When council asks for an arborist report in Adelaide
Removing, lopping or heavily pruning a tree in the Regulated and Significant Tree Overlay is development under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016. The trigger is trunk size: 1 metre around for regulated and 2 metres for significant, measured 1 metre above natural ground, since 16 May 2024.
The council then has to decide whether the work should go ahead, and it can approve, approve with conditions, or refuse. A report from an arborist gives it the facts about the tree's health, structure and risk. City of Onkaparinga says an arborist report is required to assess the health and status of the tree, and that a delay in providing one puts the application on hold until it arrives.
Arborist reports in Adelaide: what's local
Some require one every time
Onkaparinga treats the report as part of the application. It also says a site plan is mandatory for every development application, and that it offers no financial help with tree removals, pruning or reports.
Some ask in particular cases
Adelaide Hills Council's 2021 policy notes that Section 119 of the Act encourages assessing tree applications without an expert report unless special circumstances apply. It lists when it may ask, such as when a tree looks healthy, poses no obvious risk, or is threatened by development next door.
Heritage and habitat
The same policy names trees on the National Trust of South Australia's Register of Significant Trees, important habitat, and doubt about the species as reasons a report may be requested.
Second opinions
If an applicant's report isn't conclusive, Adelaide Hills Council staff may get a second opinion from an arborist, at the council's cost. A clear, well-supported first report avoids that delay.
Lodging and checking
Applications go through PlanSA. You can check whether your address is in the overlay on the SA Property and Planning Atlas before you start.
Arborist reports in Adelaide: good to know
Measure and check the overlay
Tape the trunk 1 metre above the ground, and look up your address on the SA Property and Planning Atlas.
Ask your council what it wants
Councils differ on when they need a report and what goes with the application. Ask before you commission anything.
Get the report done
The arborist visits, inspects the tree and writes up its health, structure, risk and the options, including pruning instead of removal where that's realistic.
Lodge on PlanSA
Lodge the application with the report and a site plan showing where the tree is.
Read the decision and its conditions
Approvals can require replacement trees or a payment into an urban tree fund. If you disagree with the decision, an appeal goes to the Environment, Resources and Development Court within 2 months.
Questions to ask about a report in Adelaide
- What qualification do you hold? Consulting arborists usually have the Diploma of Arboriculture, AQF Level 5.
- Have you written reports for this council before, and do you know what it asks for?
- Will the report cover the tree's health, structure, risk and the alternatives to removal?
- Will you measure the trunk and confirm whether it's regulated or significant?
- If the work is for building, will the report use AS 4970:2025 for tree protection zones?
- What professional indemnity and public liability insurance do you carry?
Who writes them
There's no arborist licence in South Australia or anywhere else in Australia, so look at qualifications and experience. The Diploma of Arboriculture is the qualification for consulting arborists, who assess trees and write reports on health and risk. Arboriculture Australia's Registered Consulting Arborist level asks for that level of qualification plus professional indemnity insurance. It's an industry membership, not a government licence, but it's a sensible thing to ask about.
If your project involves building near trees, the relevant standard is AS 4970:2025, which covers tree protection zones on development sites. More in our arborist reports page and the tree protection zones guide.
Arborist reports in Adelaide: what you can do yourself
You can
- Measure the trunk and photograph the whole tree, any dead limbs and any damage
- Draw a simple site plan showing the tree, the house and the boundaries
- Keep copies of any letters about the tree, including to or from neighbours
- Ask the council what it needs before anything is written
Leave to an arborist
- Assessing health, structure and the risk of failure
- Confirming the measurement and the tree's status
- Recommending pruning, removal or retention, with reasons
- Tree protection advice for building work
Hiring an arborist for a report in Adelaide
We'd ring the council planning desk first and ask exactly what it wants with a regulated tree application, then brief the arborist with that list. A report that answers the council's actual questions, with photos and clear reasons, is the quickest way through. If the tree is healthy and you simply don't want it, be ready for a no, and ask the arborist whether pruning would solve the real problem.