Building and improving your home
Guidance on building works, renovations, and improving your property.
Street trees
The City manages thousands of street trees that line our roads and verges. Street trees make a real difference to liveability by cooling our streets, providing shade and cleaner air, and supporting local wildlife.
Property owners can request a tree to be planted on the verge next to their property. We love adding to our canopy, but please note:
The next round of Street Tree Masterplan Planting will provide canopy cover to areas in Dawesville. Eligible residents can apply for a street tree via Mandurah Matters and choose from a wider range of species.
To ensure our trees remain healthy and safe, the City (or our approved contractors) handles all planting, pruning, and removal.
The City follows an annual pruning schedule to keep trees healthy and safe.
We value every tree. The City does not support the removal of healthy, stable, and viable trees. We will not consider removal for:
A tree may be assessed for removal only if it meets specific criteria, such as:
The City’s Significant Tree Register recognises and protects trees that have important historical, cultural, social, botanical, or environmental value.
Anyone in the community can nominate a tree, whether it’s on public or private land. Once nominated, the tree is assessed against set criteria by a Working Group, and, if it meets the requirements, it may be added to the register with final approval by Council. Nominees and landowners are kept informed throughout the process.
There are already many special trees listed across Mandurah, and the register helps ensure these valued trees are recognised, celebrated, and protected for the future.
While you generally manage the trees on your own land, some trees are protected under our Tree Preservation Areas (TPA).
What is a Tree Preservation Area (TPA)?
These are zones where trees are protected to preserve our green canopy. This includes areas near waterways, rural zones, specific residential zones, and lots greater than 4,000m2.
Do I need approval?
If your property is in a TPA, you must obtain written permission from the City before removing, pruning or altering any vegetation. Contact the City’s planning team at [email protected] for advice and approvals.
How to check if your property is in a TPA
Fauna check
Landowners must check if their property contains sensitive habitat before starting works. If a threatened species or ecological community is present, you may need to obtain a permit from DBCA.
Issues with trees on a neighbour's private property are a civil matter between owners.
Verges
Your verge is the strip of land between your property boundary and the road. While it is owned by the City, it is the property owner's responsibility to maintain it.
We encourage residents to transform their verges into waterwise, low-maintenance gardens. Here's how to get started:
You can use hard surfaces, but limits apply to ensure rainwater soaks into the ground.
Hardstand areas must include a permeable space for street trees. This area needs to be large enough to provide at least 1.5 m of mulched garden bed around the tree trunk in all directions.
Different rules apply depending on the type of vehicle.
To keep our community safe, verges must remain clear for pedestrians and utility workers. The following are not permitted:
If you need to store a temporary structure on your verge, you must get written approval before placing the container on the verge. Approval is generally given for short periods only, provided the container does not block sight lines, footpaths, or utility access.
Guidance on building works, renovations, and improving your property.
Learn how the City protects and cares for the natural environment and waterways.
Information tailored to rural and rural‑residential landowners and property requirements.