What You Need to Know Before Removing Trees on Your Property

Do you know what trees you can remove from your property? Do you know what trees are protected? It’s crucial to know this because it, ultimately, determines if you need permission to cut down and remove a tree. If you don’t have this permission when you need it, you could end up paying a hefty fine. 

So, to prevent this, we’ll look at some of the things you should know before removing trees on your property. 

Why You Might Want to Cut Down a Tree

There could be numerous reasons why you’d want to cut down and remove trees on your property. Some of the most popular reasons include removing a tree that’s diseased or dying, being concerned for your family’s safety, or removing a tree to make room for new construction or renovations to your existing property. No matter what your reason, it’s vital that you ask for permission to cut down trees if you need to. 

Reasons For Protected Trees

When you would like to cut down protected trees, you’ll first need permission from the local council. These trees are protected because of their historical, botanical, or aboriginal importance and, as such, strict rules govern their removal. So, apart from the permission mentioned earlier, you’ll often also need compelling reasons to remove the tree. 

Removing Unprotected Trees

In contrast to the protected trees mentioned above, you’ll generally be able to remove any unprotected trees without any permission or a permit. However, to do this, there are some requirements that you’ll need to comply with. Firstly, the tree should be at least 5 metres high, and its trunk should be at least 300 mm in diameter.  

Apart from this, if you’d like to cut down and remove an invasive tree species, you won’t need any prior permission, and it’s not necessary to comply with the size requirements mentioned above.  

10/50 Rule

The 10/50 rule is another exception to the rule that you need permission to remove a tree. It’s aimed at protecting people who live within 100 metres from bushland. In terms of the rule, you can remove trees and other vegetation without any prior permission if they’re within 10 to 50 metres from the outer wall of your home. 

However, as is the case with some of the exemptions mentioned above, there are some conditions you’ll need to keep in mind. For one, if your land is on a slope, you won’t be able to rely on this rule to remove any trees. This is simply because of the protection they offer against erosion. Moreover, you won’t be able to use bulldozers or ploughs, and you can’t disturb the soil profile underneath the trees. 

Penalties for Illegal Tree Removal in NSW

If you remove a tree without permission in circumstances where permission is required, it is illegal. As such, you could be liable for considerable fines. In fact, fines in your local court start at about $1,000 and could go up to $110,000. Even worse, in the Land and Environment Court, you could be liable for a fine of up to $1.1 million. For this reason, it’s always better to consult a skilled arborist before cutting down any trees. 

By knowing the necessary rules and regulations, you’ll know when you need permission to remove a tree and when you don’t. In turn, this helps you avoid expensive fines. Hopefully, this post helped illustrate these rules in more detail.