Storm damage and fallen trees in Bundaberg
Call 000 if anyone is hurt or in danger. Council says to stay away from damaged power lines, fallen trees and flooded waterways after a storm. A fallen line is live: keep well clear and call 000 or Ergon Energy. For a tree on the house, call the SES.
Tree removal in Bundaberg: what's local
The start of cyclone country
Get Ready Queensland says communities within 50 kilometres of the coast from Bundaberg to Thursday Island are the most cyclone susceptible in the state. Bundaberg Regional Council puts the season at November to April.
Summer storms
Council says severe thunderstorms generally hit the region between January and March, and are also likely in April, November and December. That's half the year when a big limb can come down.
Roots and sewer mains
Council's sewer mains run through residential properties. Council removes roots blocking its own mains, but roots inside the pipes you own are yours to deal with, with a plumber repairing the damage.
The Burnett River
Council says the Burnett River basin funnels water to the ocean through the centre of Bundaberg. QCAT notes that land near a river or waterway corridor is among the places protected vegetation may be found, so check before touching bank trees.
Tree roots and houses in Bundaberg
Council's planting guide is a good way to read your own yard. It suggests smaller trees like banksia, grevillea, wattle and teatree go at least 5 metres from sewer pipes, and bigger ones like ash, frangipani, lilly pilly and kurrajong at least 10 metres away.
It lists gums, all figs, planes, willow, pine and camphor laurel as not recommended near sewer pipes at all. If one of those is growing over your line and the drains keep blocking, it's worth an arborist's view on whether root pruning, a root barrier or removal is the better fix. Our tree root removal page and the tree roots and your house guide go further.
Ask council for a drainage plan before anyone digs. It shows your pipes and council's mains, and you can request one through council's Plumbing Compliance Plan Request Form.
Tree removal permits in Bundaberg
Possibly, and it depends on the land. Council says that if there are protected plants or remnant vegetation on your property, a permit may be required to clear, under the state's Nature Conservation Act 1992 and Vegetation Management Act 1999. All marine plants, mangroves and salt couch included, are protected under the Fisheries Act 1994.
Council's own rules sit in the Bundaberg Regional Council Planning Scheme 2015, now version 6.7 from 28 August 2026. Its interactive mapping shows what applies to your address, and the duty planner answers questions. Our Queensland tree permit guide covers the state rules. Check before anything is cut, dead trees included.
Getting trees ready for storm season
Council's home preparation advice is to trim trees and overhanging branches and secure loose items in the garden before an event. The best time is well before the January to March storm peak, when an arborist can do the job properly rather than in a rush.
Ask for pruning to AS 4373: dead branches out, a balanced crown, no lopping. If a big gum or fig leans over the roof, ask whether it should be reduced or removed rather than just trimmed.
Hiring an arborist in Bundaberg
We'd get the drainage plan first, then look at which trees sit over the sewer line and which lean over the roof. Book the pruning before November, check the planning mapping and ask council before any removal, and keep away from riverbank and mangrove vegetation without advice.