Tree removal permits and vegetation protection in Logan

Logan Tree Removal Quotes is an independent referral service; quotes come from an independent local arborist or tree-service crew who services your area (how it works). Queensland has no government arborist licence — ask for AQF qualifications and insurance.

What vegetation does Logan protect?

Council classifies protected vegetation in two ways on the Biodiversity areas overlay map:

• Primary vegetation — all native vegetation (shown as light pink on Council's map description).
• Secondary vegetation — native trees greater than 4 m tall or with a trunk circumference of 31.5 cm or greater at 1.3 m (light green on Council's description).

Council also defines a native habitat tree as a tree indigenous to Australia, dead or alive, with a trunk circumference of 220 cm or more at 1.3 m, or a tree that contains a hollow.

Clearing versus lopping

Council summarises Queensland legislation on its vegetation protection page:

• Clearing means to remove, cut down, ring-bark, push over, poison or destroy vegetation in any way (including burning, flooding or draining). It does not include lopping a tree or damage by stock.
• Lopping means cutting or pruning branches. It does not include removing the trunk, or cutting so severely that the tree is likely to die.

When do you need approval?

Use Council's vegetation clearing decision tool with the Logan PD Hub. All native vegetation clearing within a Waterway Corridor and Wetland Overlay area requires approval. You do not need approval if the work meets an exemption in the Logan Planning Scheme 2015 tables of assessment for the biodiversity areas overlay — summarised on Council's vegetation clearing exemption criteria page.

When approval is required, lodge an Operational Works application for vegetation clearing, including owner consent, reasons, a site plan (trees to go and stay, species, height, circumference, canopy, hollows/nests) and Council's vegetation management checksheet.

Examples of Council exemption criteria

Council publishes exemption criteria from Part 5 of the Logan Planning Scheme (Biodiversity areas overlay). Clearing that meets a listed exemption and is not in the Waterway Corridors and Wetlands Overlay can be exempt from Council vegetation approval. Examples (always read the full criteria for your lot):

• Smaller urban lots: clearing (other than remnant endangered regional ecosystem mapped under the Vegetation Management Act 1999) on a lot under 5,000 m², outside listed zones such as Rural, Rural residential, Emerging community, Environmental management and conservation, the Acreage precinct in Low density residential, and mapped Koala corridors.
• Access and services to approved development: for example a service corridor up to 2 m wide from the centreline, or an accessway up to 5 m wide, to an existing or approved dwelling or development envelope — or clearing limited to an approved development envelope / infrastructure agreement.
• Bushfire / fuel reduction around a house: limited clearing for fire trails required by a development approval, fire control lines on larger lots, and fuel reduction around existing or approved class 1 buildings (inner zone within 10 m of the building for native vegetation, with further limits on native trees in the outer zone — see Council's page for slopes and class 10 structures).
• Garden maintenance and two listed natives: managing native vegetation other than native trees/habitat trees as part of an existing lawful garden or regular mowing/slashing; and clearing of Cadaghi (Corymbia torelliana) or Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla).

This is a short summary of Council's published exemption page as at 16 Oct 2026 — not a permit assessment. Covenants, development conditions and state remnant-vegetation or koala rules can still apply.

Fees (2026–27)

The Australian Business Licence and Information Service (ABLIS) lists Logan City Council fees for Operational work — vegetation clearing. Re-check against Logan's own fees and charges schedule before lodging — ABLIS is a secondary listing:

• First application per premises per financial year for removal of up to 5 trees or 50 m² — free (regardless of mapped koala habitat).
• Up to 50 trees or 500 m² on premises without mapped koala habitat — $2,147.
• Over 50 trees or greater than 500 m² (no mapped koala habitat) — $3,700.
• Premises containing mapped koala habitat areas — $4,320.

State rules: remnant vegetation and koalas

The Vegetation Management Act 1999 protects remnant and some regrowth vegetation. From 1 November 2024 it is administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development (the former Department of Resources was renamed in machinery-of-government changes). Logan City Council's vegetation page may still say "Department of Resources (DOR)" and directs enquiries to 13 58 34.

Koala Habitat Areas and Koala Priority Areas under the Planning Regulation 2017 are checked on Queensland Globe. Council's decision tool says those enquiries go to SARA on 13 74 68.

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