Tree removal permits in Adelaide
Unlike Perth or Hobart, Adelaide runs on one state system. Under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, damaging a regulated or significant tree is development, and development needs approval. The Regulated and Significant Tree Overlay covers metropolitan Adelaide, townships in the Adelaide Hills Council area and parts of the Mount Barker Council area.
The sizes dropped on 16 May 2024. A single-trunk tree is now regulated at 1 metre around, and significant at 2 metres, both measured 1 metre above natural ground. A multi-trunk tree is regulated if its trunks add up to 1 metre and average 310 millimetres or more. Older advice online still quotes the bigger sizes, so measure your tree against the current ones.
'Damage' is wide. It covers killing or removing a tree, cutting branches or the trunk, ring barking, topping or lopping, and other substantial damage, root system included. City of Burnside says fines of up to $120,000 may apply for work without approval, and tree workers have been convicted too. Our SA tree removal permits page has the detail, and Salisbury's council page shows how one council applies it.
Tree removal in Adelaide: what's local
Councils run the process
Applications are lodged on PlanSA and decided by your council. City of Onkaparinga asks for an arborist report on the tree's health and status, and says a missing report puts the application on hold. Norwood Payneham & St Peters says regulated trees are particularly common in its area.
Big gums in a dry city
The City of Adelaide's urban forest of over 40,000 street and Park Land trees includes river red gum, SA blue gum, sugar gum, London plane, olive, desert ash and Aleppo pine. Big gums on suburban blocks are the trees most often caught by the regulated size.
Fire risk in the hills and foothills
SA CFS says its Bushfire Safer Settlements are in the inner suburbs, which offer the highest level of bushfire safety. Further out, toward the hills face and the Adelaide Hills, the risk is higher and the rules for trees near homes in bushfire areas differ, so ask council.
SA Power Networks
SA Power Networks keeps the clearance zone around public lines, including private trees overhanging the road reserve. Past your connection point, private poles and lines are yours. It trims near its lines once a year in bushfire-risk areas and every three years elsewhere.
Storms and fallen lines
SA SES treats a tree or large branch on powerlines as a tree-down incident. SA Power Networks says to stay at least 10 metres from a fallen line and anything it touches.
Storm damage and fallen trees in Adelaide
Call 000 if anyone is hurt or trapped. Report fallen lines to SA Power Networks, and stay at least 10 metres back. For storm damage to the home, the SA SES can help. SA law allows urgent work to protect a person or a building, but council must be told within 28 days and an application lodged afterwards, so photograph everything.
Common tree jobs in Adelaide
Removal applications. Many Adelaide removals start with a development application and an arborist report, because the tree is over the regulated size.
Pruning within the rules. Pruning can count as damage if it goes too far. Tree pruning in Adelaide explains the 30% crown limit councils talk about.
Stumps and replacement trees. After an approved removal, councils can ask for replacement trees or a payment into an urban tree fund. Stump grinding in Adelaide covers what that means for the hole left behind.
Palms. Date palms and fan palms raise their own questions about size, fronds and lines. See palm trees in Adelaide.
Neighbours. In SA you can usually cut back roots or branches that cross onto your land, unless it's a significant tree. The neighbours' trees guide covers the rest.
Hiring an arborist in Adelaide
Measure the trunk 1 metre above the ground before you call anyone. If it's 1 metre around or more, assume you'll need council approval and talk to the council's planning team about what to lodge. Then get an arborist out to look at the tree in person and write a quote that says who's preparing the report and who's lodging the application.