Tree Removal Skipton
Skipton was built on the floodplain of Mount Emu Creek, where the Glenelg Highway crosses it, and the creek has flooded the town many times since. The January 2011 flood was the largest on record, putting more than a metre of water through main street businesses and destroying the 1931 wooden footbridge. Skipton is the northernmost town in the Corangamite Shire, at the western end of the Ballarat–Skipton Rail Trail.
This page is from Tree Removal Ballarat. It covers what living on the floodplain means for trees on a Skipton property, and what to check with Corangamite Shire before work starts.
A town that floods
The SES lists floods in Skipton in 1909, 1933 and 1963. More recent floods came in 1992, 1995, 1996, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2019 and 2022. In 2011, the creek reached 6.04 m on the Smythe Street gauge, and properties on either side of the creek were the worst affected.
That history affects trees in three ways:
- Saturated ground. Trees on waterlogged soil are most likely to fall when wind follows heavy rain. A tree that starts leaning, or lifts the soil on one side, after a wet spell should be checked before the next storm. See our arborist page.
- Flood damage. Floodwater can scour soil from roots or leave debris jammed against trunks. Damaged trees can fall days or weeks after the water goes down.
- Debris in the creek. After the 2016 flood, residents complained that the creek was full of trees, grass and rubbish restricting the flow.
Leave the creek to the authorities
It’s tempting to clear fallen timber or overgrowth out of Mount Emu Creek behind your property, but don’t. The creek is recognised platypus habitat, the banks are public land, and works on a waterway can need approval from the catchment management authority.
Report blockages to Corangamite Shire or the catchment authority instead. On your own side of the boundary, check VicPlan for flood or vegetation overlays before clearing.
- keep people and vehicles away from trees standing in or beside scoured ground
- watch for trees that have started to lean since the water went down
- don’t pull debris out of the creek yourself. Report it.
- photograph any tree damage before clean-up if you plan to make an insurance claim
Rural blocks around town
Out of town, the usual jobs are windbreaks near houses and sheds and branches over driveways. For fire season, CFA’s standard conditions call for 4 m of clear height over driveways and at least 2 m under branches near the house. See canopy lifting and land clearing.
Nearby areas
Scarsdale is along the same rail trail towards Ballarat.
Common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Skipton?
It depends on the tree and the overlays on your land. Native vegetation, flood overlays and other controls can apply. Check VicPlan, or ask Corangamite Shire.
A tree from the creek bank has fallen across my fence. Can I cut it up?
You can deal with what’s on your own land, but leave anything in the creek or on the bank. Contact Corangamite Shire about trees on public land.
Should I remove big trees near the house because of flooding?
Not automatically. Have them assessed. Trees that are sound and well rooted can stay. It’s the ones on scoured or saturated ground, or already leaning, that need attention.
What should I send for a quote?
Photos of the tree, a rough height, what’s nearby (the house, sheds, fences, power lines), and whether the property is near the creek or has flooded before.
Get a quote in Skipton
Send photos and your address through the form, or call to talk it through.