Tree Removal Daylesford
Daylesford sits between the Wombat State Forest and the Hepburn Regional Park, and both have shaped recent tree work here. The June 2021 storm flattened large parts of the Wombat, and in April 2025 a planned burn in the regional park escaped its control lines. In town, Hepburn Shire’s heritage and canopy tree controls mean many large trees can’t come down without a permit.
This page from Tree Removal Ballarat covers what those events and rules mean for tree work on local properties.
The June 2021 storm
On 9 and 10 June 2021, a storm tore across central Victoria, and the Wombat State Forest near Daylesford was one of the hardest hit areas. The forest was strewn with fallen trees. More than 150 roads and tracks across the Wombat and the Lerderderg State Park were closed, including the Daylesford–Trentham Road at Bullarto. Clean-up of hazardous trees and debris in the forest went on for years.
The safety warning given at the time still applies after any big storm. Fallen trees and branches, and hidden power lines, stay dangerous well after the wind drops. Keep clear of storm-damaged trees, especially ones hanging up in other trees or on lines, until they’ve been assessed. See our arborist page for what an assessment involves.
The fire edge
On 11 April 2025, a planned burn at Old Tom Track in the Hepburn Regional Park breached its control lines. Watch and Act warnings went out for Sailors Hill, Musk Vale and Sailors Falls, and around 250 firefighters were working on it before it was contained on 13 April.
For homes around Daylesford and Hepburn Springs on the forest edge, the useful work is reducing what can burn near the house and keeping access clear:
- if your home qualifies under the 10/30 or 10/50 bushfire rules, clearing close to the house may not need a permit. See land clearing.
- CFA’s standard conditions call for at least 2 m under branches near the house and 4 m of clear height over driveways. See canopy lifting.
- newer homes approved in the Bushfire Management Overlay may have a bushfire management plan that sets the clearances. Check your permit.
Hepburn Shire’s tree controls in town
Daylesford has two layers of tree protection that catch people out.
Heritage overlays with tree controls. Where an overlay schedule switches on tree controls, removing, destroying or lopping a tree needs a permit. Exemptions include keeping a tree clear of power lines, removing one that’s an immediate risk to people or property, trees close to fence lines, and vegetation within 10 m of an older house for bushfire protection. A recent Daylesford application involved exactly this kind of overlay.
Canopy tree controls. Parts of Daylesford are covered by a Neighbourhood Character Overlay, under which removing a canopy tree can need a permit even if it isn’t native or heritage-listed.
- look up your address on VicPlan and note every overlay listed
- check each overlay’s schedule for tree controls
- if you’re unsure, ask Hepburn Shire’s planning team before the work is booked
- remember that street trees are council’s
Accommodation and guest properties
Many Daylesford properties host guests, often in cottages under big trees. Branches over cabins, car parks and paths are worth having looked at before winter, and again after a major storm, because guests won’t know which trees to keep clear of.
Nearby areas
We also cover Creswick and Newlyn, which are also in the Hepburn Shire.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Daylesford?
Often, yes. Heritage overlays with tree controls, the Neighbourhood Character Overlay’s canopy tree rules and native vegetation rules can all apply. VicPlan and Hepburn Shire’s planning team can confirm.
A storm has left a tree hanging in another tree. Can I pull it down?
No. Hung-up trees are one of the most dangerous situations after a storm, and they can come down without warning. Keep clear and have it dealt with professionally.
Can I collect firewood from fallen trees in the forest?
Only in designated firewood collection areas when they’re open. After the 2021 storm, Forest Fire Management Victoria closed the Wombat’s collection areas because of falling trees and hidden power lines.
What should I send for a quote?
Photos of the tree, a rough height, what’s nearby (the house, cabins, power lines), slope and access, and any overlays you know of on your property.
Get a quote in Daylesford
Send photos and your address through the form, or call to talk it through.