Tree removal and lopping in Marong

Council's Marong Township Structure Plan says the town is expected to grow over the next 25 years, "ultimately accommodating approximately 8,000 people in a compact satellite township". Bendigo Tree Removal removes trees, lops limbs and grinds stumps across Marong, from township yards to farm blocks, and we ask whose rules apply before a tree comes down; council has the final word.

At the 2021 Census Marong had 2,005 people, a median age of 31 and 63.3% of homes owned with a mortgage. It also sits across two councils. By our calculation, the western part of the locality, about a third of its area, is in Loddon Shire, where Loddon's own planning scheme applies rather than Greater Bendigo's. Properties west of the township, towards Yorkshire Road, may fall under Loddon Shire rules.

River red gums and Bullock Creek

The structure plan says "The large river red gums that line Bullock Creek create an iconic entrance to the town, as well as the palm trees on Adams and High Streets which mark the town centre." It also warns that "Areas surrounding the creek are subject to severe flooding."

Amendment C263gben, gazetted on 29 May 2025, introduced "the Floodway Overlay and the Land Subject to Inundation Overlay" in Marong. By our calculation, the floodway schedule (FO1) covers about 2.2% of the locality and the inundation schedule (LSIO1) about 1.3%. Neither controls vegetation. The waterway protection schedule of the Environmental Significance Overlay (ESO1), which follows Bullock Creek and its tributaries, covers about 4.4%; if your block is in it, ask council before any tree work.

The structure plan also records that "Bullock and Fletchers Creeks are significant areas of Aboriginal cultural heritage." Where a stump sits close to either creek, we'd want that question answered before a grinder touches the ground. See stump grinding.

Marong's heritage palms and figs

As the Heritage Overlay schedule stood after the May 2025 amendment, three Marong places carry tree controls, so removing or lopping the listed trees needs a permit unless an exemption applies:

• Adams Street Palms (HO938), in the Adams Street road reserve: a "Row of 6 alternating Canary Island Palms and Mexican Fan Palms".
• Former Shire of Marong Hall (HO559), on Adams Street: its "Palm trees".
• Park View (HO562): "Moreton Bay fig trees, monkey puzzle trees, other conifers".

Tree rules for new houses in Marong

The same amendment added design rules for Marong's new residential areas, DDO31 and DDO32. They apply to planning applications for new buildings and works there, not to existing homes as a general duty. DDO32 says "Development should protect existing mature trees where possible", and DDO31 also asks new development to protect existing mature trees in the front setback.

Design and Development Overlay Schedule 32 sets the standard: within the required bushfire separation distances, and unless the relevant fire authority agrees otherwise in writing, the vegetation has to be managed so that:

• Nothing touches the house: "Trees must not overhang or touch any elements of a building."
• Canopies are spaced: canopy trees at least 5 metres apart, or at least 2 metres apart on a lot entirely outside the Bushfire Management Overlay.
• Branches are lifted: "at least 2 metres between the lowest tree branches and ground level".

Farm blocks, bushfire and powerlines

Most of Marong is farmland: by our calculation, about 87% of the locality is in a Farming Zone across the two councils, and about 636 hectares of Bendigo Regional Park lies inside it. Effectively all of the locality is a designated bushfire prone area, about two-thirds under Greater Bendigo's plan and a third under Loddon's, while the Bushfire Management Overlay covers about 21%.

Native vegetation overlays are patchy here: by our calculation, VPO2 covers about 3% of the locality, mostly farmland, with small areas of VPO1 and VPO3. In the Greater Bendigo part, the Clause 52.17 native vegetation rules apply as well.

On a rural block, check where the powerlines run before any tree work. Powercor says "Only workers authorised by CitiPower and Powercor can trim trees within the No Go Zone." Marong also has its own VICSES unit, on Cathcart Street. For a tree or limb already down across a roof, fence or driveway, see storm damage and fallen trees.

What we do in Marong

• Tree removal: whole trees taken down in sections, with the stump ground and the site cleaned up.
• Tree lopping and pruning: branches cut back off roofs, gutters and fences, to a proper branch point.
• Stump grinding: stumps ground below the surface so the spot can be levelled or replanted.
• Storm damage and fallen trees: trees and limbs down across a roof, fence or driveway.

Before a tree comes down in Marong

Whether a tree needs a permit depends on the property, not just the suburb: the overlays on your block, the native vegetation rules and whether it's a council tree. Check your planning property report on VicPlan, or ask the City of Greater Bendigo. Our guide to tree removal permits in Bendigo sets out each rule.

Nearby suburbs

• Tree removal in Maiden Gully
• Tree removal in Bendigo

Common questions