Planning a townhouse development, new home or property redevelopment within Manningham?
Landscape design is an increasingly important part of planning projects across suburbs including Doncaster, Doncaster East, Templestowe, Templestowe Lower, Bulleen, Warrandyte and Park Orchards.
Manningham has a distinctive landscape character, ranging from higher-density development around Doncaster to leafy residential neighbourhoods and environmentally sensitive areas further east.
That means landscape design needs to respond to the specific property rather than rely on a standard planting plan.
At Lanso Design, we prepare landscape plans for architects, town planners, developers, builders and homeowners working across Manningham.
Why Trees Are Particularly Important in Manningham
Manningham Council describes its leafy streets as an important part of the municipality’s character and has highlighted the loss of tree canopy occurring on private property.
Council encourages appropriate canopy-tree planting and provides a Precinct and Tree Character Mapping Guide to help residents identify suitable tree species for different parts of Manningham. (Manningham City Council)
For development projects, this reinforces an important principle:
Don’t treat tree planting as something to work out after the building has been designed.
Meaningful tree planting needs space.
New Canopy-Tree Controls Need to Be Considered
Since 15 September 2025, Victorian Planning Scheme Amendment VC289 introduced Clause 52.37 relating to canopy trees.
Manningham Council advises that these controls apply within specified residential and mixed-use zones and can require a planning permit to remove, destroy or lop certain canopy trees. (Manningham City Council)
Council describes a canopy tree under the clause as a tree meeting all three of these characteristics:
This is now an important early-design consideration.
Before designing landscaping—or even finalising the building footprint—the project team should understand what existing trees are on the site.
Don’t Assume an Existing Tree Can Simply Be Removed
For some projects, removing a mature tree may affect:
Where Clause 52.37 applies, Council says an application may need information showing trees proposed for removal and replacement planting.
An arborist assessment may also be necessary where removal or lopping is proposed because of a tree’s health or stability. (Manningham City Council)
For this reason, a landscape designer and arborist can sometimes provide useful input before the architectural design is fully resolved.
What Should Your Manningham Landscape Plan Show?
Manningham’s planning-permit application guidance asks development plans to clearly identify existing vegetation that will be removed or retained, including tree-protection zones and canopy drip lines.
Plans may also need to coordinate with:
For a landscape designer, these aren’t separate issues.
They directly affect where trees and garden beds can realistically be located.
Example: Four Townhouses in Doncaster East
Consider a typical redevelopment site in Doncaster East.
The proposal includes four dwellings with:
A good landscape response should start by asking:
Which Existing Trees Can Be Retained?
Existing trees should be accurately shown and coordinated with arboricultural information where relevant.
Where Is Genuine Deep Soil Available?
A landscaped area drawn above a basement may not provide the same growing conditions as unrestricted natural ground.
Where Can Canopy Trees Grow to Maturity?
Instead of planting large trees into narrow strips, select locations with enough width and soil volume.
How Can the Driveway Be Softened?
Strategic planting can reduce the visual dominance of long driveways and garage entrances.
Are Private Courtyards Functional?
Landscaping should provide privacy and greenery without consuming so much space that the courtyard becomes impractical.
Choosing Trees for Manningham
Manningham encourages people to consider:
These considerations are particularly useful on development sites.
For example, a tree selected for a narrow townhouse courtyard should not simply be chosen because it looks attractive when young.
The landscape designer should consider what that tree will be like after 10 or 20 years.
At Lanso Design, we prepare landscape plans for homeowners, architects, building designers, town planners and developers working throughout Manningham.
Indigenous Plants Can Be Valuable
Manningham Council highlights locally indigenous plants as an option because they are suited to local conditions and can contribute to biodiversity. (Manningham City Council)
That doesn’t mean every development must use only indigenous species.
Instead, a well-designed planting palette can balance:
Plant selection should be deliberate rather than decorative.
Landscaping on Sloping Sites
Parts of Manningham contain significant slopes.
That can make landscape design more complicated because the project may involve:
Manningham’s planning guidance requires relevant development plans to identify proposed earthworks, areas of cut and fill and retaining-wall details. (Manningham City Council)
Landscape plans should coordinate closely with these levels.
A garden bed that appears generous in plan view may become difficult to use once retaining structures and actual site levels are considered.
Think About Landscape Design Before Planning Submission
One of the most effective ways to improve a development is to bring the landscape designer into the project before every architectural decision is locked in.
This allows the team to discuss:
Small architectural changes made early can sometimes result in much better landscape outcomes.
What Happens When a Landscape Plan Is a Permit Condition?
Manningham advises that landscape plans can be among the documents that need to be submitted for endorsement after a planning permit is issued.
These are often submitted together with updated plans addressing permit conditions.
Council currently states that plans submitted for endorsement are generally reviewed within approximately two to three weeks, although projects may require further changes where documentation does not sufficiently respond to permit conditions. (Manningham City Council)
This makes it important to read every landscape-related permit condition carefully.
Submitting a generic landscape plan that fails to address specific conditions can lead to additional revisions.
Has Council Asked You to Revise Your Landscape Plan?
A Manningham planning permit or endorsement response may require changes involving:
The best approach is to give your landscape designer the complete Council correspondence, not simply describe the request by phone.
That allows every requirement to be checked directly against the drawings.
Landscape Bonds in Manningham
Older Manningham planning permits may include landscape-bond conditions.
Council currently states that payment of new landscape bonds has been suspended since March 2022 and that it is not currently accepting these payments. Existing historical bonds can still require separate refund or permit-amendment processes. (Manningham City Council)
Because permit conditions vary between projects, always check the conditions on the particular permit rather than assuming another project’s requirements apply.
What to Send Us for a Manningham Landscape Plan
To prepare an accurate quotation, send:
We can review the documents and identify the landscape-design work required.
Landscape Design Across Manningham
Lanso Design can assist with:
We can coordinate with your architect, building designer, planner and other consultants.
Need a Landscape Plan in Manningham?
If you have a project in Doncaster, Doncaster East, Bulleen, Templestowe, Templestowe Lower, Warrandyte or elsewhere within Manningham, send Lanso Design your plans.
Whether you’re preparing a new planning submission or responding to landscape conditions on an existing permit, we can review the project and provide a quotation.
Send your plans to Lanso Design for a landscape-design quote.
