Helping keep Moonee Valley green and beautiful
Moonee Valley is renowned for its leafy trees and lush parks and gardens.
As well as providing us with the most important thing of all, oxygen, trees play an important role in enhancing the character and identity of our city.
Frequently asked questions
How can I have a tree on my nature strip removed or trimmed?
You can make a request online by clicking the button below or call us on 9243 8888. We'll inspect your tree and determine if it meets the criteria in the Tree Management Strategy.
Can I prune my own street tree?
No. Trees must be pruned by qualified Council staff.
Can I plant my own street tree?
You'll need to contact us first. We'll check it out and in most cases agree that you can plant your own tree, provided it's one of the approved species. If you choose to plant your own tree, it will be at your own cost.
How do I get a nature strip tree?
Call us on 9243 8888. We'll inspect your street to determine if it can be included in the next planting season.
Significant trees
We're strongly committed to protecting trees of local significance within our city.
The urban forest, including all the trees and vegetation in our city is critically important to both mental and physical health as these cool, green environments encourage people to recreate and socialise outdoors. As the climate changes and we experience hotter, drier and more extreme weather conditions, our community will be more impacted by heat stress and flood risk. A healthy urban forest is one of the most effective ways to mitigate urban heat island and improve health outcomes in the community.
The Moonee Valley City Council Significant Tree Register can be viewed here.
What is a significant tree?
Trees are classified as 'significant' after being independently assessed against the National Trust Significant Trees criteria, which has 12 categories:
- horticultural or genetic value
- unique location or context
- rare or localised distribution
- particularly old specimen
- outstanding size
- aesthetic value
- curious growth habitat
- historical significance
- connection to Aboriginal culture
- outstanding example of species
- remnant vegetation
- outstanding habitat
Significant trees can be located on both public and private land and can be a singular tree or a group of trees.
The Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO) protects the municipality's significant trees.
Under the ESO, a planning permit is required for:
- the removal of any tree identified within the register
- for any building and works proposed within each tree’s respective tree protection zone (TPZ)
A TPZ is an area surrounding a tree in which development should be managed in order to prevent damage to the tree and its root structure. The TPZ is calculated as 12 x diameter at breast height (trunk diameter at 1.4 metres above ground level).
A TPZ is applied so that we can assess a proposed development’s impact on the respective tree’s root system which, if damaged, can severely impact on the health of the tree.
TPZs can extend across property boundaries. This means your property could be included in the ESO even if the significant tree is not located on your land.
In the case of emergency works the requirement to obtain a permit does not apply to vegetation that is to be removed, destroyed or lopped in the following circumstances only:
- in an emergency by, or on behalf of, a public authority or municipal council to create an emergency access or to enable emergency works; or
- where it presents an immediate risk of personal injury or damage to property. Only that part of the vegetation that presents the immediate risk may be removed, destroyed or lopped under this exemption.
A permit is not required under the ESO to prune trees for maintenance purposes provided that the branch size is no greater than 10 centimetres in diameter and the total amount removed is not more than 10 percent of the canopy in accordance with Australian Standard AS4373-2007.
An appropriately qualified arborist will be able to help you ensure that pruning work is within these requirements, or let you know when the pruning required exceeds the about amounts and a planning permit may be required.
Further statutory information and requirements of the Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO) that helps to protect significant trees can be found in the Moonee Valley Planning Scheme under Clause 42.01 Environmental Significance Overlay and Schedule 2 to Clause 42.01 (Environmental Significance Overlay) ‘Significant Trees’.
For more information about the planning permit application process please see Planning Applications and Permits or contact our Statutory Planning team on 9243 9111.
Street trees
We have more than 50,000 street trees, of both native and exotic species.
Learn more in our Tree Management Plan (pdf, 5MB) and Electric Line Clearance Management Plan (pdf, 3MB).
Adopt a tree
Help keep our city green and reduce water consumption by adopting a street tree!
Those who adopt a tree are asked to water it whenever they have a drop to spare. Street trees don’t require much water. In fact, a bucket of reclaimed water from the laundry or shower will help maintain the trees and keep our streets green.
Parents of adopted trees will get:
- adoption certificates
- a bucket
- a litre of environmentally-friendly laundry liquid
To adopt a street tree, send us an email with your name, address, phone number and the location of your adopted street tree.
You can also call us on 9243 8888.
Nature Strip Policy
Did you know you can personalise your nature strip with your own plants? We recently adopted a Nature Strip Landscaping Policy, so you can makeover your nature strip with grasses, shrubs, ground covers or even raised planter boxes.
Need some tips on what to plant? Read our Wildlife friendly gardening guide (pdf, 6MB).
Council has adopted the Nature Strip Policy which gives residents the chance to personalise their nature strips by choosing their own plants. To view the policy click here and search for Nature Strip Landscaping Policy.
You can also view our Frequently Asked Questions here
Canopy Tree
A Canopy tree is any tree with a total trunk circumference of 110 centimetres or more measured at a point 1.5 metres along the trunk’s length from the closest point above ground level; or
- if multi-stemmed, with a total trunk circumference of all its trunks of 110 centimetres or more, measured at a point 1.5 metres along the trunks’ lengths from the closest point above ground level; or
- with a trunk circumference of 150 centimetres or more measured at ground level.
If you are looking to remove a canopy tree you must complete a Tree removal permit application (pdf, 144KB).
Please send completed application forms for tree permits to council@mvcc.vic.gov.au.