Tree removal in Ferny Creek
In Ferny Creek the first question is whether the tree is native. A native needs a permit at any size. An exotic garden tree, only once it is big.
We connect you with a local arborist who works in the hills.
Ask for a quoteSherbrooke Forest. Photo: Haworthia Ihlathi, CC BY-SA 4.0
The rule in Ferny Creek
All 25 points we sampled around Ferny Creek were under SLO1, Yarra Ranges' ranges overlay, and 14 were also under ESO1. Between them, the first question about a tree here is whether it is native.
- Any
- Native vegetation, at any size, needs a permit under SLO1, and under ESO1 where it applies. SLO1 means plants that grow naturally in the shire.
- 1.1 m
- An exotic tree needs an SLO1 permit only once its trunk passes 1.1 m around at 1.3 m. ESO1 doesn't cover exotic plants at all.
- 4 m
- Within 4 m of a lawful building, both overlays let vegetation go.
- 10 m
- The 10/30 rule sits above both for an older house: every point was in a Bushfire Prone Area. The conditions.
Dead vegetation is exempt from SLO1. Under ESO1 it is too, except a standing dead tree more than 1.3 m around, which keeps its permit.
Get a free property report from VicPlan to see which overlays cover your block.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.03 (SLO1), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.01 (ESO1) and Victoria Planning Provisions, Clause 52.12 (bushfire protection exemptions).
Old gardens, remnant natives
Outside the national park and conservation land, Ferny Creek is mostly exotic planting with remnant native trees. Melbourne families built weekend cottages here, and the suburb is known for its established European gardens. That mix is exactly where SLO1 bites: an old exotic tree under 1.1 m around can usually go, while a native tree beside it, of any size, can't without a permit.
Weeds are a real problem here, ivy, onion weed, tradescantia and holly among them. Species on Yarra Ranges' List of Environmental Weeds 2019 are outside SLO1 and ESO1, so check the list before assuming a plant needs a permit.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Wikipedia: Ferny Creek, Victoria, Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.03 (SLO1) and Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.01 (ESO1).
Dunns Hill and the park
The suburb is built around and south of Dunns Hill, 561 m high, and most of it lies between 400 m and 500 m. The creek it is named for rises south of the hill. The Dandenong Ranges National Park wraps the north and west, Sherbrooke Forest the east; 10 of our 25 points were public conservation land, where trees are not yours to remove. The post office opened in 1904 as One Tree Hill.
The fires of 21 January 1997 began in the foothills of the western face and reached Ferny Creek, Kalorama, Mount Dandenong and Upwey. Forty-three houses were destroyed.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Wikipedia: Ferny Creek, Victoria and Wikipedia: Upwey, Victoria.
Erosion overlay on some blocks
Seven points carried an erosion overlay. On those blocks a tree more than 50 cm around needs a permit even if it is exotic, and the near-building exemption shrinks to 2 m.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule to Clause 44.01 (EMO) and Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 3 to Clause 44.01 (EMO3).
The rule next door
- Sassafras and Tremont
- SLO1 at every point, the same 1.1 m and 4 m.
- Upwey and Tecoma
- Downhill, the township overlay SLO22: any tree over 50 cm around, exotic or not, and only 2 m from a building.
- Upper Ferntree Gully
- Mostly in Knox, where a tree is measured by its height and its girth.
Every overlay is in the permit guide.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.03 (SLO1), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 22 to Clause 42.03 (SLO22) and Knox Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.02 (VPO1).
Ask for a quote
Tell us where you are and what needs doing. We pass it to a local arborist who works in the hills. They ring you back to talk about the job.