Tree removal in Unley: what's local
Canopy
Tree canopy across private and public land in the City of Unley was 25.0% in February 2024. The council is aiming for 31% by 2045.
Backyards carry the load
About 80% of the council area is privately owned, so the council sees trees on private land as central to reaching its target.
An 800-year-old neighbour
A river red gum on Wilberforce Walk, Forestville, is estimated at 800 years old, with a seven metre trunk circumference. The council believes it's South Australia's oldest living thing.
Houses, rows and units
In Unley itself, about half the dwellings are separate houses and the rest are semi-detached homes, row houses, flats and units. With neighbours close on every side, an Unley quote should explain how a big tree comes out without touching a roof.
Tree removal permits in Unley
Three layers can apply to an Unley tree. A trunk 1 metre or more around makes it regulated, and 2 metres or more makes it significant. Either one needs council approval before it's heavily pruned, damaged or removed.
On top of that, Unley keeps a Significant Tree List, a register of trees with increased protection, which it reviewed in 2021. Part 10 of SA's Planning and Design Code also names individual significant trees in Unley.
The council says unauthorised damage can bring a fine of up to $120,000. If you're unsure where your tree sits, ring the City of Unley before booking anyone, and see our SA permits page for the state rules.
Tree jobs you can do yourself in Unley
You can
- Water your street tree in hot, dry spells, which the council encourages
- Prune small branches on your own trees from the ground, with hand tools
- Measure a big tree's trunk 1 metre up and photograph it
- Report a street tree problem through the council, rather than touching it
Leave to an arborist
- Any approved pruning or removal of a regulated or significant tree
- Assessing a gum that's dropping branches
- Removing any tree close to a roof, wall or shared fence
- Root work near the house, driveway or pipes
Hiring an arborist in Unley
We'd treat any big Unley tree as protected until the council says otherwise. If a gum is dropping branches, the council's own point is worth knowing: gums are the most common tree, so they shed the most branches overall, and deaths from tree failure are rare. A targeted deadwood prune, with approval where it's needed, is often a better answer than removal. See tree pruning in Adelaide.