Clearing trees in Logan — do you need approval?

Zone by zone

Operational work (vegetation clearing). Residential zones first.

Overlays that change the answer

• Biodiversity areas overlay. Clearing native vegetation is accepted subject to requirements only in limited cases (e.g. no more than 150 m² and no native trees in a Primary vegetation management area, or fewer than 10 native trees in a Secondary vegetation management area, and not in a mapped corridor or locally significant area); otherwise it is code assessable, unless an exemption in Tables 5.10.2.1.1–5.10.2.1.5 applies (approved envelopes, services/access, bushfire fuel reduction, garden maintenance, Cadaghi and Umbrella trees). (Table 5.10.2.1 Biodiversity areas overlay map OM-02.00)
• Waterway corridors and wetlands overlay. Vegetation clearing, filling or excavation and infrastructure work in a mapped waterway corridor or wetland area become code assessable (even if otherwise accepted) unless done by the council or under an approval that says no operational work approval is needed. (Table 5.10.14.1 Waterway corridors and wetlands overlay map OM-14.00)

Worth knowing in Logan

Logan Planning Scheme 2015, version 9.2 (with TLPI No. 1/2024), effective 1 July 2025, Part 5. A material change of use is impact assessable unless the table says otherwise or the use isn't listed; reconfiguring a lot is code assessable unless Table 5.6.1 says otherwise; building work and operational work are accepted unless the tables say otherwise (s5.3.2). Accepted development subject to requirements that misses an acceptable outcome becomes code assessable (s5.3.3(2)). Every zone and local plan table has an 'all uses' row: new building work over the zone/precinct/local plan height limit makes otherwise accepted or code assessable development impact assessable (dwelling houses are excluded in most residential zones). Dwelling house (which includes a secondary dwelling) is accepted development (not subject to requirements) in the Emerging community, Environmental management and conservation, Low density, Low-medium density, Medium density residential, Rural and Rural residential zones, but accepted subject to the Dual occupancy and Dwelling house code where the lot is in a residential area on the Residential overlay (OM-10.00). Logan also lists 'Dual occupancy (auxiliary unit)' — a granny-flat style second dwelling — as accepted subject to requirements in those zones (Apartment/Townhouse precincts only in Low-medium density); planners should confirm whether a given granny flat is treated as a secondary dwelling or an auxiliary unit. Building work for a dwelling house, including extensions and ancillary class 10 buildings and structures (sheds, carports, pools), is accepted subject to the Dual occupancy and Dwelling house code in all zones (Table 5.7.1); demolition is not listed so is accepted unless the Heritage overlay applies. A building approval under the Building Act is still needed. Minimum lot sizes come from Table 5.6.1 and vary by precinct in the Low density, Low-medium density and Rural residential zones. A one-into-two subdivision in a residential or industry zone that Schedule 10, Part 12 of the Planning Regulation makes code assessable is code assessable regardless (Table 5.4.2). Local plans (s5.9) override the zone tables (s5.3.2(8)) and their tables are comprehensive (zone + local plan combined): Beenleigh, Browns Plains, Jimboomba, Logan Central, Logan Village, Loganholme, Loganlea, Park Ridge, Shailer Park and Springwood. Most cover Centre zone land with their own precincts (e.g. Centre core, Civic and community, Integrated health, Showgrounds) and generally make centre uses accepted subject to requirements in existing buildings, otherwise code; dwelling houses are not listed in most of them. Loganholme local plan (Table 5.9.6.1) covers residential precincts (Large lot residential, Suburban residential, Residential choice, Residential frame, Residential core): a dwelling house is accepted; a non-auxiliary dual occupancy is accepted subject to requirements on a corner lot in the Residential choice/frame precincts or on an 800 m² lot in the Suburban residential precinct; townhouses are code assessable in the Residential choice and Suburban residential precincts (≤25 dwellings/ha); home businesses are limited to one non-resident employee. Its reconfiguring a lot table (5.9.6.2) makes lots under 1,000 m² (Large lot residential) or 400 m² / 40 m frontage (Suburban residential), and under 600/800/1,200 m² in the Residential choice/frame/core precincts, impact assessable. Loganlea local plan (Tables 5.9.7.1–5.9.7.2) covers Low-medium and Medium density residential land: a dwelling house is accepted; a dual occupancy is code assessable (auxiliary unit accepted subject to requirements) only in the Residential edge and Residential frame precincts; multiple dwellings are code assessable by precinct; lots under 600 m² (Residential edge), 800 m² (Residential frame/core) or 1,200 m² (Low-medium, Mixed use) are impact assessable. For all local plans, reconfiguring a lot also triggers the local plan code (Table 5.9.11.1), and an off-premises sign in the Logan Village local plan is impact assessable (Table 5.9.12.1). Overlays override zones and local plans (s5.3.2(8)). Acid sulfate soils, Bushfire hazard, Extractive resources, Greenbank training area buffer, Regional infrastructure corridors and substations, Strategic airport and environs and Water resource catchments overlays don't change the category for these projects but add their overlay code to assessable or accepted-subject-to-requirements development other than a dwelling house or auxiliary unit; the Water resource catchments overlay makes animal husbandry, animal keeping and cropping code assessable; the Transport noise corridors overlay has no table (it only triggers building requirements under the Queensland Development Code MP 4.4). Operational work: driveway crossovers are accepted subject to the Servicing, access and parking code; filling or excavation over 20 m³ (urban zones) or 100 m³ (rural and environmental zones), or retaining walls over 1 m, need the Filling and excavation code, and are code assessable over 1.5 m (3 m benched). Vegetation clearing is accepted in all zones except where the Biodiversity areas or Waterway corridors and wetlands overlay applies; state Vegetation Management Act rules apply separately. Schedule 6 of the Planning Regulation can make a dwelling house, community residence or forestry-for-wood cropping accepted regardless of these tables (Table 5.4.1). Defence land in the Special purpose zone is not subject to the scheme. Source caveat: the Medium impact industry zone table (5.5.9.1) was split across two PDF chunks and its row for bulk landscape supplies/agricultural supplies is partly garbled; it lists no dwelling house, dual occupancy, home-based business or multiple dwelling rows.

What else you'll need

• State vegetation check (not the council)

More about Logan

• What can you build in Logan? Council overview and development applications
• Every Queensland zone explained, with what each council allows and the planning overlays that change the answer
• What Logan City Council charges for a development application, compared with other councils
• A Landbrief site report for your Logan address — every planning layer that applies to the lot
• Development applications in Logan Reserve
• Development applications in Park Ridge
• Development applications in Loganholme
• Development applications in Marsden
• Development applications in Rochedale South
• Development applications in Jimboomba
• Development applications in Bahrs Scrub
• Development applications in Regents Park

Other projects in Logan

Granny flatDual occupancySubdivideShed or carportExtensionPoolFence or wallHome businessTownhousesShop, café or officeDemolish

The statewide position on this project: Clear trees in Queensland.