How stump grinding works in Canberra
Most big stumps here are what's left after a protected tree came out with approval. That approval comes with a canopy contribution, and City Services says homeowners who remove a protected tree plant 2 new trees on site or contribute for each one not replanted. Grinding the old stump is often what frees up the spot for the new ones.
A stump grinder uses a spinning cutting wheel to chew the stump and surface roots down below ground level. It leaves a pile of woodchip and soil, and a hole you can backfill and plant into.
Stump grinding in Canberra: what's local
The big tree next door
In the ACT, groundwork in a protected tree's tree protection zone needs approval. That zone is the area under its canopy, a 2 metre strip around the canopy edge, and 4 metres around the trunk measured at 1 metre high. Harming roots by cutting, ripping or compacting soil counts as damage, so grinding hard up against a neighbour's big tree is worth a call to City Services first.
Nature strip stumps
Street trees belong to the ACT Government, and residents aren't permitted to remove them. If a stump on the verge is a trip hazard, report it through Fix My Street or Access Canberra rather than hiring someone.
Old eucalypt wood
ACT City Services says the termite Porotermes adamsoni nests in living eucalypts and damp wood. An old gum stump left to rot near the house is worth keeping an eye on, and grinding removes the bulk of it.
Regrowth and fungi
Some eucalypts reshoot from below ground after they're cut low. Fungi also feed on a stump and its roots for years, and Gardening Australia says removing the stump reduces that fuel and helps protect your living woody plants.
Before stump grinding starts in Canberra
Lodge a Before You Dig Australia enquiry first, online or through the BYDA app, and members are encouraged to respond within 2 business days. BYDA plans are indicative only and may not show what's inside your boundary, and privately installed services such as irrigation or a cable to the shed won't be on them. Safe Work Australia's tree work guide says to check for services around a stump before grinding deeper than 200mm, or whenever services are a concern.
Questions to ask about stump grinding in Canberra
- How deep the grind goes, and whether surface roots are included
- Who lodges the BYDA enquiry, and when
- Where the woodchip goes: left as mulch, spread, or taken away
- An exclusion zone while the grinder runs, with stones, pipes and concrete checked first
- Whether the replacement trees for the canopy contribution can go in the same spot
- Proof of insurance before the machine comes through your gate
Stump grinding in Canberra: what you can do yourself
You can
- Lodge the BYDA enquiry yourself and keep the plans
- Mark sprinkler lines, garden lights and any cable running to a shed or pump
- Move pots, cars and outdoor furniture well back from the stump
- Keep kids and pets inside while the grinder is running
Leave to an arborist
- The grinding itself: grinders throw chips and stones hard
- Stumps close to another protected tree's roots, once you've checked with City Services
- Large surface roots running under paths or the driveway
- Stumps in tight side passages where machine access needs planning
Hiring an arborist for stump grinding in Canberra
Find out what's under the stump before you find a grinder. Lodge the BYDA enquiry, mark your own pipes and cables, and if a big tree on either side of the fence is close by, ask City Services whether the grinding counts as groundwork in its protection zone. Then get the quote to say how deep and what happens to the chips.