Arboricultural Impact Assessments Melbourne

You may need an AIA if your proposed works are near protected trees, neighbouring trees, council trees or trees affected by a planning overlay or local law.

A typical report includes tree data, health and structure assessment, ULE, arboricultural value, TPZ, SRZ, NRZ, impact assessment and recommendations.

Yes. Neighbouring and council trees may need to be assessed where roots or canopy extend close to proposed works.

Tree protection assessments are commonly prepared with reference to AS4970-2025, Protection of trees on development sites.

Yes. Arboriculture Victoria can provide inspections, supervision and certification where required by permit conditions.

The cost of an Arboricultural Impact Assessment depends on the number of trees, site complexity, available plans, council requirements and the level of development impact. A small residential assessment may be relatively straightforward, while larger development sites, subdivisions or projects involving neighbouring or council trees may require more detailed assessment and reporting. Arboriculture Victoria can provide a fixed fee once the site address, plans and assessment scope are reviewed.

Turnaround times depend on the size of the site, the number of trees and the complexity of the proposed works. For many residential projects, the site inspection and report can usually be completed within a practical timeframe once plans and site access are available. More complex sites, large tree populations, or projects requiring non-destructive root investigation may take longer.

You may need an Arboricultural Impact Assessment if your proposed works are close to a neighbouring tree, particularly where excavation, demolition, new footings, driveways, crossovers, retaining walls or level changes occur within the tree’s calculated root zone. Councils often require neighbouring trees to be assessed where development may affect their health, stability or long-term retention.

An Arboricultural Impact Assessment may be required where proposed works are close to a council street tree. This is common for new crossovers, driveway alterations, service trenching, demolition, boundary works or construction near the front of a site. The report can assess potential impacts and recommend tree protection measures in accordance with AS4970-2025 and council requirements.

Yes. An Arboricultural Impact Assessment can help support a tree removal application where removal is justified by the tree’s condition, low retention value, structural defects, poor useful life expectancy, site constraints or unavoidable development impacts. The report should provide clear arboricultural reasoning and, where required, replacement planting recommendations.

An Arboricultural Impact Assessment is generally prepared during the planning or design stage to assess how proposed works may affect trees. A Tree Protection Management Plan is usually prepared for the construction stage and provides practical tree protection measures, including fencing, ground protection, supervision requirements and hold points for works near trees.

Useful information includes the site address, feature and level survey, architectural plans, demolition plans, proposed driveway or crossover plans, civil plans, landscape plans and any council correspondence. If all plans are not available, a preliminary arboricultural assessment can still help identify tree constraints before the design is finalised.

Yes. Early arboricultural advice can help identify which trees are most suitable for retention, where root zones may constrain development, and how the design can be adjusted to reduce impacts. This can reduce redesign, avoid unnecessary conflict with council, and improve the chances of a smoother planning process.