Living With the Bush

It is seeking legal advice after the city was named among 59 Victorian councils to have relaxed land-clearing laws.

Mornington Peninsula Shire Council is also on the list.

The laws allow landowners to remove all vegetation, including trees, within 10m of their homes, and all vegetation, except trees, within 30m.

Another 4m of vegetation can be cleared around the fence line.

Frankston Council chief executive George Modrich said he had “significant concern” about the impact on established urban areas not prone to bushfires.

“Most of the municipality has been assessed by the CFA as low fire risk,” he said.

Living With the Bush spokesman Louis Delacretaz said the peninsula risked being “denuded”.

“I would think that the first trees to go will be the ones where people have wanted to cut them down for other reasons,” he said.

Tree-feller Chris Tayler said he expected business would “definitely pick up”.

Ross Davidson, owner of a peninsula property maintenance business, said he expected clearing to start after Melbourne Cup weekend.

 http://frankston-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/timber-trees-set-to-fall-in-frankston/