A suburb in transition
Springvale was built out in the postwar decades, mostly with modest weatherboard and brick veneer houses on quarter-acre-style blocks. It has since become one of Melbourne's most multicultural suburbs, with a busy shopping centre and a growing number of units and townhouses replacing the original houses.
That redevelopment shapes tree removal in Springvale. Many jobs are on blocks being prepared for two or three new dwellings. Others are on the next block over, where a tree that was fine beside a single house is now a problem beside a new townhouse with a small courtyard.
Planning permits and the trees on them
If a block has been through a planning permit for units, the approved plans usually show which trees are to be removed and which are to be kept, along with landscape conditions. Removing a tree that the permit says must be retained can create problems for the owner. So before any tree comes out of a development site:
- Check the endorsed plans and landscape plan, if there is one.
- Ask your planner or builder whether the tree is marked for removal.
- Contact the City of Greater Dandenong if anything is unclear.
On blocks without a development permit, Springvale has fewer overlay controls than the foothill suburbs, but do not assume there are none. Our permit guide explains how to look up the overlays on your property.
Typical Springvale trees
Lemon-scented gums and other planted eucalypts are common in older gardens, many now taller than the houses. Liquidambars were popular street and garden trees, and their surface roots are a frequent reason for removal where they lift driveways. Cypress hedges along boundaries, bottlebrush and paperbarks, and backyard fruit trees round out the list.
The ground is flat, which helps. A platform truck can often get close to the tree, and a stump grinder can usually reach the stump without fuss. Where a slab is going in, the builder may want the stumps dug out instead.
Pricing a cleared block
If several trees are coming out of one block, ask for a single quote that covers every tree, every stump and all green waste, so nothing is left for the builder to sort out. The tree removal cost guide has planning figures. We ask the contractors we work with to hold the licences and insurance the job needs; ask to see them before work starts.
Jobs we are asked about in Springvale
- Clearing before a unit build. Removing trees from a block being redeveloped, coordinated with the builder and any planning permit conditions.
- Liquidambar roots under the driveway. Surface roots lifting concrete and paths, and seed balls on every surface each autumn.
- Overgrown cypress hedges. Old boundary hedges that have become a wall of trunks and shade the neighbouring units.
- Old fruit trees. Large backyard fruit trees past producing, or in the way of a new garden layout.
Calling about a Springvale property? Use the Springvale line, (03) 4320 5106, or the form below.
Answers to the questions we hear most
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Springvale?
It depends. Springvale has fewer landscape overlays than the foothill suburbs, but trees on a block with a previous planning permit may be protected by its landscape conditions, and other controls can apply. Check with the City of Greater Dandenong before booking.
Can a tree be removed before I have my building permit?
Talk to your builder and planner first. If a tree is shown as retained on approved development plans, removing it could breach the permit. If it is shown for removal, the timing usually fits the build program.
My neighbour's tree overhangs my new unit. What can I do?
Talk to your neighbour first. In Victoria, overhanging branches are generally a matter between neighbours, but any planning controls on the tree still apply. A written agreement before work starts avoids disputes.
Which number do I call for Springvale?
Call the Springvale line, (03) 4320 5106, or send the quote form with your street and a photo of the tree.