Lara Hedge Pruning & Trimming
Hedge trimming, shaping and hard reductions in Lara — privacy screens up to 10 m, formal hedges, every clipping taken away.
- Free quotes
- Fully qualified & insured
- 16+ years
Hedge pruning and trimming in Lara, done properly
A well-kept hedge is the best-looking thing on a Lara street; a neglected one is the worst. Aps Tree Removal trims, shapes and reduces hedges across Lara — annual maintenance on formal hedges, one-off restorations on overgrown screens, and tall boundary hedges done safely from platforms.
The nearest suburbs we also cover are Avalon (7 km), Corio (7 km), Lovely Banks (8 km), so a job in Lara is often paired with one next door. 2 of the reviews on this site are from Lara customers. Going by those reviews, the work in Lara has mostly been tree removal (1) and clean-up and mulching (1).
A hard reduction is different from a trim: we take the height and width back to where you want them, cutting into older wood where the species can handle it, then shape what is left. Some hedges bounce back in a season; others need a second lighter cut to fill in. Api will tell you which you have.
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 Lara — 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
Trim formal hedges in late spring and again in late summer; screens once a year in late winter or early autumn. Avoid cutting in a heatwave — freshly cut foliage scorches.
The full service pages: Hedge Trimming and Green Waste Removal — every one available in Lara.
Guides from Api: Garden hedge trimming mistakes to avoid: timing, shape and cutting too deep · Professional hedge trimming: the DIY mistakes it avoids on Melbourne hedges
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Lara?
The rule that applies to a tree in a Lara garden is Clause 52.37 of the Greater Geelong Planning Scheme — here is what it says.
Greater Geelong is one of the councils without a private-tree local law: when it reviewed tree protection on private land in 2024 its officers recommended strengthening the planning scheme and asking the state for a state-wide approach rather than a local law or a significant-tree overlay.
That state-wide approach arrived in September 2025 as Clause 52.37. The council publishes its own guide: a canopy tree is more than 5 m tall with a trunk over 0.5 m around at 1.4 m and a canopy of at least 4 m; a permit is needed to remove one anywhere on a vacant residential lot, or within 6 m of the narrowest street frontage or 4.5 m of the rear boundary where a house already stands. Council officers may assess the application only against the clause’s own purpose and decision guidelines, and a replacement tree — at least 6 m tall and 4 m wide at maturity — is the usual condition.
Vegetation and heritage overlays on the title apply on top, especially along the Barwon and the coast.
Source: City of Greater Geelong — trees on private property. 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 the Geelong region. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
What Lara customers say
Jim
Lara · May 2020
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Darren J
Lara · May 2022
APs tree services went above and beyond what you would expect, punctual, great service, cleaned up very well, was a pleasure to talk too and had a great crew. Would definitely recommend to someone.
Hedge trimming around Lara
The same crew, the same day rates, in the suburbs next door:
Other services in Lara
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 the Geelong region say
Mandy Lally
26 Nov 2023
Highly recommended. He was efficient and perfectly done within a matter of time. Very kind towards us
John
20 Nov 2023 · Port Melbourne
Api ticked all of the boxes of providing an awesome customer service- prompt, great price, courteous, awesome job and the list goes on… Nothing too di…
John Anderson
26 Oct 2023
We deal with numerous trades on a regular basis and we are very serious in saying our experience with APS was exceptional..They went above and beyond…
Ann Abela
26 Oct 2023
Api did an excellent job removing all our overgrown hedges. His work was very professional, was on time and cleaned up very nicely. His price was very…
Talai Ahhong
26 Sept 2023
Had Api come last minute to Cut down 6 trees that was on the side of my house in Werribee that was about 7 ft to 8 ft tall. Cutting them down, stump g…
Russ Kay-Hards
26 Sept 2023
We had Aps Tree Removal take down and remove a tree from our property. Api is a genuinely friendly and professional person to work with. They took dow…
Rob Licciardo
26 Sept 2023
Pleasure to have API and his crew a challenging job to cut down 6 x 40 foot dangerously overgrown trees at my residence in Keilor this week . The Enti…
Ray Taylor
26 Aug 2023
Api & his wife are a fabulous team. Amazing job in our Camberwell home today trimming our front, side & rear tree hedges. Excellent cleaning up. So ha…
Andi Barnfield
26 Aug 2023
They showed up to quote, they then text me and arranged a day to do job. On job day they text me "on the way". The team then did a great job and exact…
Peter Lucas
26 Aug 2023
I would highly recommend Aps Tree Removal. They were very professional, honest & hard working. Will definitely contact them again if ever we need anot…
Romy Peng
26 Aug 2023
Api did an amazing job for me! He removed the overgrowing palm trees in my front yard located in Werribee, and also did stump grinding. He's easy to c…
Ramesh K
26 Aug 2023
I had few pine trees at my property which I planned to remove. I did a google search and found Aps Tree Removal. Api has quoted a very reasonable pric…
Lara Hedge Pruning & Trimming — common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Lara?
Greater Geelong has no local law for trees on private land — its 2024 review chose not to introduce one — so the test is the state canopy-tree clause: a planning permit for a canopy tree on a vacant residential lot, or one near the front or rear boundary of a lot with a house, decided through VicSmart in about ten business days. Overlays on the title still apply. 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 Lara?
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?
A few hours for a standard trim. Reductions take longer and may need a second visit the following season to tidy the regrowth.
Can you get in if the access is tight?
Yes. Most Lara hedges are on a side or rear boundary with a metre to work in; platforms and long-reach gear mean we rarely need to get behind them.
What happens to the waste?
Sheets under the hedge as we cut, then raked, blown and chipped. The drive and the path are cleaner than when we arrived.
My hedge is bare at the bottom and too tall — can it be fixed?
Usually. Most hedge species will regrow from older wood if they are reduced in stages and the top is narrowed so light reaches the base. Cypress is the exception — it does not regrow from bare wood, so it can only be shaped, not restored. Api will tell you which you have.