Monash councillors get final say on tree removal applications under changes to VPO

MONASH’S councillors have granted themselves the role of arborist under changes to the Vegetation Protection Overlay.

Friends of Scotchman’s Creek and Valley Reserve president Sally Walker (second from left) has questioned whether councillors were the right people to make a final ruling on tree removals. Picture: Derrick Den Hollander.

THEIR backgrounds might be in areas such as health care, law and small business but MonashÂ’s councillors have granted themselves the role of arborist under changes to the Vegetation Protection Overlay.

The council last week voted to abandon an amendment it had investigated for 10 months to give more flexibility for homeowners wishing to remove trees.

While the overlay will remain in its present form, a further amendment proposed by Cr Geoff Lake will give councillors final say on removal applications re­jected by council’s officers.

Friends of Scotchman’s Creek and Valley Reserve president Sally Walker questioned whether councillors were the right people to make a final ruling on tree removals.

“They don’t have the expertise. I doubt they’ll be doing anything besides rubber stamping what officers have said,” she said.

Ms Walker said the group was elated the overlay would remain and more information would be made available to residents but was unsure about a change that will waive a permit application fee of $102 for tree removals.

The changes passed on a mayoral casting vote after the council was split 5-5 on whether to grant themselves the power to overturn tree removal rejections.

Councillors Paul Klisaris, Katrina Nolan, Stephen Dimopoulos and Mayor Micaela Drieberg supported Cr Lake’s amendment.

Cr Theo Zographos, who was not present at the meeting, had previously voted against any changes to the overlay.

Cr Lake said a council survey had indicated most Monash residents were in favour of major changes to the overlay.

He said the council was determined to address “inflexibility” in the overlay and was only likely to vote on a few tree removal permit refusals each year.

Cr Brian Little said he wanted to see more investigation into whether the overlay could cover all of Monash.

As it stands, the overlay covers parts of Mt Waverley, Wheelers Hill and Glen Waverley.

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