What changed in Bayside on 1 November 2026?
This is Bayside City Council in Melbourne's south-east, not Bayside Council in Sydney. Its trees sit under two systems: a Local Law, and the Bayside Planning Scheme.
Until 1 November 2026, the Local Law covered any tree with a single or combined trunk circumference over 155cm, measured 1 metre above ground. The council's permit page says that from that date, the Local Law only asks for an application to remove or prune trees on the Significant Tree Register.
The same page is clear that planning permit requirements still apply, and that a planning application takes precedence over the Local Law. The change is brand new and some council pages still describe the old 155cm rule, so confirm with the council which version it's applying to your tree.
Which Bayside control could cover your tree?
| Where it applies | What needs approval | |
|---|---|---|
| Significant Tree Register (Local Law) | 105 listed trees, rows or hedges | Any removal, damage, lopping or pruning of a listed tree |
| Vegetation Protection Overlay 3 | All of Black Rock and Beaumaris, and parts of Cheltenham | Removing or lopping vegetation native to Australia |
| Significant Landscape Overlay 1 | Parts of Coral Avenue and Point Avenue, Beaumaris | Removing or lopping a tree |
| Clause 52.37 canopy trees | Residential zones, near the front or rear boundary | Removing, destroying or lopping a canopy tree |
| Heritage Overlay | Properties whose schedule lists tree controls | Whatever that schedule says |
Canopy trees near your boundaries
Since 15 September 2025, Clause 52.37 can require a planning permit for a canopy tree in a residential zone: over 5 m tall, trunk over 0.5 m around at 1.4 m, canopy at least 4 m wide.
It bites within 6 m of the front boundary or 4.5 m of the rear. A big gum in the middle of a deep backyard may sit outside that zone, yet VPO3 or the register could still cover it.
If a Bayside tree is about to fall
If anyone is in danger, call 000. For storm damage to your home, call the SES. Bayside says only the part of a tree posing an immediate threat to people or property can come off without a permit, and any further work needs a permit first. Keep everyone clear until an arborist has looked at it.
Paperwork the council will want
- Your overlays, from the council's planning information map.
- A diagram with each tree numbered against the house and driveway.
- For a Local Law application, an independent qualified arborist's report with a recognised risk assessment.
- A plumber's or structural engineer's report if you say the tree is causing damage.
- A replacement tree list, and owner notification if you're not the owner.
Getting a Bayside tree approved
Work out which control applies
Check the map and the council's tree permit guide, or call the council.
Pick the planning path
VicSmart applications aren't advertised and are typically decided within 10 business days. Two or more trees under VPO3 or SLO1, or any Heritage Overlay tree, need a standard application, typically decided within the 60 day statutory timeframe.
Register trees go through the Local Law
Apply online. Each removal application covers up to three trees.
Plan the replanting
Expect conditions requiring new trees, planted and maintained to the council's satisfaction.
What if trees are removed illegally?
The council says significant fines apply for destroying or illegally removing trees, though its tree pages give no amount. Suspected illegal works go to its Investigations Unit.
Bayside City Council tree removal permits: what to do next
We'd find out first whether the block is in VPO3. In Beaumaris and Black Rock that's every lot, and native trees there need a planning permit whatever the Local Law now says. Then we'd ask the council in writing whether anything else applies, because a rule this new is easy to misread.
Want an arborist to look at it?
Tell us the job and your postcode, and a local arborist calls you to talk it through.