Tree Removal in Melville and the Riverside Suburbs

Established gardens, mature trees

Melville and the suburbs around it in the City of Melville are some of the leafier parts of Perth's south. Much of the housing went up in the post-war decades, on generous blocks that gave owners room to plant, and those gardens have now had half a century or more to grow. The result is a lot of big, mature trees: gums planted as saplings that now tower over the roof, jacarandas that have spread across the whole backyard, and fruit trees that no one has pruned properly in years.

Many of those original blocks have since been subdivided or rebuilt, so a tree that once stood in the middle of a large backyard can now sit a few metres from a new house or a neighbour's patio. That change, more than age alone, is behind a lot of the tree work we are asked to arrange in the area.

What Melville tree jobs usually look like

Most requests in Melville fall into a few groups:

• Clearance and deadwooding. Old gums and peppermints with dead limbs over roofs, carports and play areas. A proper prune takes out the dead wood and reduces the limbs most likely to fail.
• Removal before a rebuild or subdivision. A tree in the footprint of a new house, pool or driveway. These often need the stump and main roots out as well, not just a flush cut.
• Declining trees. Trees that have thinned out over several dry summers, are dropping bark and limbs, or have decay at the base.
• Messy exotics. Jacarandas, liquidambars and Cape lilacs that fill gutters and pool filters, where owners want the tree smaller or gone.

In an established suburb, keeping a tree is often the right call. Tree pruning done back to sound growth points can take the weight and risk out of a big tree while leaving its shade in place for the next Perth summer.

Soil and conditions

Melville sits on the Spearwood dune system: yellow to brown sand over limestone, freer draining and a little richer than the pale sands north of the river. Toward the river flats the soils change again. Trees in this ground root wide rather than deep, which is why roots from a large gum can turn up under paving and lawns well away from the trunk.

For a removal, that matters in two ways. First, roots spreading under driveways and paths can make full stump and root removal a bigger job than it looks. Second, limestone can sit close enough to the surface that it limits how far a grinder can go. The arborist will check both at the quote.

Riverside and nearby suburbs

The City of Melville takes in a string of suburbs, several of them close to the Swan and Canning rivers, such as Applecross, Ardross, Attadale and Bicton, along with inland neighbours like Booragoon. Housing and blocks vary across them, from older homes on larger lots to newer infill on narrow ones. Lots closer to the river can have slopes and retaining walls, which affect how pieces are lowered and carried out. If your block slopes toward the street or the water, or if the only access is down steps, mention it when you ask for a quote.

Removal and stump grinding

When a Melville tree does need to come out, it is usually taken down in sections, especially where a subdivision has put houses close together. The climber removes the canopy first, then the trunk in short lengths, lowering heavier pieces on ropes so nothing lands on a roof, fence or new paving.

After a removal you have three options for the stump: leave it cut low, have it ground below the surface, or have the stump and roots dug out for building. Stump grinding suits most gardens where you plan to turf or replant. Make sure the quote says which option you are getting and to what depth.

City of Melville rules

Private trees: the current position

The City of Melville's own tree page says it does not currently regulate trees on private land, and that there is no requirement for permission or separate development approval to remove a tree on private land.

A draft policy is under consultation

That position may change. In late August 2026 the City released a draft Local Planning Policy on regulated trees on private land for community consultation, and submissions close on 31 October 2026. As drafted, it would apply to all zoned land under the City's Local Planning Scheme No. 6. We do not know yet what the final policy will say, whether it will be adopted, or when it would start.

If you are planning a removal around this time, check the City's website for the current status before you book, and again if the job is some weeks away. Our guide, can I cut down a tree in Perth, explains how council tree approvals generally work.

Verge trees

Verge trees belong to the City. The City says you cannot plant, prune or remove a verge tree without its approval. If a street tree is dropping limbs, lifting your crossover or growing into wires, contact the City rather than cutting it yourself.

Power lines, neighbours and shot-hole borer

Power lines. Trimming trees on private property clear of power lines is the resident's responsibility, and Western Power does not cut around the service wire to the house. If you receive a notice, it usually allows 40 days. Tell us about any wires near the tree when you ask for a quote so the right people are sent.

Neighbours. With subdivided blocks, trees often straddle new boundaries. Talk to the neighbour before anyone cuts, and see our guide to neighbour tree disputes if it gets complicated.

Shot-hole borer. The entire Perth metro area is a quarantine area for the polyphagous shot-hole borer, with rules about moving wood and green waste. Check your address on DPIRD's zone map rather than assuming which zone you are in, and report suspected signs to DPIRD.

What it costs in Melville

Established trees on developed blocks tend to push jobs toward the medium and large bands. As a 2026 guide, a small tree in an open yard is often $400 to $1,000, a medium tree $1,000 to $2,500, and a large gum close to the house $2,500 to $6,000 or more. Stump grinding for a single average stump usually sits at $100 to $400. The tree removal cost guide goes through what moves those numbers.

Arranging a quote

Send a photo of the tree and a note about what is around it: the house, fences, a pool, paving or wires. We will arrange a local arborist to look at it and put the price in writing. We ask the arborists and contractors we work with to hold the public liability cover the job needs; ask to see the certificate. We are open 7 days, 8am to 5pm.