Draft Tree Management Plan and Policy

Trees play a vital role in creating healthy, thriving and sustainable communities throughout Baw Baw. They improve the physical and mental health of individuals and families, hold cultural significance and support environmental sustainability.

Baw Baw Shire aims to balance the management of trees on Council land with these sentiments in mind, while ensuring the safety of community members and infrastructure.

To ensure Council's resources are used to achieve this balance, we invited feedback on the Draft Tree Management Plan and Policy, which outline how Council will approach the maintenance and management of trees in rural and urban areas.

The Draft Policy summarises the systematic, measurable, and quantifiable approach to the management and maintenance of trees from a risk and public safety perspective. It also outlines the basis for responding to customer enquiries.

The Draft Tree Management Plan provides a detailed description of how Council will manage its tree population, including the following:

• Service levels in Urban and Rural Maintenance Areas
• Risk, damage, and insurance procedures
• Tree amenity values
• Tree protection zones
• Private planting roadsides
• Management of tree pests and diseases
• Overhanging trees and interference with TV reception, solar panels, fence lines and leaf litter
• Tree maintenance techniques regarding removal, pruning, habitat trees, replacement of inappropriate tree species under powerlines etc.
• Heritage and memorial trees
• Trees overhanging gravel walking tracks and trails
• Trees within unused road reserves

Thanks for your feedback

Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide their feedback. Consultation on this project closed at 5pm Monday, 26 February.