Tell us the job

Byron Bay, New South Wales

Tree removal in Byron Bay

Tree removal, pruning, stumps and storm jobs in Byron Bay, matched to a local arborist.

In Byron Bay's urban areas, a native tree over 3 metres tall or with a trunk over 100 mm wide is declared vegetation, so it needs Byron Shire Council's permit before it's pruned or removed.

  • We match you with the local arborist who does your kind of job.
  • Tell us the job once, and the arborist who takes it calls you.
  • Storm damage and fallen trees flagged urgent.

Tree job in Byron Bay?

What needs doing?

If anyone is in danger, call 000. For storm damage to your home, call the SES. Then tell us the job.

Only one local arborist gets your number.

A worker in a helmet, earmuffs and a visor feeding a leafy branch into a wood chipper on a grass verge

Matched by the job, not just the postcode

A big gum over a roof, a stump and a council report are different jobs, so the job comes first.

Only one local arborist gets your number.

Your contact details go to one arborist for your job, so you deal with one person.

Storm jobs flagged urgent

Pick storm damage and the arborist sees it marked urgent. If anyone is in danger, call 000 first.

Council rules before the cut

Many councils protect bigger trees. The permit guides cover every state, so you can check first.

What happens next

A local arborist calls you.

Tell us the job

  1. Tell us the job

    What the tree needs and your postcode. A few taps.

  2. We pass it on

    To a local arborist near your postcode.

  3. They call you

    They talk it through, usually see the tree, and quote in writing. You decide.

Tree removal permits in Byron Bay

The rules are in Chapter F1 of the Byron Shire Development Control Plan 2014, Tree and Vegetation Management, which works under Chapter 2 of the NSW biodiversity SEPP. Council's permit is for declared vegetation: native trees, very large trees, koala food trees, threatened species and trees of heritage value.

Removing or significantly pruning a tree of heritage value needs a development application rather than a permit. On rural land zoned RU1, RU2 or DM, clearing native vegetation may need approval under the Local Land Services Act 2013 instead, so ring Local Land Services.

The NSW picture, including the 2026 change that brought protected dead and dying trees into the permit system, is on our NSW tree permit page.

Tree removal in Byron Bay: what's local

Koala habitat trees

Declared vegetation includes koala habitat trees listed in Schedule 2 of the Koala SEPP for the North Coast. If you're not sure what species a tree is, find out before you apply.

Any tree with a hollow

Council says any tree with a hollow is declared vegetation, native or not. Hollows are homes, so look up into the tree before deciding it's just in the way.

Creeks and rivers

Native plants within 50m of a major stream or river, or 20m of smaller streams, are declared too. If your block runs down to a creek, check this first.

Camphor laurel

NSW WeedWise lists Byron among the council areas with heavy camphor laurel infestations. Byron's rules single camphor out by trunk size, at a diameter at breast height of 1 metre, so measure it and ask council how its list applies before anyone cuts.

Essential Energy's lines

Byron Bay is on Essential Energy's network, and Essential lists camphor laurel among trees unsuitable near powerlines. Call Essential Energy if branches are touching or overhanging a line.

Applying for a Byron Shire tree permit

  1. Use council's online Tree Removal Form

    Choose the Tree Removal Permit option. It isn't for work that needs a DA, or for trees on public land.

  2. Describe every tree

    Give each tree's species, number, approximate height and diameter, with colour photos for identification and context.

  3. Add a property plan and replacements

    Show where the trees are, and say what you'll plant to replace them. If you're not the owner, include the signed owner's consent form.

  4. Expect a visit

    Council may inspect the site or ask for more information before it decides. Questions go to council's tree permit line.

Storm damage and fallen trees in Byron Bay

Call 000 if anyone is hurt or in danger. The NSW SES helps with a fallen tree blocking a road, door or driveway, or one that may fall on the house. If a line is down, call Essential Energy and keep everyone at least 8 metres away.

Hiring an arborist in Byron Bay

Identify the tree before anything else: species, height, trunk width and whether it has a hollow. Most of Byron's declared vegetation tests turn on those four things. If it's a camphor, measure the trunk at chest height, and if the block is near a creek, check the setback. Then lodge the permit and wait for council's answer before booking the work.

Tree removal in Byron Bay: common questions

Do I need a permit to remove a native tree in Byron Bay?

In urban areas, a native tree over 3 m tall or with a trunk over 100 mm wide is declared vegetation, so council's permit applies. Other rules can apply too, such as koala habitat, hollows or creek setbacks, so check with council before anything is cut.

What does council need to see in a Byron tree application?

A property plan, colour photos, each tree's species, number, height and diameter, and details of replacement trees. Council may also visit before deciding.

Who looks after trees in parks and on verges?

Byron Shire Council looks after trees on public land. You can report a concern, or suspected unlawful clearing, through council's online form.

Need an arborist in Byron Bay?

Pick the job and give your postcode, and a local arborist calls you.

Tree job in Byron Bay?

What needs doing?

Only one local arborist gets your number.

Tree permits in New South Wales

More on tree removal in Byron Bay

Sources

Tree rules change, so check with your council before anything is cut. How we write and check these pages.