Do arborists need a licence in Australia?
No. There's no arborist licence in any state or territory, and the industry's own membership body, Arboriculture Australia, describes arboriculture as unregulated. That puts the checking on you, which is less work than it sounds.
Licences do come up for some of the gear. Safe Work Australia says anyone operating a boom-type elevating work platform (EWP, the cherry picker kind) with a boom of 11 m or more needs a high risk work licence, so if one's coming to your job, ask who's driving it.
Power lines are their own world. Networks decide who can work close to their lines: CitiPower and Powercor, for example, say only workers they authorise can trim inside the no go zone, and TasNetworks only lets its authorised service providers work within 1 metre of its assets.
What to ask to see before work starts
- A certificate of currency for public liability insurance, in the business's own name
- Workers compensation cover, if they employ anyone
- The qualification of whoever is doing the work, usually a Certificate III in Arboriculture
- A Diploma of Arboriculture (AQF Level 5) if they're writing a report for the council
- Professional indemnity insurance from anyone giving written advice or reports
- A high risk work licence for whoever operates a boom EWP of 11 m or more
Why insurance is the first check
Wingecarribee Shire Council advises asking for proof of public liability insurance, and workers compensation where it applies, before an arborist starts. The NSW Government lists both among the cover a contractor may need, and the NSW RFS points people to tree services with trained, qualified operators carrying both.
The reason is simple. Tree work is heavy, high and close to your house, and if something goes wrong you want the arborist's insurer dealing with it, not you.
How to read a certificate of currency
Know what it is
A certificate of currency is a short summary from the insurer confirming a policy is in force. It isn't the policy itself, but it answers the questions that matter before anyone starts on your tree.
Check the name
The insured named on it should match the business on your quote, ideally with the same ABN. A certificate in another business's name doesn't cover the crew in your yard.
Check the type of cover
Look for public liability, the cover for damage to property or injury to other people. The limit of cover is shown too. Workers compensation is a separate policy with its own paperwork.
Check the dates
The period of insurance should include the day of your job. A certificate that expired last month proves nothing.
Check what's covered
Many certificates describe the business activity insured. It should mention tree work, not just gardening or landscaping.
Confirm if unsure, then keep a copy
If anything looks off, ring the insurer named on it and ask whether the policy is current. Save the certificate with your quote.
Which arborist qualification is which?
| Codes | AQF level | Who usually holds it | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate III in Arboriculture | AHC30824, current since 1 May 2024 (older: AHC30820, AHC30816) | Level 3 | Trade arborists: climbing, EWP and crane work, environmental arborists and works coordinators |
| Diploma of Arboriculture | AHC50524, current release from 11 February 2025 (older: AHC50520) | Level 5 | Consulting arborists, who assess trees and write reports on their health and risk |
Which qualification do you need for your job?
For pruning, removals and stump work, a Certificate III is the trade standard. An older code isn't a lesser qualification: training.gov.au treats AHC30820, and AHC30816 before it, as earlier versions of the same certificate.
For a report, the bar is higher. Wingecarribee Shire Council says AQF Level 3 doesn't qualify an arborist to prepare formal reports, and wants reports for clearing permits and development applications from a Consulting Arborist at AQF Level 5 or above. Diploma students must already hold units, or their equivalent, in tree maintenance programs, pruning and tree identification before they start.
Independence matters for reports too. Willoughby Council only accepts reports from a consultant at AQF Level 5 who isn't financially tied to a tree removal or pruning company. Our arborist reports page explains what a good one covers.
Memberships: worth asking about, never required
Arboriculture Australia runs registered levels that arborists apply for. Its Registered Practicing Arborist level asks for an AQF Level 3 qualification, public liability insurance and 6 continuing education units (CEUs) a year. Its Registered Consulting Arborist level asks for AQF Level 5, public liability and professional indemnity insurance, and 12 CEUs a year.
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), a scientific and educational body founded in 1924 in Connecticut in the United States, runs its own credential for arborists. Because it comes from a private international society, it isn't an Australian training qualification or a government licence.
Both are voluntary. They're a good sign that someone keeps learning, not a substitute for insurance. If a membership is mentioned, ask which body and which level, then check with that body.
Near a power line, paperwork isn't enough
If a tree is touching or close to a power line, the network decides who works there, whatever qualifications someone holds. Never prune near a line yourself, and keep well clear of any line that's down. Our trees and power lines guide lists each network's faults number.
Questions that tell you a lot
- Can you email the certificate of currency before the job, not on the day?
- Which of your crew will be on site, and what qualifications do they hold?
- Do you prune to AS 4373, the Australian pruning standard?
- If you write the report, will you also be quoting for the removal?
- What happens if something of mine, or my neighbour's, gets damaged?
Checking an arborist: what to do next
We'd ask for the certificate of currency at the same time as the quote, and read the name and dates before saying yes. For anything going to the council, we'd want the report from someone at AQF Level 5 who isn't also lined up to take the tree down. A good arborist won't mind any of these questions, and how they answer is part of the check.
Want an arborist to look at it?
Tell us the job and your postcode, and a local arborist calls you to talk it through.