can go through VicSmart, but only one VicSmart application is allowed per 12 months. Two or more trees need a full Tree Removal Application with the title, a site plan and a statement of reasons.
Plan to replant
Monash says that in most cases a permit comes with a condition to plant replacement canopy trees.
Questions to ask an arborist in Mulgrave
- How the tree comes down and where the pieces go.
- Whether the stump is ground, and that services were located first.
- Who applies for the permit, if one is needed.
- The clean-up: mulch left or taken, and the green waste.
- Proof of public liability insurance and the crew's qualifications.
- Pruning to AS 4373-2007, which lists lopping and topping as unacceptable.
Hiring an arborist in Mulgrave
We'd book council's assessment first if the property is in a VPO area, because it settles the permit question before anyone pays for reports. Then we'd get two written quotes that say exactly what's being cut, and how.