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Trees on your property

Trees are a big part of the Ku-ring-gai that we know and love. We are here to help you look after your trees, plus give you advice on pruning and removing trees.

Tree FAQs

Do you have trees, shrubs or bushland on your property? Ku-ring-gai is renowned for its tree-lined streets. This is a key part of our urban forest and needs to be nurtured. Find out what you need to know about managing trees on private property here.

Your questions answered

Pruning and removing trees on private property

Trees and vegetation are protected under legislation. The State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021 requires tree removal or pruning to be administered by a permit process through a Development Control Plan (DCP).

Council's Tree and Vegetation DCP sets out when Council permission is required for pruning or removing a tree and when exemptions to Council's DCP apply. Tree and Vegetation DCP Part 13(PDF, 306KB) .

Threatened species or threatened ecological communities are protected under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act and/or the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and approval through the NSW Department of Planning, Industry & Environment may be required for pruning or removal of these species or communities.

A Tree Application form must be completed and submitted to Council for all works on trees or vegetation where an exemption does not apply.

Check for Threatened Species Community or Heritage Item/Heritage Conservation Area on your property

Using our maps you can check if your property is mapped within a Threatened Species Community called Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest (STIF) or Blue Gum High Forest (BGHF).

You can also check if your property is a Heritage Item or located in a Heritage Conservation Area (HCA).

Step 1

Use button below and type address into address search area, as you type address will pre-fill, select correct address from the dropdown list.

Council's online map viewer

Step 2

Check Heritage Item & Heritage Conservation Area

Click on 'Maps' to the right of entered address and scroll down and select 'Heritage', this will add heritage layers to the map on your screen and will show heritage results in the left hand column underneath the property address. A heritage item property is shown in brown and Heritage Conservation Area is shown as a red stripe.

Check if Threatened Species Community

Click on 'Maps' to the right of entered address and scroll down and select 'Vegetation', this will add the vegetation layer to the map on your screen and will show a list of vegetation names in the key in the left hand column underneath the property address. Blue Gum High Forest Community is shown in blue and Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest is marked in an orange/brown coloured shading.

Please note - if a Threatened Species Community (Blue Gum High Forest or Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest), is mapped on your property, exemptions do not apply to tree works on the property and a Tree Application is required to be submitted for Tree Works. The layer shown on the map applies to the whole property, not just the area shaded on the map.

Tree application

To obtain Council permission before pruning or removing a tree, you will need to submit a Tree Application Form(PDF, 366KB)

A tree application form MUST be submitted for trees growing:

On a Heritage Item property.
In a heritage conservation area.
On a property mapped within a threatened species community or forms part of an ecological endangered community (Blue Gum High Forest or Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest Community).

No exemptions apply for tree works on these properties.

Tree assessment guidelines

Council will consider your application against the tree assessment guidelines.

Council’s Urban Forest Policy and Assessment Guidelines require tree work decisions to have a focus on retaining and protecting trees unless there is strong justification for removal. It is important that applicants read the Assessment Guidelines that detail criteria that is not considered justification for pruning and removal prior to finalising the decision to lodge a Tree Application Form.

Tree Assessment Guidelines to Prune or Remove Trees on Private Property and Council Managed Land

View guidelines in English(PDF, 210KB)

View guidelines in Traditional Chinese(PDF, 619KB)

View guidelines in Simplified Chinese(PDF, 677KB)

View guidelines in Korean(PDF, 650KB)

Trees in properties under development

The Tree Application Form is not the correct process to apply for tree works directly related to Development Applications or Complying Development. Please contact the Customer Service Centre to make an appointment with the Council’s Duty Planner.

Finding a consulting arborist or tree contractor

If you need advice on your trees, contact a Consulting Arborist that is a member of the Institute of Australian Consulting Arboriculturists (IACA). The consulting arborist will inspect the tree and provide advice on the health of your trees. A consulting arborist can undertake a ground based visual inspection of the tree or use diagnostic testing to provide you with a report detailing management options.

To ensure the Arborist Report is accepted by Council and considered as part of your Tree Application assessment, the report must be compiled in accordance with Councils Guidelines for Preparation of Arborist Reports(PDF, 88KB). Ensure you provide a copy of the Guidelines document to the consulting Arborist.

Contact a professional Tree Work Contractor who is a member of the Tree Contractors Association to ensure a fully qualified and insured tree contractor undertakes works on your tree.

Before engaging a Tree Contractor to undertake works please read the Advice on Choosing a Tree Contractor(PDF, 342KB) and advice from Safe Work NSW on engaging a professional Tree Contractor(PDF, 341KB).