First, make it safe
- Anyone hurt, trapped or in danger: call 000.
- A tree or branch on powerlines, or lines down: keep at least 8–10 metres away, treat every line as live, and call Powercor on 13 24 12.
- Storm or flood damage to your home: call VICSES, which takes flood and storm emergency calls on 132 500. Once it's safe, we can clear the tree away.
- Everything else: keep people and pets away from the tree and anything it's resting on.
Online requests here aren't monitored for emergencies.
Before anyone cuts: photos and your insurer
A fallen tree is often part of an insurance claim, and insurers want to see the damage before it's cleared. Take photos of the tree, the damage and the stump or break from a safe distance, then call your insurer and ask what they'll cover and whether they want to arrange the removal themselves.
A tree resting on a roof or fence is under tension. Cutting it in the wrong place can drop it further or spring a branch, so leave the cutting to us: we take it apart piece by piece with ropes and the right gear.
Signs a tree is dangerous
Parks Victoria warns that trees can drop limbs, or fall entirely, without warning, especially in hot or windy weather. Some signs are still worth getting a tree looked at for, especially when it's close to the house, a driveway or a play area:
- A tree that has started to lean, or soil cracking and lifting on one side of the base
- Large dead branches, or a tree that's dead or dying from the top down
- Cracks or splits in the trunk or where big branches join
- Fungi growing on the trunk or roots, or hollows and soft, crumbly wood
- Branches hanging, caught in the canopy after wind
Dead trees and permits
The state native vegetation rules exempt dead native vegetation, except a standing dead tree with a trunk 40 cm or more across at 1.3 metres above the ground: that still needs a permit. There's also an exemption for vegetation that presents an immediate risk of injury or damage, but it covers only the part of the tree that presents the risk. Overlays can add their own rules, so check before removing the rest. The permit guide explains how.
Clearing up after a storm
Once it's safe, we price clearing a fallen tree like any other removal: by the size of the tree, how hard it is to reach, and whether the stump and green waste go too. A tree lying on a structure costs more because it has to be cut and lifted in pieces. See tree removal costs for published Bendigo prices.
Common questions
A tree has fallen on my house. What do I do first?
Get everyone out of the damaged part of the house and call 000 if anyone is hurt or trapped. For storm damage to the home, call VICSES on 132 500. Keep clear of any powerlines, then contact your insurer before arranging the tree to be cleared.
A tree is on the powerlines. Who do I call?
Energy Safe Victoria says to keep at least 8–10 metres away from fallen powerlines, because you don't have to touch one to get a shock. Call 000 if there's immediate danger, and report it to Powercor on 13 24 12. Don't try to move the tree or branches, and keep everyone else away.
Who pays for a tree that fell on my property?
It depends on your home insurance policy and what the tree damaged, so check your policy and call your insurer before work starts. Take photos first.
The neighbour's tree came down on my fence. Whose problem is it?
Take photos, tell your neighbour, and contact your insurer. Victoria has no specific law on neighbours' trees; disputes fall under general property law, and the Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria can help if you can't agree.
Do you do after-hours work?
Online requests here aren't monitored for emergencies. If a tree is dangerous or anyone is hurt, call 000, and for storm damage to your home call VICSES on 132 500. Once it's safe, send us the details and we can quote the clean-up.
Where this information comes from
The safety advice and rules on this page come from these published pages, checked on 27 September 2026.
- Energy Safe Victoria: trees and vegetation · State electrical safety regulator, service lines and fallen powerlines
- CitiPower and Powercor: vegetation management · The electricity distributor for Bendigo, on trees near powerlines
- Greater Bendigo Planning Scheme, Clause 52.17 Native vegetation · State-wide native vegetation provision and its table of exemptions
- Parks Victoria: visitor safety tips in parks · State parks agency on falling limbs
- Victorian Government: trees in Victoria · Dispute Settlement Centre of Victoria guidance on neighbours' trees, updated 26 February 2026
