Melbourne, Victoria

Arborist reports in Melbourne

Arborist reports in Melbourne, matched to a local arborist.

Melbourne councils ask for an arborist report when a permit turns on a tree's health or risk, or when building work comes near a tree, and several say who should write it.

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.

A person in a helmet and a plain orange vest measuring round the trunk of a large tree with a tape, a tablet in the other hand

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

Tell us the job
What the tree needs and your postcode. A few taps.
We pass it on
To a local arborist near your postcode.
They call you
They talk it through, usually see the tree, and quote in writing. You decide.

Arborist reports in Melbourne: what's local

Banyule

Asks for an arborist report if 4 or more trees are involved, if any tree is on its significant tree register, or if the work is tied to a development.

Yarra Ranges

Wants a report if proposed work comes within 15 metres of a tree, or will remove, destroy or lop a protected tree. It should give each tree's dimensions, health, structure, tree protection zone and structural root zone, consistent with AS 4970:2025.

Glen Eira and Darebin

Glen Eira says reports should be prepared by suitably qualified AQF Level 5 arborists. Darebin asks for an AQF 5 report using an industry-recognised method for tree health, and a tree risk assessment for risk.

Kingston

Asks for a qualified arborist's risk assessment when the reason for removal is safety. For a tree on its significant tree register, the report must cover condition, reasons, alternatives, remedial action, the arborist's qualifications and a timetable.

Canopy tree applications

Under clause 52.37, removing or lopping a canopy tree for health or stability needs an assessment by a suitably qualified person. Knox and Monash both ask for that statement with the application.

Not every council

Boroondara's permit page doesn't require one: a council arborist inspects, and you can attach any expert reports you already have.

Building near trees in Melbourne

If you're building, subdividing or adding a unit, the report's job is to show which trees stay and how they'll be protected. AS 4970:2025 replaced the 2009 standard on 30 May 2025, and covers tree protection zones, structural root zones, impact assessments and tree protection plans. Older council documents may still quote the 2009 edition.

Councils differ on the process. Whitehorse points applicants to its guideline for arborist reports, known as an Arboricultural Impact Assessment. Maroondah suggests combining a tree removal application with the development application for two or more dwellings. Our tree protection zones guide explains the zones in plain English.

When council asks for an arborist report in Melbourne

Each tree's number, photo, botanical and common name
Height, canopy spread and trunk measurements
Health, structure and retention value
A site map with each tree's protection zone and root zone
The reason for removal or works, and alternatives considered
A risk assessment by a recognised method, where safety is the reason
The author's qualifications

Questions to ask about a report in Melbourne

Do you hold the Diploma of Arboriculture (AHC50524) or an earlier equivalent?
Have you written reports for my council, and do you know its checklist?
Which standard and risk method will you use?
Will the report cover every tree within the distance my council sets?
Will you attend a site meeting or answer council questions?

Hiring an arborist for a report in Melbourne

Read your council's checklist first, then brief the arborist with it, the site plan and any development drawings. A report written to the wrong scope gets sent back. If it's for a dispute or an appeal, say so up front, because the arborist will set it out differently.

Arborist reports in Melbourne: common questions

Who can write an arborist report for a Melbourne council?

Councils set their own expectations. Glen Eira and Darebin name AQF Level 5, which is the Diploma of Arboriculture, the qualification for consulting arborists. Check your council's page before you book.

Do I need a report to remove a dead or dangerous tree?

Many councils want evidence. Glen Eira recommends a qualified arborist's statement and photos for hazard removals, and Kingston asks for a risk assessment when safety is the reason. Ask the council what it needs before the tree comes down.

Does a planning permit for my building cover the trees?

Not always. Kingston notes that a planning or building permit doesn't guarantee a local law permit to remove a protected tree. Raise the trees early with your council and your designer.

Need an arborist report in Melbourne?

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

Other tree services in Melbourne

Arborists in suburbs around Melbourne

Tree permits in Victoria