Tree pruning in the Dandenong Ranges

What each overlay lets you prune

These are the pruning exemptions, overlay by overlay. Pruning beyond them needs a permit wherever removing the same plant would.

Yarra Ranges: SLO1, SLO3, SLO5, SLO6 and ESO1

Pruning that helps a plant's health or structural soundness, taking no more than a third of its foliage. Branches directly over a lawfully built building can be cut back until they are 4 m clear of it.

Yarra Ranges: SLO22 and SLO23

Pruning that helps the plant regenerate. Branches directly over a house, garage or outbuilding can be cut back until they are 2 m clear of it.

Yarra Ranges: the erosion overlays (EMO and EMO3)

Lopping needed to improve a tree's health or structural stability.

Knox: its landscape, vegetation and environmental overlays

Maintenance pruning that takes no more than a third of the foliage of any branch, and never cuts the trunk. The part of a tree that hangs over the roof of a house (not a shed or garage), cut to the Australian Standard for pruning, AS 4373-2007.

Cardinia: SLO1, ESO1, VPO1, VPO2 and VPO3

Pruning or lopping, but not removal, as part of normal domestic or horticultural practice for the species (VPO3, in Emerald's town centre, says horticultural only). The part of a tree over a home's roof, where cutting it is needed for fire protection. SLO4, in the Menzies Creek valley, has neither.

Maroondah: SLO1 and SLO4

Pruning a tree for regeneration or ornamental shaping. VPO1 has no pruning exemption of its own, and its permit covers lopping native vegetation.

Get a free property report from VicPlan to see which overlays cover your block.

Checked 8 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), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 23 to Clause 42.03 (SLO23), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.01 (ESO1), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule to Clause 44.01 (EMO), Knox Planning Scheme, Schedule 2 to Clause 42.03 (SLO2), Knox Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.02 (VPO1), Knox Planning Scheme, Schedule 3 to Clause 42.01 (ESO3), Cardinia Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.03 (SLO1), Cardinia Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.02 (VPO1), Cardinia Planning Scheme, Schedule 3 to Clause 42.02 (VPO3), Cardinia Planning Scheme, Schedule 4 to Clause 42.03 (SLO4), Maroondah Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.03 (SLO1) and Maroondah Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.02 (VPO1).

A third of what?

The rules count the third differently. Yarra Ranges' overlays and the state's native vegetation clause count it across the whole plant. Knox counts it branch by branch.

Topping a tree means cutting through the main trunk to lower it. Knox's exemption and the state's both rule out cutting the trunk, and under the others topping is hard to call pruning for health. Ask the council before a tree is topped.

Checked 8 October 2026 against Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.03 (SLO1), Knox Planning Scheme, Schedule 2 to Clause 42.03 (SLO2) and Victoria Planning Provisions, Clause 52.17 (native vegetation).

Near power lines

For a tree on your land, keeping it clear of the service line to your house is your job. Where your tree grows near the line to a neighbour's house, the electricity distributor clears it. Energy Safe Victoria says to cut trees back before they grow to within 1 m of the service line.

Once branches are that close, or could fall onto the line, don't cut them yourself. Within 3 m of an overhead line, work needs the network operator's permission, and from 3 to 6.4 m a registered spotter has to watch.

Checked 8 October 2026 against Energy Safe Victoria: trees and vegetation and Energy Safe Victoria: No Go Zones.

Branches from next door

You have the right to cut back branches, leaves and roots that cross your boundary, at your own cost. The overlay rules above apply to your neighbour's tree too, so ask the council first whether it is protected. Talk to your neighbour before the work, and agree with them what happens to the cuttings.

Checked 8 October 2026 against Victorian Government: trees in Victoria (neighbours).

Before the work starts

Ask a local arborist what will be cut, roughly how much of the foliage will come off, and whether the work follows AS 4373. Then you can check the plan against your overlay's exemption before anything is cut.

If the prunings aren't being taken away, Yarra Ranges collects bundled branches up to 1.5 m long, 3 m³ at most, on dates set by address.

Checked 8 October 2026 against Yarra Ranges Council: bundled branch collection.