The City of Melbourne currently protects 160 exceptional trees on privately owned or managed land around the city from being removed or significantly pruned.

In early 2019, we called for public nominations to expand the list of protected exceptional trees. A panel of experts reviewed all of the nominated trees and recommended that a further 119 trees to be added to the list.

Interim planning controls protecting the recommended 119 exceptional trees until 27 April 2023 were recently put in place by the Minister for Planning.

Planning Scheme Amendment C379 proposes to protect the recommended 119 exceptional on trees on a permanent basis by adding the trees to the list in the City of Melbourne Exceptional Tree Register 2019 and applying planning scheme protection controls over each new exceptional tree.

We called for submissions on Amendment C379 from 31 March until 2 May 2022.

News

Timeline

  • Timeline item 1 - complete

    Future Melbourne Committee

    Amendment C378 (Interim Controls) and C379 (Permanent Controls) to protect additional 119 exceptional trees across the municipality presented to the Future Melbourne Committee. The Committee resolves to request the Minister for Planning approve interim controls and grant authorisation to commence public exhibition of the permanent controls.

    July 2020

  • Timeline item 2 - complete

    Approval of interim protection

    The Minister for Planning approves interim protection of an additional 119 exceptional trees until 27 April 2023 via Ministerial Amendment C378.

    29 April 2021

  • Timeline item 3 - complete

    Public exhibition

    Exhibition of Amendment C379 to introduce permanent protection of an additional 119 exceptional trees commences on 31 March 2022 and close on 2 May 2022. During this time, members of the public may make a submission on the Amendment.

  • Timeline item 4 - complete

    Submissions to the Future Melbourne Committee

    Report on public submissions presented to Future Melbourne Committee. Council requests Minister to appoint an independent panel to review and hear submissions.

    2 August 2022

  • Timeline item 5 - complete

    Submissions to the independent planning panel

    The independent panel considers written submissions lodged during the statutory consultation period, hears verbal submissions in support of the written submissions and makes recommendations.

    17 October 2022

  • Timeline item 6 - complete

    Submissions to the Future Melbourne Committee

    The Future Melbourne Committee considers the panel report and any recommended changes to the Planning Scheme Amendment. Council adopts the Amendment and submits final amendment to Minister for approval.

    28 February 2023

  • Timeline item 7 - incomplete

    Approval and Gazettal by the Minister for Planning of the final planning scheme changes

    TBC

Amendment overview

Learn more about Planning Scheme Amendment C379.

View the Exceptional Tree Register

Contact us

Have questions or want to learn more about the project?