Environmental legislation and regulations
Landowner responsibilities
Mount Alexander Shire Council operates within state and local laws to protect our environment and ensure safety. Understanding these regulations is key for all landowners.
Landowners have duties under various acts and local laws.
Vegetation and land use
The Mount Alexander Planning Scheme controls land use and protects environmental values:
- Planning zones and overlays - Your property’s zone and any environmental overlays (e.g. Environmental Significance, Bushfire Management) dictate what you can build or change.
- Native vegetation removal - A planning permit is generally required to remove native vegetation. Overlays often add further restrictions. Speak to one of our Council's planners for advice.
- Permit requirements - Check the planning scheme for permits before any works involving vegetation removal or land changes.
Public land - Urban nature strips and rural roadsides
These areas are generally Council or VicRoads land, with specific rules.
- Urban nature strips - When consisting of converted, exotic vegetation that is often associated with the inner urban areas of a township, the adjoining landowner is responsible for the maintenance of their adjoining nature strip and this is for the purpose of safety and amenity. .
- Rural roadsides - Native vegetation on rural roadsides is protected and managed by Council to protect biodiversity. As opposed to the management of most nature strips within urban townships, mowing or disturbing native vegetation on a rural roadside is not a permitted activity and would require Council consent to undertake any activities in these areas.
- Native vegetation in urban areas - There are protections for any native vegetation still present on public land within township boundaries such as on the margins of bushland, elevated areas or on the peri-urban fringe. If there are indigenous trees, shrubs, herbs and grasses on the nature strip adjoining your property, Council will play a role in its ongoing management and is responsible for its ongoing condition.
- Collection of materials - Collecting wood from Council land or road reserves (including nature strips/roadsides) is prohibited. The state government operates designated firewood collection areas and these are open during specific collection periods. A simple way to look at it is: If you see wood on the roadsides, it isn’t firewood. See our [Firewood Collection] page for details.
- Urban tree management policy - Council’s Tree Management Officer is responsible for all trees and proactive tree management on Council nature strips and within Council’s network of urban parks and open spaces outside of the formal bushland reserves and urban waterway areas. Landholders are not permitted to plant or manage trees on nature strips. For more information download Council's Urban Tree Policy(PDF, 557KB).
Other key legislation