Check before you book the tree work
Before arranging removal or pruning, check which rules apply to your tree and property. Your council or state or territory authority can confirm whether the tree is protected, whether an exemption applies and what permission or evidence you need. Use the links below to find the right starting point, then keep the approval details with your project brief.
Start with the address
Find the council or authority responsible for the property and check its current tree rules.
Be clear about the work
Identify the tree and explain whether you want removal, pruning or work near its roots.
Check the paperwork
Ask which application, reports, fees and approval conditions apply before booking.
Keep the records
Save the authority’s advice, application documents and any approval conditions.
Check permission before work starts
Check the approval or exemption requirements before removing, pruning or damaging a protected tree. A quote, an arborist’s recommendation or a lodged application does not itself grant permission to do the work.
If a tree presents an immediate threat to life, keep clear and call 000. For other urgent tree concerns, contact the relevant authority and an appropriate tree professional to confirm the local emergency process. Do not assume that “dangerous” automatically means approval is unnecessary.
What to check for your tree and property
Give the council or authority your address and a clear description of the proposed work. Ask:
- Is the tree covered by a local tree rule, register, planning overlay or approval condition?
- Do native vegetation or heritage controls affect the site?
- Does the work need a tree permit, development approval or a different consent?
- Does an exemption apply, and what evidence or records are needed to rely on it?
- Are pruning, root work or nearby construction controlled as well as removal?
- Who can confirm the requirements before the work is booked?
Where to start in each state and territory
New South Wales (NSW)
Start with your council’s tree controls for the property. In non-rural areas, councils can identify protected vegetation by species, size, location or ecological value in their development control plan. Ask whether a tree permit, development consent or another approval is needed, and what evidence is required for an exemption.
Official guidance:
Victoria (VIC)
Check the planning scheme and any tree or vegetation controls with your council. Removing native vegetation usually needs a planning permit unless an exemption applies. Confirm the conditions of an exemption and whether another overlay or local control still requires approval.
Official guidance:
Queensland (QLD)
Ask your council which vegetation protections and development conditions apply at your address. In the Brisbane City Council area, protected vegetation is managed through the Natural Assets Local Law permit process. Check the exemption conditions before work; Brisbane’s rules are not a rulebook for every Queensland council.
Official guidance:
Western Australia (WA)
Check local tree-retention policies and any conditions attached to your property’s planning approval with your council. Native vegetation clearing can also require a permit through the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation unless an exemption or another authorised pathway applies. Confirm which requirements apply to your proposed work.
Official guidance:
South Australia (SA)
Check PlanSA’s regulated and significant tree rules, including where the relevant overlay applies and any exemptions. Ask your council which development-approval requirements apply to the tree. Native vegetation clearance can require a separate Native Vegetation Council pathway, so check that as well where relevant.
Official guidance:
Tasmania (TAS)
Ask your council’s planning team which controls apply to the tree and property. If the work involves clearing native vegetation or other forest practices, check with the Forest Practices Authority whether a forest practices plan is needed. Confirm the applicable exemptions and approvals for the work you actually plan to do.
Official guidance:
Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
Check the ACT Government’s tree-protection guidance under the Urban Forest Act 2023. Regulated and registered trees can require approval for removal, major pruning or work within the tree protection zone. Use the tree activity application pathway where required. For an urgent safety concern, contact Access Canberra for the urgent-authorisation process.
Official guidance:
Northern Territory (NT)
Check your land’s zoning and tenure using the NT Government’s planning and land-clearing guidance. Native vegetation clearing has different pathways for unzoned, zoned and pastoral land. Ask the relevant NT assessment team whether your proposed work needs consent and which documents or other approvals are required.
Official guidance:
A practical path from first enquiry to approved work
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Check the rules for your address
Tell the council or authority where the tree is and what you want to do. Confirm the approval pathway or the conditions of any exemption.
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Find out which evidence is needed
Ask for the document checklist and any required assessor qualifications before commissioning a report. Gather the requested tree details, photographs, site information and owner consent.
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Submit the right application
Use the authority’s current form or portal. Check the published fees, required attachments and any notification requirements for that pathway.
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Wait for the decision and read the conditions
Ask about current assessment timing. Keep the decision and understand any conditions, expiry dates, replacement planting or further permissions required before work begins.
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Agree the approved scope with your contractor
Give the contractor the decision and conditions. Check relevant qualifications and insurance independently, agree the work in writing and keep the project records.
Information to discuss with the authority
- The tree’s condition and any professional assessment.
- The safety concern or property damage you are trying to address.
- The proposed work and whether pruning or another option could help.
- Any building plans, services or access issues relevant to the application.
- The tree’s species and any protection status you have identified.
- The photographs, reports or other evidence the authority requests.
Questions to resolve before booking
- Does the stated reason meet the criteria for this approval pathway?
- Is removal necessary, or should another option be considered?
- What evidence is missing from the application?
- Are there consent, notification or other approval requirements?
- What conditions would apply if permission is granted?
- If permission is refused, what review options and deadlines apply?
Make your first enquiry easier
- Start with the right authority: Have the property address and proposed work ready.
- Ask before buying a report: Confirm the report scope and required qualifications first.
- Keep a clear project record: Save photographs, professional advice and authority correspondence.
- Consider the alternatives: Ask whether pruning, retaining the tree or replacement planting should be addressed in the proposal.
- Read the conditions: Confirm what must happen before work starts and what records are needed afterwards.
