Trees and vegetation

Overview

Council is responsible for approximately 19,000 street trees throughout the shires townships as well as maintaining the trees and vegetation on road reserves for sight distance and to maintain a clear carriage way - these trees are a diverse mix of native and exotic species.  Council also maintains and manages various Avenues of Honour located throughout the shire.

The pruning, trimming and removal of trees are carried out from our inspection program as well as requests.  An inspection will be carried out after a request.  Following the inspection a tree may need to be removed or pruned or some may not require any work.

Street tree replacements are managed through our Urban Street Tree Asset Management Plan(PDF, 2MB)

For requests related to street and roadside trees including dangerous trees and removal of fallen limbs or trees please contact Council either via our online Customer Request Form or contact our Customer Relations Team on 03 5593 7100.

Powerline Clearance

Council is responsible for the powerline clearance of trees within the town of Camperdown only due to some areas being classed as high fire risk. 

All other towns and rural areas of the shire are the responsibility of Powercor.  You can contact Powercor on their 24hr service line 13 24 12 or visit the Powercor webpage to report any issues. 

Trees on Private Property 

You need to manage trees on your own property including overhanging vegetation obstructing the footpath or road reserve.  Property owners are also responsible for the removal of any trees or branches that have fallen from trees on their property onto the footpath or road. 

If you want to remove a tree, you may need a permit to do so.  To find out if there are any restrictions regarding removal of trees or vegetation, it would be best to check with Council to find out about your responsibilities. You can use our online Customer Request Form or contact Council on 03 5593 7100.

Trees on Neighbouring Properties

Overhanging or encroaching trees and vegetation between private properties is not the responsibility of Council and should be resolved between property owners.

Talk to your neighbours first if you are concerned about a tree on their property.

You have the right to prune an overhanging tree to the boundary fence line.

The Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria can help you with dispute resolution around neighbourhood issues and can be contacted on 1800 658 582 or via their website.

The website Trees provides legal information about cutting branches or removing roots, protected trees, clearing native vegetation and resolving disputes with neighbours.