Tree removal in Upper Ferntree Gully
Upper Ferntree Gully is split between Knox and Yarra Ranges, and the two councils measure a tree differently. Knox asks how tall it is. Yarra Ranges measures the trunk at chest height.
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Ask for a quoteDandenong Ranges. Photo: Uzman Naleer, CC BY-SA 4.0
The rule in Upper Ferntree Gully, Knox side
We sampled 90 points across Upper Ferntree Gully, 200 m apart. Two in three fell in Knox, and SLO2 covered 44 of those 60. Knox measures a tree two ways, and a permit is needed if it passes either:
- 5 m
- in height. Knox's SLO1, at 8 points, uses the same test.
- 50 cm
- of girth at 50 cm above the ground, low on the trunk, on its uphill side.
- 2 m
- Exempt if the trunk is within 2 m of the main roof of a house. Branches over the roof can be cut back to it.
- 10 m
- The 10/30 rule covered most of the suburb: 73 of the 90 points were in a Bushfire Prone Area. The conditions.
ESO3, at 28 Knox points, protects plants native to Knox and has no exemption near the house. Where it overlaps SLO2, a small native tree beside the roof can still need a permit.
Get a free property report from VicPlan to see which overlays cover your block.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Knox Planning Scheme, Schedule 2 to Clause 42.03 (SLO2), Knox Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.03 (SLO1), Knox Planning Scheme, Schedule 3 to Clause 42.01 (ESO3) and Victoria Planning Provisions, Clause 52.12 (bushfire protection exemptions).
The Yarra Ranges side
The other 30 points were in Yarra Ranges, and there the trunk is measured higher up, at 1.3 m. Fifteen of them were under SLO22, which needs a permit for a tree more than 50 cm around at that height, and for indigenous vegetation. Its exemption reaches 2 m from a building. Another 14 were under SLO6, which sets the line at 1.1 m around and exempts vegetation within 4 m of a building.
The same 50 cm figure means different trees on either side of the line. Knox takes it at 50 cm, low on the trunk, where it is usually thicker. Yarra Ranges takes it at 1.3 m. So the same trunk can be over the line in Knox and under it in Yarra Ranges.
Erosion overlays covered 19 of the Yarra Ranges points. Where one applies, a tree more than 50 cm around needs a permit even inside SLO6, and only vegetation within 2 m of a building is exempt by distance.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 22 to Clause 42.03 (SLO22), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 6 to Clause 42.03 (SLO6), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule to Clause 44.01 (EMO) and Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 3 to Clause 44.01 (EMO3).
Which council is yours
Locals call it Upper Gully. It has been in the Shire of Fern Tree Gully, the Shire of Sherbrooke and Yarra Ranges, and since the boundaries were redrawn most of it has been in Knox. The suburb name won't tell you which council you're in. Your property report will, and the permit application goes to whichever council it names.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Wikipedia: Upper Ferntree Gully, Knox City Council: tree removal and pruning and Yarra Ranges Council: removing a tree on private land.
The end of the line
For years the electric line from Melbourne ended here, and holiday-makers made their way on into the hills. Ferntree Gully Park, part of the Dandenong Ranges National Park, holds the 1000 Steps, laid in memory of the Kokoda Track. Kings Park sits along the Ferntree Gully and Ferny creeks.
Bushfire rules reach further here than in Ferntree Gully below, where most of the suburb is outside the Bushfire Prone Area. A Bushfire Management Overlay covered 52 of our 90 points. A house there that is old enough can clear vegetation other than trees out to 50 m without a permit.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Wikipedia: Upper Ferntree Gully and Victoria Planning Provisions, Clause 52.12 (bushfire protection exemptions).
The rule next door
- Ferntree Gully
- All Knox, mostly suburban, where the canopy-tree rule does more of the work.
- Upwey
- Yarra Ranges' SLO22 on most blocks: 50 cm around at 1.3 m, 2 m.
- Tremont and Ferny Creek
- SLO1, the ranges overlay: 1.1 m around, 4 m from a building.
The permit guide sets out both councils' overlays.
Checked 7 October 2026 against Victoria Planning Provisions, Clause 52.37 (canopy trees), Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 22 to Clause 42.03 (SLO22) and Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.03 (SLO1).
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.