Every Council in Victoria has a set of local laws which regulate issues within their municipality. Local Laws are made under the Local Government Act 2020. 

Because it supports Council’s aim, in the Urban Forest Strategy, to increase canopy coverage within Glen Eira from 12.5 per cent to 22 per cent by 2040.

Trees have always been an important part of what makes Glen Eira such a great place to live, work and play. As Glen Eira grows and evolves and our climate changes, our trees will become increasingly important.

We already work towards increasing tree canopy cover on public land by planting new trees in vacant public spaces — around 1,000 new trees are planted yearly.

New trees can, however, take a long time to establish and many of the existing canopy trees in Glen Eira are located on private land. Protecting these trees is important to managing Glen Eira’s urban forest now and for future generations.

Council has developed several measures, including the Glen Eira Classified Tree Local Law, Glen Eira Urban Forest Strategy and planning controls, designed to promote and protect vegetation, preserve existing trees, and protect locations of special significance. Despite the measures, there are still gaps that have the potential to allow the removal of trees on private land without adequate assessment. The proposed Local Law aims to protect those trees by regulating indiscriminate removal and damage and is one of the ways we seek to maintain the leafy character of Glen Eira and to protect our environment.

Council must receive written submissions by 12 April 2024.

In addition to making a submission on this Have Your Say website, you can make a written submission by:

• sending it in the mail, addressed to Mark Dornau, Manager Park Service, Glen Eira City Council, PO Box 42 Caulfield South 3162; or
• sending your submission by e-mail to tree-canopy-local-law@gleneira.vic.gov.au

Council will consider any written submission relating to the proposed Classified Tree Amendment Local Law.

Any person who has made a written submission to Council and had requested to be heard in support of their written submission can appear in person, or be represented by a person specified in the submission, at a Council meeting.

Council will consider the submissions and decide whether to make or amend the proposed Local Laws at a Council meeting later this year.

If adopted, the new Local Law will take effect.

If you cannot communicate via email, please phone Council on 9524 3333 to make alternative arrangements. An interpreter service is available.

Glen Eira City Council (Council) is committed to protecting the personal information provided by you in accordance with the principles of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic) (PDP Act).

Personal information is collected by Council only for the purpose of Council’s functions set out in the Local Government Act 2020. Specifically, personal information is collected for the intended purpose only and for remaining in contact with you. In certain circumstances, we may disclose information about you where permitted or authorised under the PDP Act or other applicable laws.

Your contact details are not made public as part of the submission process. You may make your submission anonymously. Council will still review your submission. However, Council cannot contact you if it needs to verify details in your submission or confirm the day, time and place of the relevant Council meeting for submissions to be heard.

Submitters should note that all submissions received (including any personal information contained therein) may be made public unless you request that it is not made public or Council considers it should not be made public. That will usually only occur for reasons associated with fairness. Submissions that are made public may include redactions made that Council considers appropriate. If you have concerns that information you are considering providing to Council may be defamatory, you should seek independent legal advice.

Submissions may be included within the official Council agenda and minutes which are permanent public documents available on Council’s website.

If you want to know more about privacy at Council, including your right to seek access to your personal information, contact Council’s privacy officer on 9524 3333. Council’s Privacy Policy is available here.

All Council records, including submissions, are subject to requests under the Freedom of Information Act 1982.

Changing climate

Trees improve the local climatic conditions by providing shade and relief from the urban heat island effect. Trees remove pollutants from the air, store carbon dioxide in their wood and leaves, and release oxygen into the air.

Environmental benefits

Trees help control flooding during storms, act as a windbreak, and in some locations, our trees also contribute to native fauna habitat and local biodiversity.

Community benefits

Glen Eira's trees contribute to our local amenity, neighbourhood character, landscape values and cultural heritage. Trees also help to provide privacy and reduce noise pollution.

Energy conservation

Trees act as natural air conditioners, so they can help with residential heating costs and help block UV rays.

Increased economic benefits

Trees improve the property value of homes and provide greater economic stability for commercial areas.

No. It only applies to canopy trees on private land.

A canopy tree is a tree that is:

• taller than five metres with a trunk circumference of 140cm and a height of 1.4 metres from the ground; and
• a palm tree taller than eight metres measured from ground level.

Permits are required to carry out certain works on or around a canopy tree except in specified circumstances, such as minor pruning for maintenance that does not harm the tree. A permit would be required to prune a canopy tree under the new Local Law.

Whilst canopy trees will be protected, it is recognised that sometimes a tree may need to be removed. This could be due to the poor health of the tree, a tree that has been irreparably damaged because of a storm, a tree that has died of natural causes, or a tree that poses an unacceptable safety risk to surrounding residents. A permit would be required to remove a canopy tree under the new Local Law.

Most adjoining councils already have a Local Law requiring permits to remove and prune certain trees on private land.

An article regarding the proposed Local Law appeared in the March 2024 edition of Glen Eira News. Council has placed posters in Council’s libraries and the Town Hall. Information regarding the proposed Local Law is on Council’s website.

No. Council would not charge for permits under the proposed Local Law.

A copy of the proposed Local Law, its incorporated documents and the accompanying Community Impact Statement are all available for download on this website, in the 'Document Library' section.

You can also view and obtain copies of these documents by appointment with the Customer Service Centre at Glen Eira Town Hall. If you want a hard copy of the documents sent by post, call our Customer Service Centre on 9524 3333.

Following public exhibition, Council officers will prepare a report for the Council meeting later this year containing all the submissions received. If you indicate in your submission that you would like to speak to your submission at this meeting, you will be contacted by our staff with further details of the meeting arrangements. A further report will then be prepared and submitted to a future Council meeting to advise whether changes to the proposed Local Law are warranted.

Any person who has made a submission and has requested to be heard in support of their submission is entitled to be heard or represented by a proxy at the Council meeting later this year.