Trees on public land

Pruning by our Tree Team

Council maintains a huge network of more than 17,000 street trees plus many more growing in parks and reserves.

The Tree Maintenance Team inspects all street trees every 18 months and will only prune trees when it is essential to maintain the health of the tree or to ensure the safety of people or property.

Council prunes in accordance with the Australian Standard AS 4373-2007 Pruning of amenity trees, and will generally prune for the following reasons:

• to provide clearance for traffic and vision of essential traffic signage
• to allow pedestrian access
• to provide safety clearances around buildings and services
• to train young trees to an appropriate form
• to maintain a safe tree crown, such as removing dead or damaged branches.

Council does not prune privately owned trees. However, where private trees are encroaching into target clearance spaces, Council may issue a notice to the tree's legal owners requiring them to prune the tree.

Request a tree pruning

Target clearances

Council prunes public trees to achieve the following target clearances:

• over footpaths, 2.4 metres
• on major arterial roads, 4.5 metres over all lanes
• on local roads - 2.4 metres over parking lanes and 4.5 metres over traffic lanes
• around buildings and structures, 1 metre or less if branches are thick and unlikely to move during wind.

These clearances can only be achieved incrementally as the trees mature. Industry practice is to maintain branches on at least the upper three-quarters of the height of a street tree, and to not remove more than 10 per cent of a tree's foliage in one pruning event.

Meet our Tree Team in the video below:

Request cosmetic pruning of trees

We do not carry out cosmetic pruning, but residents can apply for Council consent to hire an independent, qualified arborist to carry out the work at their own expense.

Examples of cosmetic pruning include:

• thinning for views or light penetration
• shaping for aesthetic reasons
• removal of overhanging branches beyond Council's target clearances
• shaping or selective pruning to improve visibility of advertising or other non-traffic signage.

Permission for cosmetic pruning may be granted where the tree is located within the immediate surrounds to the applicant’s legal boundary, and when such work will not compromise the health, safety or integrity of the tree or adversely affect public amenity.

Request cosmetic pruning (trees on Council land)

All pruning works must comply with the AS 4373-2007 pruning of amenity trees. Standard industry practice is to not remove more than 10 per cent of the live crown volume in one pruning event, or as appropriate to the species.

Council does not allow cosmetic pruning of any vegetation located on land zoned as Bushland. 

Powerline clearance

Powerline clearance is carried out by contractors working for Energy Australia.

In general, one-metre clearance is required around service lines running from the street to private properties, and 1.5-metre clearance is required around the lines running along the street, plus allowance for one year's regrowth.

In the case of Aerial Bundled Cables, which is the single thick bundled wire used in some areas of North Sydney, the required clearance is reduced to 0.5 metre at pruning time with small twigs allowed to touch the wire between pruning events.

Request Ausgrid powerline clearance

Planting new trees

On public land, Council actively manages our urban forest to improve public amenity for all.

If trees must be removed, they are replaced if the planting site is still capable of accommodating a tree. 

A proposed tree site must provide adequate space for the chosen tree to survive in the long term. Council also proactively identifies and plants trees in new locations in accordance with our Urban Forest Strategy.

Council endeavours to plant at least 400 street trees each year. It identifies locations, chooses species, installs trees and provides establishment care, following these principles:

• Council carefully evaluates any site to determine the constraints and the desired function of the tree. The species chosen will either reflect the character of the area where appropriate or create a sense of identity. It should not pose any threat to the health or safety of the community or its associated infrastructure.
• New trees are planted where they will make positive contributions to the amenity of an area. It will not adversely affect adjacent properties, services or structures. For example, through effective tree spacing, solar access can be maintained to adjacent properties and where appropriate, scenic views maintained.
• Horticultural characteristics that will be considered when selecting a street tree species include fruit/flower/seed drop, suckering, root vigour, structural soundness, weed potential, poisonous or allergic qualities, foliage density, whether the tree is evergreen or deciduous, and appropriate habit and form.

Council avoids planting new trees in summer unless the resident has made a commitment to assist with watering. Consistent street tree species are aesthetically pleasing and are conducive to efficient maintenance. Therefore, the new tree will be chosen to match the rest of the street.

Council is ultimately responsible for the ongoing maintenance of trees on public land. Residents are not allowed to plant their own trees on public land without consent. Council can remove unauthorised plantings.

Tree roots are in my pipes

Tree roots will generally only invade pipes if they are leaking, and water and nutrients are seeping into the soil.

Most old sewer pipes are usually clay pipes, have been laid in sections and are well-aged. They start leaking at the joints, and fibrous roots then penetrate the pipes, expand and block them.

This problem is resolved by replacing old clay pipes with new PVC pipes or re-sleeving the line.

Removing the tree does not fix the hole in the pipe and other vegetation is likely to capitalise on the opportunity for moisture and nutrients.

To consider any claims relating to Council-owned trees that have roots blocking privately owned pipes, the property owner must submit a detailed plumber's report that includes:

• a map and plan showing all trees, including species, and the location of pipes and blockage
• the type of pipes and approximate age, condition and depth
• the proposed remedial action and evidence of costs.

Council may also request further information including proof that the roots causing a blockage are from a public tree.