Gowanbrae Hedge Pruning & Trimming
Hedge trimming, shaping and hard reductions in Gowanbrae — privacy screens up to 10 m, formal hedges, every clipping taken away.
- Free quotes
- Fully qualified & insured
- 16+ years
Hedge pruning and trimming in Gowanbrae, done properly
Gowanbrae, Gladstone Park, Tullamarine and Airport West: the hedges are much the same across the area — fast-growing screens planted for privacy that now need managing. We trim, shape and reduce them, clear overgrown boundary hedges back to a workable width, and take every clipping away.
The nearest suburbs we also cover are Gladstone Park (about a kilometre), Tullamarine (2 km), Airport West (3 km), so a job in Gowanbrae is often paired with one next door. One of the reviews on this site is from Gowanbrae customers, and another 1 from Gladstone Park, Tullamarine and Airport West.
Pruning, as opposed to trimming, is for hedge plants that flower or fruit: we time the cut to the plant so you do not lose next year’s flowers, and prune by hand where shears would spoil it.
Formal hedges get string lines and a slight batter — narrower at the top than the bottom — so the base keeps its leaves. It is the detail that separates a hedge that stays dense for twenty years from one that goes see-through in five.
Hedge Pruning & Trimming in Gowanbrae — what we do
Tall privacy hedges
Screens and boundary hedges up to 10 m, from platforms.
Formal hedges
String-lined faces, level tops, crisp corners.
Hard reductions
Overgrown hedges brought back to a workable size.
Clippings removed
Chipped and taken away; nothing left on the drive.
A tip from Api
Feed and water a hedge after a hard reduction. It has just lost half its leaves and needs help putting them back.
The full service pages: Hedge Trimming and Green Waste Removal — every one available in Gowanbrae.
Guides from Api: Affordable hedge trimming in Melbourne: what drives the price and how to keep it down · Commercial hedge trimming in Melbourne: kerb appeal, safety and scheduling for businesses
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Gowanbrae?
Gowanbrae is in the Merri-bek City Council area, and that decides whether a permit is needed before a tree comes down.
In Merri-bek a Tree Works Permit is required to remove a mature tree, or to prune more than 15 per cent of its canopy, on private property. A mature tree is 8 m or taller with a single trunk diameter greater than 40 cm, or multiple trunks adding to more than 40 cm, measured 1.2 m above the ground; trees on the Significant Tree Register are covered regardless of size.
Pruning under 15 per cent needs no permit, but the council recommends an AQF Level 3 arborist and before-and-after photos. Where a tree is protected by an overlay or by a condition on an earlier planning permit, a planning permit (or an amendment) is the route instead, and the planning scheme takes precedence over the local law.
The rule sits in clause 2.5 of the General Local Law; the Urban Forest team on 9240 1111 handles questions.
Source: Merri-bek City Council — trees on private property, 9240 1111. Read 13 September 2026; councils change their local laws, so Api checks the current rule when he quotes.
Across Victoria since 15 September 2025
Clause 52.37 Canopy Trees
A canopy tree is a tree more than 5 m tall, with a trunk circumference over 0.5 m at 1.4 m above the ground and a canopy at least 4 m across. In a residential zone a planning permit is needed to remove, destroy or lop one in a residential zone if the lot is vacant, or, where there is an existing house, if any part of the trunk is within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary.
Dead trees, emergency and safety works, maintenance pruning and listed weed species are exempt; councils usually condition a permit on planting a replacement canopy tree, and most decide these through VicSmart in about ten business days.
What this means for you: tell Api where the tree sits on the block and he will tell you whether a permit is needed before anything is cut — and where one is, we can prepare the arborist assessment the application needs.
Hedge trimming jobs by Api and the crew
Real jobs, real photos — Api, the crew and the truck, across Melbourne’s inner north. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
What Gowanbrae customers say
Matt
Gowanbrae · Feb 2021
Api and his team are some of the nicest people I have ever met. They did a fantastic job for us and I would highly recommend them. I will definitely be using they’re services again.
Hedge trimming around Gowanbrae
The same crew, the same day rates, in the suburbs next door:
Other services in Gowanbrae
Tree services made easy
At Aps Tree Removal, we simplify the tree and hedge removal experience with a clear, step-by-step approach.
Contact us
Want to learn more? Call 0422 856 090 or send the form and speak with Api.
Get a quote
Getting a quote is quick, easy, and free.
On-site inspection
A quick, thorough site assessment — species, access and risks.
Professional removal
Clean and safe work, chipped and cleaned up — no mess, no hassle.
What clients across Melbourne’s inner north say
V J
29 Aug 2024
Fantastic service! What a great company! Thank you Api and his amazing team. I have a large gum tree out front that had become a menace to my neighbou…
Joseph Faltas
17 Aug 2024
APi is a great guy , honest and knowledgeable
Scott Cooper
16 Aug 2024
I called to have my tree trimmed. API and team done an excellent job they came on time and cleaned up afterwards. They were very polite and friendly I…
utkarsh singh
14 Aug 2024
Api's been amazing in helping us remove hedges off our property. He is quite honest, friendly & reasonable,always wiling to share the best advise for…
Nik Westbury
8 Aug 2024
The job Api performed was top notch. His professional advice on how the job should be done was much appreciated and the clean up after left no sign of…
Taiwo Adebayo
3 Aug 2024
Excellent job on the Yucca removal and the price was good
Trisha Jenkins
26 July 2024
Api and his team were great. Friendly and responsive. Arrived on time and completed the task well. Would highly recommend.
Benjamin Phiri
24 July 2024
Had Api come around yesterday to trim some trees in the backyard that were getting too high. Api's service was well quoted and went above and beyond o…
Stewart Vong
12 July 2024
Api did an amazing job with our trees. He was very friendly and the work was done to a very high standard. I would highly recommend his services to an…
Thi Tran
11 July 2024
Api did a great job, excellent and very friendly. High recomment.
Alex Tsilemanis
12 June 2024
Api and team removed a couple of trees for us from a tricky narrow space. Great job and customer service, highly recommend.
jojo jojo
29 May 2024
Api did a great job removing and stump grinding big yuccas on the narrow side of my house. Turned up to quote and did the job by himself. Reasonable p…
Gowanbrae Hedge Pruning & Trimming — common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Gowanbrae?
Yes, for a “mature tree” — 8 m or taller with a trunk diameter over 40 cm at 1.2 m (single or combined) — or a tree on the Significant Tree Register: Merri-bek requires a Tree Works Permit to remove it or to prune more than 15 per cent of its canopy. Trees protected by an overlay or a planning-permit condition need a planning permit instead. Across Victoria, Clause 52.37 Canopy Trees also applies since 15 September 2025: a planning permit is needed to remove, destroy or lop one in a residential zone if the lot is vacant, or, where there is an existing house, if any part of the trunk is within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary. Api checks both at the quote.
How much does hedge trimming cost in Gowanbrae?
By the size of the hedge and the amount of growth: a light annual trim costs a lot less than a restoration cut. Regular customers pay less per visit because the hedge never gets away. Call 0422 856 090 or send photos.
How long does it take?
Half a day is typical; the clean-up is included in that.
Can you get in if the access is tight?
Yes — and where the far side is the neighbour’s, we will speak to them so both faces can be done properly.
What happens to the waste?
Chipped and removed as part of the job. If you want the mulch, it is yours.
My hedge is bare at the bottom and too tall — can it be fixed?
Often, yes: reduce the height, narrow the top, feed and water it, and give it a season. Lilly pilly, pittosporum, photinia and viburnum all come back; conifers largely do not.