Elphinstone Primary School parents are calling on the Department of Education to halt vegetation removal works at schools across the region, after finding large sections of the small school grounds cleared during the school holidays.
Parents say they support measures to protect children from bushfire but want the department to allow time for community consultation and develop plans to replace trees, shrubs and gardens being removed.
Elphinstone is one of 335 Victorian schools included in the Department of Education’s 2026-27 Bushfire Preparedness Program, which has an $8.35 million budget.
Under the program, schools are required to remove trees, shrubs and other vegetation within 10 metres of designated Shelter in Place buildings.
Elphinstone resident and parent Helen Officer said parents understood the need to protect children but believed the policy had been applied without considering the circumstances of individual schools.
“We would do anything to keep our children safe, but there is always a degree of risk everyone has to live with,” she said.
“The benefits of keeping the trees for the rest of the year and the rest of their school lives also need to be taken into account.
“The school is the centre point of our lives and the community in some ways. There has been zero consultation, just a blanket rule which has significant impacts on the school.”
Fellow parent Sarah West said the trees provided more than shade, giving students an opportunity to learn about caring for the environment.
“Ten metres is a lot of space, and they’re just ripping them out in case of a potential fire hazard,” she said.
“We are most at risk of an ember attack, and they are taking away our protection.”
Elphinstone Primary has just 24 students and eight trees, along with garden beds, shrubs and other vegetation, were identified for removal.
Parents say the 10-metre exclusion zone effectively covers most of the schoolyard, including lunch tables and the central area between buildings.
“When you have a really tiny school, these works make a huge difference to more than safety; it impacts on our children’s day-to-day lives,” Ms Officer said.
“The 10-metre boundary essentially equates to the entire school, removing a lot of shade for the buildings and classrooms, which will now heat up on hot days.”
Three saplings and multiple shrubs were removed before parents were able to intervene.
One of the trees identified for removal has a limb-drop risk and parents accept it needs to go. However, they are seeking to retain three other trees and have the opportunity to replace any vegetation removed.
They also want to re-establish vegetables in the school’s Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden.
Ms Officer described the work already carried out as “disastrous”.
“There’s not a single shrub left in the area,” she said.
Parents said they were subsequently told by the Victorian Schools Building Authority that work would be paused to allow discussions with the community.
However, contractors arrived at a neighbouring school in Campbells Creek the following day.
Parents again intervened and the contractors halted work before all the trees and gardens were removed.
A Department of Education spokesperson said works could include the removal of combustible material, including trees, shrubs and other vegetation, within 10 metres of a designated Shelter in Place building.
“We are supporting schools across Mount Alexander Shire to ensure Shelter in Place buildings comply with relevant safety guidelines and can be used by schools if required during bushfire emergencies,” the spokesperson said.
“These are not new requirements but flow from the department’s Shelter in Place guidelines following recommendations from the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and strong scientific methodology.
“The safety of students and staff is paramount, especially during bushfire season.”
