If your garden can potentially encroach on public areas, you must ensure there is enough room for cars, people, prams, trucks, wheelchairs and so forth to pass.
Public areas include:
- footpaths, including in residential streets
- pedestrian spaces
- laneways, streets and roads.
The City of Melbourne regularly visits properties to identify trouble spots. You will be asked to trim trees or plants that are deemed to be unsafe or blocking access to public areas. During spring and summer when trees and plants grow even more, these patrols are even more important.
By law, 'A person must not allow any vegetation, building or thing to protrude from premises so as to obstruct or interfere with the passage of pedestrians or vehicular traffic in or on a public place. (Activities Local Law 2024, Part 15: Miscellaneous – 15.7: General obstructions).
All gardens, including green walls, roof gardens and planter boxes, should be maintained to a healthy standard. This includes regular watering, fertilising, pruning and removal of litter.
You may receive a fine if you don’t make sure your trees and plants are adequately maintained.
You can also report a tree in need of maintenance.
