Tree Removal Mount Egerton
Mount Egerton was built on more than a century of underground mining. Gold was found in All Nations Gully in 1853, the Egerton and Black Horse companies worked the reef from the 1860s until 1910, and underground kaolin mines ran into the 1950s. The town also sits high, on hills between about 518 and 634 metres, with bushland around it and state forest to the east. Old workings below and bushfire risk above are what make tree work here different.
This page is from Tree Removal Ballarat. It covers what to check before tree work on a property here in the Moorabool Shire.
What’s under Mount Egerton
The Mount Egerton goldfield followed one long line of quartz reefs, eventually traced all the way to Gordon. Many early shafts were abandoned by 1858–59 when they hit water. The Egerton and Black Horse mines later became some of the division’s biggest gold producers.
After the gold gave out, the Victoria Tile Company and the Miss M. Malone Company mined kaolin underground at Mount Egerton into the 1950s. Several of these sites are recorded on the Victorian Heritage Inventory.
- ask about known shafts or soft ground on the property and next door
- check whether any mine site on the Victorian Heritage Inventory falls on your land. Disturbing one may need Heritage Victoria’s consent.
- keep heavy machinery such as stump grinders, excavators and trucks to known firm ground
- report any hole that opens up to Moorabool Shire rather than filling it
Stump grinding is shallow and usually fine. Digging out root plates is where old workings matter. See stump removal.
High ground and bushfire
Mount Egerton is surrounded by bushland and close to state forest to the east, and it carries a high bushfire risk over summer. On these blocks the most useful tree work is:
- Clearing close to the house. If your home qualifies under the 10/30 or 10/50 bushfire rules, vegetation close to it can usually be cleared without a permit. See land clearing.
- Driveways. CFA’s standard conditions call for 4 m of clear height and 0.5 m either side. See canopy lifting.
- Branches clear of the ground. CFA’s standard conditions call for at least 2 m under branches near the house.
Moorabool Shire’s permit rules
Mount Egerton is in the Moorabool Shire, where the council’s guidance is that most trees and vegetation need a planning permit to be removed, destroyed or lopped. Native trees usually also need an offset. Outside the bushfire exemption distances, assume a permit is needed and check with council first. Our Ballan page covers how Moorabool’s rules work in practice.
Nearby areas
Gordon, at the other end of the same reef line, is a few kilometres north.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Mount Egerton?
Quite possibly. Moorabool Shire says most trees and vegetation need a permit. The main exception is clearing close to an existing home under the bushfire exemptions.
The ground has sunk where a tree came out. Is it an old mine?
Usually it’s rotting roots or loose fill. But Mount Egerton has a long history of underground gold and kaolin mining, so a hole that keeps dropping, or opens up underneath, should be reported to council rather than filled.
Can large machinery get onto my block safely?
Usually, on known firm ground. Let us know about any soft patches, old diggings or mullock heaps when you ask for a quote.
What should I send for a quote?
Photos of the tree, a rough height, what’s nearby (the house, sheds, fences, power lines), vehicle access, and anything you know about old workings on the property.
Get a quote in Mount Egerton
Send photos and your address through the form, or call to talk it through.