Vegetation Managemnt  Gold Coast City Council 

CLICK HERE for the link for Gold Coast City Councils Vegetation Managemnt Information Page

Under the Vegetation Management Code of the Planning Scheme, ‘vegetation’ means a tree, plants and all other organisms of vegetable origin (whether living or dead), but does not include ‘declared plants’ within the meaning of the Lands Protection (Pest and Stock Route Management) Act 2002

Protected Vegetation

Protected vegetation is vegetation that is either one or both of the following:

• on freehold land and has a trunk circumference (girth) equal to, or in excess of 40 centimetres when measured at 1.3 metres above the average ground level at the trunk's base


• on freehold land within the Rural, Park living or Emerging Communities Domains, or within numerous Precincts of the City's many Local Areas Plan's, that are equal to, or in excess of four (4) metres in height, regardless of trunk circumference

Note 1: Trunk circumference is defined as the distance around the outer boundary of the trunk and can be written as, for example, trunk circumference = 40 centimetres at 1.3 metres.

Council Approval

• Trees proposed to be removed within the approved building footprint do not require Council approval.


• Trees proposed to be removed within the building envelope and lot do require Council approval.

 Exempt Vegetation

• Any property that is less than or equal to 8000 metres² in size, where the protected vegetation is located less than, or equal to three (3) metres from the foundations of a Council approved structure.


• Any property that is greater than 8000 metres² in size, where the protected vegetation is less than, or equal to 10 metres from the foundations of a Council approved structure.

Note 3: For the purposes of this code, structure means any fixed structure that requires a building approval, or any retaining wall greater than 1.2 metres in height, or property boundary fences, stockyards, pool and pool safety fences.

Advice regarding vegetation management on private (freehold) land within Gold Coast City should be  accessed by downloading the printable PDF brochure:  

   CLICK HERE for the link for Gold Coast City Council Vegetation Management Facts Sheet

By Colin Saul