Tree removal guides
Straight answers to the questions Australian homeowners actually ask before removing a tree: pruning a neighbour's branches, dead and dangerous trees, permits and cost. General information only, not legal advice. When a rule depends on your council, we say so and point you to the permit checker.
Neighbour's tree overhanging my property: what can I do?
Your right to prune branches and roots back to the boundary, who pays, and how NSW and Queensland tree-dispute laws work.
Removing a dead or dangerous tree: do I still need council approval?
When the dead, dying or dangerous exemption applies, why councils usually still want an arborist report, and how to avoid a fine.
Who pays for tree removal: you, your neighbour or the council?
How the cost falls after a storm, a fallen tree or a dangerous tree: who's liable, when insurance pays, and shared boundary trees.
Tree removal near powerlines: who's responsible?
The network line vs your private service line, clearance zones, why you must never DIY near lines, and who to call in each state.
Tree roots damaging pipes or foundations: who's liable?
Blocked drains, cracked slabs and lifted paths: your right to cut roots at the boundary, when a neighbour or council pays, and why insurance often won't.
Is my tree protected? How to check before you remove it
The six ways a tree becomes protected in Australia, from council controls and planning overlays to heritage listings, and the fastest ways to check yours before any work starts.
How to get an arborist report for tree removal
When your council actually needs one, why it usually has to come from an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist, what belongs in it, and what it costs.
Tree lopping vs pruning: what the words actually mean
Why the Australian Standard calls lopping and topping unacceptable, the pruning classes councils do accept, and how to write a quote so you get pruning instead.
Tree pruning cost in Australia: prices by type of prune
What a crown lift, a thinning, a deadwood and a crown reduction actually cost, why size is a multiplier rather than the price, and whether arborists charge per hour or per job.
The NSW 10/50 rule: clearing trees near your home for bushfire protection
When you can remove trees within 10 metres of a NSW home without council approval, why it overrides a Tree Preservation Order, and the exclusions that stop it.
Not sure if your tree is protected?
Check the likely rules for your address in 30 seconds, then get free quotes from licensed local arborists.
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