Tree removal permits in Melville
It's Local Planning Policy 1.24, Regulated Trees on Private Land. If it's adopted, approval may be needed to remove or significantly damage some medium and large trees, and heavy pruning, lopping, root cutting or work that harms a tree's health would count as damage. Replacement planting could be asked for when a removal is approved.
It would cover all zoned land under Local Planning Scheme No. 6, houses and commercial sites alike, but not street trees, park trees or other City land. The City's summary doesn't give the size test, so read the draft itself or ask.
Where it's up to: Council endorsed the draft for advertising in June 2026, consultation closed on 31 October 2026, and submissions are being reviewed. The City's tree page still says it has no local planning policy for private trees yet. WA's native vegetation clearing rules apply regardless; see our WA permits page.
Tree removal in Melville: what's local
On Melville Water
The suburb takes its name from Melville Water, the stretch of the Swan River that Governor James Stirling named after Viscount Melville. The name was first used for the Melville Park Estate in 1896.
Tuart and peppermint
Florabase records tuart, a tree to 40 metres on sand over limestone, and the WA peppermint, to 10 m, in the City of Melville. More on gum trees.
Counting the street trees
The City has nearly 50,000 street trees. Street tree canopy is 12.5%, and the target is 15% by 2036.
Tree pruning and lopping in Melville
It belongs to the City. You can't plant, prune or remove a verge tree without approval, and unauthorised pruning can bring an infringement and the bill for remediation or replacement.
The City aims to answer pruning requests within 5 working days. It won't prune because a tree is disliked, blocks a view, drops leaves, flowers, fruit or bark, or draws wildlife. It may consider removal if the tree is unsafe, dead or in irreversible decline, damaged beyond repair, or wrong for the site.
Tree jobs you can do yourself in Melville
You can
- By 1 November 2026, clear dead and dry inflammable matter from the whole block if it's 1,500 square metres or smaller, or zoned Residential. Living trees, shrubs, garden plants and lawns stay.
- Keep lawns at 50mm or less until 30 April 2027.
- Keep roofs, gutters and walls clear of leaves and other inflammable matter.
Leave to an arborist
- Branches over the roof that keep filling the gutters.
- Dead limbs too high to reach with both feet on the ground.
- Anything near a power line, which is Western Power's call first.
Trees and power lines in Melville
Assume it's live and stay 8 metres away. Western Power takes reports; call 000 first if someone's hurt or there's fire.
Hiring an arborist in Melville
If a large tree on your block is the problem, we'd email the City now and ask whether LPP 1.24 has been adopted and what size of tree it catches. Meanwhile an arborist can tell you whether pruning would solve it. If removal is the plan, get the City's answer in writing first, so a policy change halfway through doesn't catch you out.