Council Laws

Council rules Victoria

Victoria is made up of both Metropolitan and regional councils and is well known for tree regulations for development and tree removals.

The simplest way (although it’s far from simple) to break up the planning framework in Victoria is like this:

Victorian Planning Provisions: Victorian Planning Provisions (VPP): The VPP is a statewide planning policy framework that sets out the objectives, policies, and strategies for land use planning and development in Victoria.
Local council laws: Each local council in Victoria has its own set of tree regulations that govern the protection, removal, and management of trees within its municipality. These regulations may include:

Tree protection overlays
Tree removal permits
Arborist reports
Replacement planting

Bushfire rules.

As of 2009 and the Royal Commission into the Black Saturday fires, new rules apply to the clearing of vegetation for bushfire clearance.

The 10/30 rule in Victoria, Australia is a vegetation removal rule . The rule does not allow for the clearing of native vegetation or the removal of trees that are protected by planning schemes or other regulations.

It is important to note that the 10/30 rule may not apply in all areas. It is recommended that property owners check with their local council to confirm the rules that apply in their area before removing any vegetation.

Quick 10/30 summary:

Trees 10m or closer to a house constructed prior to 2009 can be removed without a permit
Trees 4m or closer to a fence constructed prior to 2009 can be removed without a permit
Trees 10m or closer to an outbuilding (i.e., a shed) on a block with a a house constructed prior to 2009 can be removed without a permit
10/30 rule supersedes both council local laws and VPP overlays
You must be able to demonstrate that the structures were built prior to 2009