A Melbourne optometrist will be forced to pay nearly $10,000 to remove a dangerous tree from his backyard that he claims could kill his family.
The exorbitant removal cost is the result of a little-known “offset” program which entails planting other vegetation to compensate for the loss of native habitat.
John, who only wanted his first name used, told A Current Affair a 30-metre native gum tree in his Victorian backyard was a ticking time-bomb.
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He said branches had already fallen and embedded themselves in the ground, just metres from where his two young children played.
He said when he asked the Nillumbik Shire Council about a permit to chop down the tree, he was shocked to learn he first had to pay a “tree offset”, with an estimated cost of $5000.
That does not include the cost of mandatory ecological reports and actually cutting down the tree.
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“I have to pay that much money to make my family safe,” John said.
Lawyer Justin Lawrence from Henderson and Ball said different councils had different rules around offsets.
“You take one tree down, you’re required to plant one or more trees again on that property or somewhere else,” he said of offset programs.
A Nillumbik Shire Council spokesperson confirmed it was assessing a planning application to remove a tree at John’s property.
“There is an impact on local habitat and biodiversity when native vegetation is removed,” the statement said.
“Native vegetation offsets are compensatory measures that aim to balance the ecological impact of vegetation removal by protecting native vegetation with similar habitat and biodiversity value elsewhere in the local area.
“As part of the native vegetation offset program, the applicant needs to provide a Native Vegetation Removal Report to assess the biodiversity value of the tree and its offset value.
“Only then will we know the cost to the property owner.
“If the tree removal is approved, the property owner will need to buy offset credits as part of the permit conditions.”
The council said those credits could be purchased through its program or via an accredited external provider.
“Offsets typically do not involve planting a new tree on the same property,” Nillumbik Shire Council said.
“Instead, they contribute to the protection and management of native vegetation elsewhere.”
