Tree Inspection Policy and Guidelines available for community feedback

Published on 16 November 2020

Baw Baw Shire Council’s Draft Tree Inspection Policy and Guidelines are now available for community feedback.

Council noted the updated draft policy and guidelines at its meeting on Wednesday 26 August, following a review process.

Community consultation was placed on hold until the completion of the recent local government elections to ensure the community had adequate time to provide feedback. 

The draft policy takes a proactive approach to tree maintenance on Council owned and managed land to ensure public safety and respond to community requests.

The draft policy acknowledges the complexity of managing tree-related issues concerning public safety, while also considering the important ecological value of trees within our local landscapes.

A set of guidelines support the draft policy, detailing Council’s process for allocating resources to proactive tree management works on Council managed land.

The guidelines define the different levels of tree inspections, the difference between reactive and proactive tree inspections, tree risk classifications and the risk management process.

Before further consideration by Council, the community is encouraged to provide feedback on the draft policy and guidelines. All feedback will be collated and presented to Council for further deliberation in 2021.

Consultation is open now until Sunday 13 December. For more information and to provide feedback visit www.bawbawshire.vic.gov.au/HaveYourSay  

Quotes attributable to Director Community Infrastructure Cohen Van der Velde

“The draft Tree Inspection Policy and Guidelines provide a comprehensive set of standards for managing the thousands of trees located on Council owned and managed land across Baw Baw Shire. We’d like to invite anyone with feedback about the policy and guidelines to share it with Council for further consideration.”