Long Forest Hedge Pruning & Trimming
Hedge trimming, shaping and hard reductions in Long Forest — privacy screens up to 10 m, formal hedges, every clipping taken away.
- Free quotes
- Fully qualified & insured
- 16+ years
Hedge pruning and trimming in Long Forest, done properly
Whether you want a formal hedge kept razor-sharp or an overgrown boundary screen brought back under control, Aps Tree Removal does hedge work in Long Forest the way it should be done: the right time of year, clean cuts, and a tidy finish. Fully insured and led by a qualified arborist.
The nearest suburbs we also cover are Merrimu (3 km), Harkness (4 km), Hopetoun Park (4 km), so a job in Long Forest is often paired with one next door. 2 of the reviews on this site are from customers in Merrimu, Harkness and Hopetoun Park, next door to Long Forest.
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.
For a maintenance trim we set string lines on anything formal, cut the faces flat with a slight batter so the bottom keeps its leaves, level the top, and collect the clippings on sheets as we go. Tall screens are done from platforms and ladders with long-reach hedge trimmers, and the chipper deals with the pile on the street.
Hedge Pruning & Trimming in Long Forest — 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
If a hedge is over 3 m, get it cut by people with platforms rather than a ladder on a gravel path. Most hedge accidents are falls, not cuts.
The full service pages: Hedge Trimming and Green Waste Removal — every one available in Long Forest.
Guides from Api: Emergency tree removal in Melbourne: what to do first and how fast help comes · Hedge trimming and pruning in Melbourne: when to cut, how hard, and what each hedge needs
Do you need a permit to remove a tree in Long Forest?
Long Forest is in the Moorabool Shire Council area, and that decides whether a permit is needed before a tree comes down.
Moorabool puts it bluntly on its permit page: most trees and vegetation require a planning permit to be destroyed, removed or lopped. Native vegetation falls under Victoria’s native vegetation removal regulations, which usually mean a permit and an offset, supported by a Native Vegetation Removal Report from the state tool.
Other trees can be protected for local heritage, amenity or visual significance, or because they contribute to the waterways and catchments — the Werribee River and Lerderderg run through the shire — so the overlays on a title matter more here than in the suburbs.
The residential zones of Bacchus Marsh, Darley and Maddingley also carry the state canopy-tree clause. The shire’s planning team is on (03) 5366 7100.
Source: Moorabool Shire Council — trees on private property, (03) 5366 7100. 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 Bacchus Marsh district. Nothing staged, nothing stock.
What customers near Long Forest say
Kleo
Bacchus Marsh · Aug 2021
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Emily
Bacchus Marsh · June 2022
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Hedge trimming around Long Forest
The same crew, the same day rates, in the suburbs next door:
Other services in Long Forest
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 Bacchus Marsh district say
Joseph Faltas
26 June 2023
APi is a great guy , honest and knowledgeable
Cathy Palio
26 June 2023
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! I can’t speak highly enough of Api and his team from APS tree removal. It was a huge job and they tackled it with ease and a smile…
Ann Davies
26 June 2023
Prompt and efficient service - courteous and helpful - a pleasure to have them on the job - would definitely recommend them to friends
Ann D
21 June 2023 · Malvern East
Most efficient and prompt - very friendly and will use them again
Jason M
18 May 2023 · Taylors Hill
Api and the team were very professional and did a thorough job including immaculate clean up. Highly recommend due to exceptional service. Their price…
Travis
28 Mar 2023 · Werribee
Professional courteous on time and service to the next level completed everything cleaned up and have no hesitation in recommending there service than…
Jennifer D
14 Mar 2023 · Sunbury
Api was a force of nature, the team felled 15 very large pine trees in 2 days and removed stumps. They cleaned up the site, left the wood in neat pile…
Heath
1 Mar 2023 · Point Cook
They did an awesome job, the trees look great, they did pruning and removed 2 others. Cleaned you after themselves. super happy. Thanks guys
Loryn
13 Feb 2023 · Wyndham Vale
Awesome service! Super efficient, neat and tidy. All the team were respectful and pleasant to deal with. Job done to a high standard, will definately…
Belinda
11 Jan 2023 · Niddrie
Very prompt and efficient
David A
31 Dec 2022 · Werribee
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Mark
30 Dec 2022 · Altona Meadows
Connected with Aps Tree Removal and would recommend them
Long Forest Hedge Pruning & Trimming — common questions
Do I need a permit to remove a tree in Long Forest?
Often, yes: Moorabool’s own guidance is that most trees and vegetation require a planning permit to be removed, destroyed or lopped — native vegetation under the state regulations, with an offset, and other trees where heritage, amenity or waterway overlays apply. The state canopy-tree clause applies in Bacchus Marsh’s residential zones too. Check with the shire before anything is cut. 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 Long Forest?
Priced per job, not per hour, so you know the figure before we start. Clippings removal is included; it is the part nobody wants to do themselves.
How long does it take?
A few hours for a standard trim in Long Forest; a day for a long, tall or badly overgrown hedge. Booked to the right season for the species.
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?
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.