NSW Sydney Tree Preservation Orders - Council Permits
Within NSW state legislation, it gives the local councils and shires the authority to set up or assimilate their own Tree Preservation Order.
What is a Tree Preservation Order?
A Tree Preservation Order is a piece of legislation your local council can enforce for the protection of tree's - ultimately trying to protect our environment.
What does the Tree Preservation Order do?
It puts a legilslative protection blanket over EVERY tree that will grow to be greater then 3 metres in height. It stops you from ring-barking (Girdling), cutting down, topping, lopping, prune, trim, remove, injure or wilfully destroy any tree that will grow to be taller then 3 metres in height.
What happens if I ignore the Order?
If you don't follow the tree preservation order, there are large hefty fines for you as the home owner aswell as the tree company doing the work!
Fines for pruning, removal or failure to comply with conditions range from an on the spot fine of $600 to $1,100,000 through the Courts of NSW.
So, how do I legally have tree work performed?
Council permission/consent. Most councils have a website where you can download the Tree Application form to print out or you can call the council and they will send you out a copy or you can go into the chambers yourself and get a form in person.
Alright, now I have the form. How do I fill it out and how long will it take before I have council permission?
Most tree application forms are self explanatory with pictures and diagrams giving you the instructions you need to fill it out. Once you've returned the filled out form to the council, they will then send out a Tree Preservation Officer to inspect your tree(s). The process usually takes anywhere from inbetween 7 to 21 days, usually around 14 days.
Woohoo! I got permission, lets get the work started!
Congratulations. Now, lets calm down and put on our thinking cap. We recommend you get 3 quotes from 3 different tree companies.
While getting in your quotes, make sure they are insured by asking them: What type of insurance they carry, their providers company name and how much they are insured for or just ask to sight their Insurance papers.
If your tree is being removed, make sure they have at least a Certificate 2 in treework/arboriculture. We commenly refer to this in the tree industry as a Level 2 Arborist. The Level 2 Arborist has gone through a years worth of training and is trained in: basic tree biology, tree removals with the proper gear and technique, basic aerial rescue and senior first aid. The teachers that train these Level 2 Arborists have to uphold a level 2 standard within the tree industry and any student that is not competent will not be passed and released into the tree industry as a Level 2 Arborist.If your tree is being cared for (egs: Pruning, Fertilised or Cabled) make sure that the company and the person doing the work holds at least a Certificate 3 in Arboriculture (Tree Work). Again, we commenly refer to this as being a Level 3 Arborist. This Arborist has gone through atleast 1 to 2 years worth of training and is trained in the above level 2 Arborist fields aswell as: Proper Tree Care, Soil Analysis and Plant Nutrition, Plant Identification (Botany).
Sydney Metropolitan Council List and Contact details
The councils local to A - One Tree Services are highlighted and bold in green.
Local Council List Ashfield Auburn Baulkham Hills Blacktown Burwood Canada Bay Canterbury Fairfield Hawkesbury Holroyd Hornsby Kuringai Lane Cove Leichardt Liverpool Manly Marrickville Mosman North Sydney Parramatta Penrith Pittwater Randwick Ryde Strathfield Sydney Warringah Waverly Willoughby Woolahra
