Maroondah prides itself on its leafy green image and the abundance of canopy trees throughout the municipality.
To help maintain Maroondah’s tree canopy, Council plants hundreds of new street trees throughout the municipality every year. These trees are specifically chosen for their shape, environmental benefits, drought resistance and ease of maintenance.
Find out more about how we select and maintain naturestrip trees:
Maroondah street tree selection
The choice of naturestrip tree to be planted is dependent on the size of the nature strip, the presence of power lines and the existing streetscape.
Where possible, we plant indigenous species to support native flora and maintain our natural environment. Trees selected for planting in Maroondah must perform well in our climate and show some degree of drought tolerance. They must also meet aesthetic requirements.
Maroondah’s street tree planting species list can be divided into three classes:
Canopy trees
Where there is a full size nature-strip without powerlines, we usually plant full size canopy trees.
Intermediate trees
Where the nature strip is not large enough to support a canopy tree and power lines are absent, we plant trees of medium size.
Small trees
Where a nature-strip is particularly small but still able to sustain a tree, or where power lines run above a nature strip, we can still create a sustainable streetscape by planting a smaller species of tree. We choose smaller trees under power lines to minimise the amount of line clearance works required in the future when our new generation of street trees reaches maturity.
Caring for our naturestrip trees
What trees don’t like
The following hinders tree growth and should be avoided:
- piling up lawn clippings against trunks
- whipper snipper use, which damages bark
- over watering
- soil compaction (parking vehicles over the root zone)
- poor drainage
- excessive pruning.
What you can do to help
Like most plants, trees require very little assistance from people. A little watering, especially during drought periods or during the first year of their life, is all they require to grow and thrive.
Please tell usl as soon as possible if the tree dies or has been damaged. You can submit a customer request online or call us on 1300 88 22 33
Maroondah planting programs
We run yearly planting programs to ensure that new generations of plants will keep our streetscapes and gardens viable.
Information about required planting is collected throughout the year, and trees are planted during the planting season, which is from late May until early September. We have two main planting programs for naturestrip trees: block planting and infill planting.
Block planting
The Block Planting Program ensures that all viable nature-strips in Maroondah are planted out over the next ten to fifteen years. By planting new generations of trees where possible, we can ensure that Maroondah will stay green when our existing street trees become unviable. As much of Maroondah’s streetscape consists of older trees that are fast reaching the end of their useful life expectancy, the planning and propagation of our future streetscape is vital.
Infill planting
The Infill Planting Program responds to residential requests for naturestrip trees and the planting out of newly developed areas. It also includes naturestrips where Council has removed a tree and a replacement is required, and streets in need of planting that are not scheduled for block planting in the near future.
Tree pruning
Line clearance and street pruning
Naturestrip trees are cleared from powerlines, roads and footpaths according to a maintenance program every two years according to the Code of Practice for Line Clearance and Street Pruning.
For line clearance and street pruning Maroondah is divided into 12 blocks which are completed consecutively over a two year period. Clearance requests from residents may be scheduled into the next block pruning if works are scheduled in your area in the near future. If you would like to know when your area is scheduled for block pruning please contact us on 1300 88 22 33.
Additional pruning
Faults or damage to any naturestrip tree should be reported to Council. If a tree on the naturestrip requires urgent attention or inspection, removal or replacement, please submit a customer request online or call us on 1300 88 22 33.
Private trees
Council does not prune private trees. Overhanging branches from private properties must be maintained by the owner of that property. Homeowners should refrain from planting prickly, low hanging trees or shrubs adjacent to the footpath or property boundary. Remember, residents have an obligation to maintain pedestrian clearance on footpaths - see more on overhanging branches.
Council may notify a resident if pruning away from council land is required. Where there is an issue of non compliance, Council may complete the works, which will then be charge to the property owner.
Naturestrip tree removal
Council requires a permit to remove a naturestrip tree unless it is deemed to be dangerous, inappropriate or causing significant damage to surrounding infrastructure or inappropriate.
Any tree removal must comply to permit guidelines, criteria and regulations set out in the Maroondah Planing Scheme (2000), Local Law Provisions and State and Federal Government Regulations.
Significant Trees will only be removed when accompanied by an arborist report that states there was no other viable option.
The following are not considered valid reasons to remove a tree:
- Trees are blocking someone’s view
- Branches grow into adjacent properties
- Trees are dropping leaves and fruit
- Grass will not grow under trees
- Trees are causing minor damage to roads and footpaths
- Tree is dying (if the tree is dead and has environmental value providing it is not a safety hazard, the tree may be retained as a habitat tree).
