Browse Forums General Discussion 1 Jul 27, 2010 7:55 pm We have just been told by our builder that we will probably need a tree root barrier put in. We have one big swamp gum tree, about 10 m from the corner of our slab. We want to remove it but it has a protection on it. We have started the permit process to get it removed, but it could take ages and we may have to go to vcat, still not guarnateed we will get a removal permit. I am just interested to know if people have experienced the tree root barrier, what were the conditions, How much did it cost etc... This is all new to me, so if anyone can educate me I would be grateful... Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 2Jul 27, 2010 8:13 pm Hi Handmick, I don't know anything about the tree root barriers, so can't help you there. I was just wondering though, why doesn't the 10/30 rule apply when your house is built? That is, if the tree is within 10m of the house can't you remove it without a permit? And do you have a wildfire management overlay? If so, this will mean you can at least lop any branches hanging over your roof line. Have you spoken to the senior conservationist in at Macedon Ranges Shire Council? Hope someone knows something about the tree root barrier Building on an acre in Macedon ......one day. Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 3Jul 27, 2010 8:24 pm I had 'bulk concrete' to the front of my slab to provide tree root protection. The depth exceeded 800mm and cost me close to $3K. I have a large gum on the nature strip (which the council refused to remove ) and is 'roughly' 10m away from the front of the slab. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Henley - Wilshire Mk 3 ... I love my house!! Site start: 4th Feb 09 Handover: 10th Sep 09 Blog: http://stormygirlscastle.blogspot.com/ Build Thread: viewtopic.php?t=7166 Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 4Jul 27, 2010 8:57 pm Thanks for replies guys...Stormy I think we are in a similar situation so just interested to know what we will be up for....I think you built with Henley too, am I right? Mummagoose...as you know the our council can b a bit tricky to deal with and we are really being put thru the ringer at the moment. Today I have rung council, conveyancer, developer, builder and VCAT....and they are all mostly passing the buck......I am aware of the new tree culling regulations which were brought in after Black Saturday Inquests....Supposed to be able to cut down trees within 10 m of house and 4 m of boundary....unless it has a tree protection order on it... Which this bl@@dy tree does... Have been talkin to P.G from council ....if they come out and see this tree they would agree with us. It is rotting, trunk is not even hollow cause its only a shell of trunk on one side....the trunk starts to grow sideways about 1.5m heigh...it has dead branches. It is an accident waiting to happen, and we have a 5yo and a 7yo who looovvvee climbing trees. I spoike to the builder today and said the tree has more rights than we do.... sorry for rant , I'm sure youve been there, I think you've had lots of trouble yourself. Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 5Jul 27, 2010 9:14 pm Yeah, been there handmick ....still there actually, so understand your rant. However P.G. has surprised us and has been quite reasonable..... so far! He's coming out to look at some of our trees so I'll know more soon - hopefully he can come and see yours too. I wonder why your tree is protected? Best of luck with it ..... it's madness really. Building on an acre in Macedon ......one day. Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 6Jul 27, 2010 9:21 pm Keep me posted and let me know how you go with your trees. Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 7Jul 27, 2010 10:22 pm Hi handmick: Quote: ... said the tree has more rights than we do.... Our whole story with tree removal on our block is in detail in our thread (see in sig below). Short story: 9 trees to come out, we're in a Significant Landscape Overlay area so all trees with a circumference bigger than 50cm at the point of 1m from the ground are PROTECTED. Not just natives, any tree at all. To do with the council wanting to keep a "green canopy". [OK. ] Months of delay: got arborist's report to council. Of the 9 to come out, 5 were classed as "weeds" in our area (which overrides the Landscape Overlay provision, luckily); 2 were dying; 1 was dead and unfortunately 1 very big + beautiful healthy tree was just in the wrong spot. First soil test came back as 'P' class slab. Tree root barriers req'd at around $3,500. Demo now done, finally. Second soil test has come back as an 'H' class slab, PLUS deepened edge beams to achieve recommended founding depth. Now we're waiting on the engineer's report for the slab. Even though these trees have come out + the slab requirements has lessened (v. slightly), we still may need the root barriers due to: * 1 x 14m Silky Oak right at the back of our block (protected + happy to keep) ~ about 20m away from the back of the house * 1 x 10m Melaleuca about 9m away from the garage (neighbour's tree) * 1 x 8m Silver Birch about 9m away from the back western corner of the house (neighbour's tree) Also, we may still have instability/movement in the soil from where the roots of the big trees *were* before they were taken out. If you are serious about convincing your council to "get rid of the tree" and/or replace it with something more appropriate so close to a residential area, I would seriously consider getting an arborist's report done on the tree. I don't know how much it would cost to get just