Tree removal in Steels Creek
Steels Creek is a farming valley north of Yarra Glen that lost at least 26 houses in 2009. One farm overlay and the bushfire rules decide most of it.
We connect you with a local arborist who works in the Yarra Valley.
Ask for a quoteThe Little Yarra River at Yarra Junction. Photo: Nick Carson, CC BY-SA 3.0
The rule in Steels Creek
Steels Creek runs north from Yarra Glen into the hills. All 341 of our points were in a Bushfire Prone Area and 291 were in the Bushfire Management Overlay. The private land is SLO6 throughout:
- 1.1 m
- trunk circumference at 1.3 m brings a tree under SLO6's permit, and native plants of any size are under it already.
- 4 m
- A plant whose base is within 4 m of a building is exempt.
- 10 m
- The bushfire rule overrides SLO6 around an older house: trees to 10 m, other vegetation to 30 m, and to 50 m inside the overlay. Every condition.
SLO6 doesn't exempt regrowth. The other 100 points were public conservation land, outside any landscape overlay.
Get a free property report from VicPlan to see which overlays cover your block.
Checked 23 October 2026 against Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 6 to Clause 42.03 (SLO6) and Victoria Planning Provisions, Clause 52.12 (bushfire protection exemptions).
7 February 2009
At least 26 houses in Steels Creek were destroyed in the Black Saturday fire. Where a tree was killed, SLO6 lets dead vegetation go without a permit; ESO1, which came up at 244 points, still needs one for a standing dead tree over 1.3 m around. An erosion overlay came up at 64 points. There, any vegetation needs a permit unless it is a tree 50 cm or less around, within 2 m of a building, or dead with the soil made good.
Checked 23 October 2026 against Wikipedia: Steels Creek, Victoria, Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 1 to Clause 42.01 (ESO1) and Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule to Clause 44.01 (EMO).
The old school
The post office opened in 1890. The primary school closed in 1992, and its site is now the community centre; the school carries heritage tree controls.
Checked 23 October 2026 against Wikipedia: Steels Creek, Victoria and Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule to Clause 43.01 (Heritage Overlay).
The rule next door
- Yarra Glen
- SLO23 in the town, SLO2 on most of its flats.
- Dixons Creek
- SLO6 with some SLO2, and the same 2009 fire.
- Kinglake and Christmas Hills
- Not covered by this site. Your property report names their council.
Checked 23 October 2026 against Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 23 to Clause 42.03 (SLO23) and Yarra Ranges Planning Scheme, Schedule 2 to Clause 42.03 (SLO2).
Ask for a quote
Tell us where you are and what needs doing. We pass it to a local arborist who works in the Yarra Valley. They ring you back to talk about the job.