Tree Removal Mount Clear
Mount Clear borders Woowookarung Regional Park, 641 hectares of forest that adjoins Mount Clear, Canadian and Ballarat East. That shared boundary shapes most tree work here. It brings bushfire risk and planned burns, native habitat trees with permit rules attached, and questions about what you can and can’t do near the park.
Tree Removal Ballarat put this page together for Mount Clear households, especially those on the park boundary.
Living next to Woowookarung
Woowookarung was gazetted in 2016 on the former Canadian State Forest and plantation, after a long community campaign. It’s a forest of Messmate Stringybark, grass trees and native heath, and it protects threatened Yarra Gums and resident koalas. The park is accessed from Recreation Road in Mount Clear, and it’s closed to the public on days of high fire danger.
For neighbouring properties, a few things follow:
- The park is public land. Don’t clear, prune or dump green waste over the boundary. Trees in the park that threaten your property are a matter for Parks Victoria.
- Your own native trees may be habitat. With koalas and threatened Yarra Gums nearby, large native trees on adjoining blocks are likely to need a permit to remove beyond the bushfire exemption distances.
- Planned burns happen. Burns are carried out in the park as part of the fuel management program around Ballarat. Around burn edges, crews have taken down trees with hollow bases that could burn through and topple. If you have a hollow-based tree near your boundary or house, it’s worth having it looked at for the same reason.
One of Victoria’s higher-risk bushfire areas
Mount Clear, together with Mount Helen, was identified by CFA among Victoria’s 52 highest-risk bushfire areas, and a township protection plan was prepared for it. Parts of the suburb are under the Bushfire Management Overlay. For homes there:
- the 10/50 rule may allow clearing close to an existing home without 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 may have bushfire management plan conditions in their permit
Wind on the south-east side
Mount Clear is on Ballarat’s south-east side, which was hit hardest in the 2024 storms. Past storms have also brought trees down across the stretch from Mount Clear to Buninyong. Big gums near houses and driveways are worth checking before winter, especially after heavy rain. See our arborist page.
- check VicPlan for the Bushfire Management Overlay and other overlays on your address
- know where your boundary with Woowookarung is, if you adjoin it
- check with the City of Ballarat before removing native trees beyond the house zone
- look for a bushfire management plan in your permit if your home is newer
Nearby areas
Buninyong, to the south, shares the bush edge and the 2025 Mount Buninyong fire history. Mount Pleasant is to the north.
Common questions
A tree in Woowookarung is leaning over my fence. Can I cut it?
No. The park is public land managed by Parks Victoria. Contact them about trees that threaten your property.
Can I clear around my house in Mount Clear without a permit?
Often, within the 10/50 or 10/30 bushfire exemption distances, if your home qualifies. Check your address on VicPlan to see which applies.
I think a koala uses my tree. Does that matter?
It can. Native trees that provide habitat are generally protected, and removing them usually needs a permit. Check with council before any work.
What should I send for a quote?
Photos of the tree, a rough height, what’s nearby (the house, fences, power lines), whether you adjoin the park, and any bushfire plan or permit conditions.
Get a quote in Mount Clear
Send photos and your address through the form, or call to talk it through.