one tree reported on but we spent around $900 for our report, which covered the 17 "most significant" trees on our block. It was money well spent as the council would not have even given us the time of day without it. Good luck handmick! ~ cheers, J _______________________________________________________________ We're a knockdown | rebuild ~ Melb SE burbs Building modified version of the Fairhaven Glenaire Homeone thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28429 _______________________________________________________________ Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 8Jul 27, 2010 10:42 pm Jeepers J that's unreal!!!! It sounds like even if we get rid of the tree we might have to get tree barrier anyhow, does this sound right? That's what we were told today. We got an aborist report...cost $165 for one tree!!! bl@@dy hell. I will take it to council with our application on Thursday. It is also making it hard to position our shed cos u can't put anything within 5 m of it. We love trees and plan to do a great native garden with the help of my brother who is a native lanscaper....I consider this tree dangerous and so does the arborist....why is common sense overlooked? Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 9Jul 27, 2010 11:57 pm handmick Jeepers J that's unreal!!!! It sounds like even if we get rid of the tree we might have to get tree barrier anyhow, does this sound right? That's what we were told today. We got an aborist report...cost $165 for one tree!!! bl@@dy hell. I will take it to council with our application on Thursday. It is also making it hard to position our shed cos u can't put anything within 5 m of it. We love trees and plan to do a great native garden with the help of my brother who is a native lanscaper....I consider this tree dangerous and so does the arborist....why is common sense overlooked? Argh! Learn to *love* the tree till it dies of natural causes! This is hard, I know!! Don't *kick* the tree ... (or anything worse)... I have learnt about this new profession they have now called a "forensic arborist"!! If you hurt the tree they will find out! Tricky with your shed position though... good luck with that. You know, we love trees too, + we really don't have a problem with the council's "green canopy" idea. It's just that they apply the rules "here + there", willy nilly ~ developers building townhouses around us seem to knock down most of the trees no worries ~ with very little room left to replant.. Keep us posted on how you go! ~ cheers, J _______________________________________________________________ We're a knockdown | rebuild ~ Melb SE burbs Building modified version of the Fairhaven Glenaire Homeone thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=28429 _______________________________________________________________ Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 10Jul 28, 2010 1:06 pm handmick We got an aborist report...cost $165 for one tree!!! bl@@dy hell. ...why is common sense overlooked? Can you believe we've spent $6500 on fauna and flora reports etc, just to be told that we need to remove the weeds on our block? Talk about preaching to the converted ..... Anyways, no point complaining, we've just got to jump through the hoops Building on an acre in Macedon ......one day. Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 11Aug 01, 2010 1:38 pm In Adelaide it costs $400 - $500 for a tree report on one tree. Or maybe I just picked the wrong arborists (twice!) (just read your post mummagoose - $6500 GULP ok i have no right to complain.. although I have to hire massive tree protection fences for 6 months and lots of other little things so I guess I may be speaking too soon!!) Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 12May 12, 2011 7:39 pm Our engineer has also told us that we need a tree root barrier at the front of the slab to protect it against the gum trees planted by the council on the nature strip. Our slab would be about 11 metres wide. Does anyone know if the following costs for a tree root barrier seem reasonable? We have been given two options but have been told that the second option is the more effective. 1. A reinforced concrete cut of wall 2000mm deep with root inhibitor placed at the base of the trench. Nominally 150mm thick. This would cost around $ 4,150 plus GST 2. A high density polyethylene plastic sheet placed in a trench and backfilled with a concrete slurry. It is also recommended to place root inhibitor at the base of the trench. Nominally the trench is 100mm thick and 2000mm deep. This would cost around $ 5350 plus GST. Any comments/advice would be appreciated. Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc... 13May 12, 2011 8:29 pm Both are worthwhile options. Personally the first one would be my preferred option. Re: Tree Root Barriers - Has anyone got them, How Much etc.. 14May 13, 2011 9:36 am Thanks for taking the trouble to reply Fu. Just to pick your brains a little further - why do you prefer the first option? Because it's cheaper or is there another reason? Also do you know if this can wait until after the build? I don't know whether it wouldn't be cheaper to have it done ourselves as I have no idea if the costs quoted by the builder are reasonable for this sort of thing. 1 6637 I haven’t. But have a Lowe Design home. Not only did I find Matt Lowe patronising and a bully, but the home is NOT TO CODE. I have water coming through the bricks… 1 14397 If so what were the "special circumstances" under which it was granted? "Note: If the development consent is for 'dual occupancy' an owner-builder permit can only be… 0 14072 |