Tree removal in Menzies Creek
Menzies Creek is split between two councils, and the tree rules change at the line. In the north the permit covers native plants and trees over 1.1 m around. In the south it covers any vegetation.
We connect you with a local arborist who works in the hills.
Ask for a quoteDandenong Ranges. Photo: Uzman Naleer, CC BY-SA 4.0
The rule in Menzies Creek, Yarra Ranges side
We sampled 122 points across Menzies Creek, 250 m apart: 69 in Yarra Ranges, all in the north, and 53 in Cardinia, to the south. Every Yarra Ranges point was under SLO1 or SLO3, which have the same terms. A permit is needed for native vegetation of any size, and for any tree with a trunk more than:
- 1.1 m
- around, measured 1.3 m up. Under the erosion overlay the line drops to 50 cm around.
- 2 m
- The erosion overlay exempts vegetation within 2 m of a building. It covered 41 of the 69 Yarra Ranges points.
- 4 m
- SLO1 and SLO3 exempt vegetation within 4 m of a building. Where the erosion overlay applies too, 2 m is the distance that holds.
- 10 m
- The 10/30 rule, on both sides of the council line. All 122 points were in a Bushfire Prone Area. How it works.
SLO1 and SLO3 also leave out dead vegetation, health pruning of up to a third of a plant and the council's listed environmental weeds. ESO1, at 32 of the Yarra Ranges points, keeps a permit on a standing dead tree more than 1.3 m around.
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 3 to Clause 42.03 (SLO3), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule to Clause 44.01 (EMO), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.01 (ESO1) and Victoria Planning Provisions, Clause 52.12 (bushfire protection exemptions).
The Cardinia side
South of the line the rules work differently. ESO1, Cardinia's northern hills overlay, covered 39 of the 53 Cardinia points, and the rest were mostly reservoir land and roads. It has no minimum size: any vegetation needs a permit unless an exemption covers it.
- 6 m around an existing house is exempt, but only on a lot under 0.4 ha.
- Dead trees need a council officer's assessment, and a standing one 40 cm or more across needs a permit.
- The Bushfire Management Overlay covered every Cardinia point, so an older house can also clear everything except trees out to 50 m.
Both councils have an overlay called SLO1, and they are different schedules. Two of our Cardinia points were under Cardinia's SLO1, the Puffing Billy corridor, which follows ESO1's terms. Your property report names the council as well as the overlay.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Cardinia Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.01 (ESO1), Cardinia Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.03 (SLO1) and Victoria Planning Provisions, Clause 52.12 (bushfire protection exemptions).
The creek and the line
The area is named after James Menzies, who dug for gold here in the 1860s. The station opened in December 1900, was renamed Aura in 1904 and took the Menzies Creek name back in 1947. A landslide between Selby and Menzies Creek in 1953 blocked the line, and in 1962 Menzies Creek became the first end point of the reopened Puffing Billy.
On ground that slips, it is worth asking before a quote whether to grind a stump or leave the roots in the bank. The Menzies Creek valley has an overlay of its own, Cardinia's SLO4, which our samples found over the line in Emerald. Its statement records one of the most southerly stands of mountain ash in the ranges, and it needs a permit for any vegetation except sweet pittosporum.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Wikipedia: Menzies Creek, Wikipedia: Clematis, Victoria, Wikipedia: Gembrook, Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule to Clause 44.01 (EMO) and Cardinia Planning Scheme, Schedule 4 to Clause 42.03 (SLO4).
The rule next door
- Selby, Kallista and Belgrave South
- Yarra Ranges' SLO1 or SLO3: 1.1 m around, 4 m from a building.
The permit guide has both councils.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.03 (SLO1), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 3 to Clause 42.03 (SLO3) and Cardinia Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.01 (ESO1).
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.