Tree removal permits in Perth
Perth is a patchwork. WALGA, the body for WA's local governments, released a model tree retention policy in March 2024, and each council decides for itself whether to adopt it. So two houses a few streets apart can sit under quite different rules.
The councils that have moved use a 'regulated tree' test. In WALGA's model, a living tree is regulated if it's 8 metres or more high, has a 6 metre average canopy, or a trunk 1.5 metres around measured 1.4 metres up. The Town of Cambridge's version started on 11 December 2024, the City of South Perth adopted its policy in 2025, and the Town of Bassendean says regulated trees can't be removed or substantially damaged without its approval. The City of Belmont's policy took effect on 6 August 2026.
Some councils also keep a list of named trees. The City of Fremantle has a Register of Significant Trees and Vegetation Areas, and owners are told before a tree is added. Bushland is a separate question again: clearing native vegetation in WA is an offence without a permit from the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, or an exemption. Our WA tree removal permits page walks through how it all fits.
Tree removal in Perth: what's local
A city short on canopy
WALGA said in 2024 that Perth has the lowest tree canopy cover of any Australian capital, at 16%. That's the reason councils are tightening up, and why a removal that sailed through a few years ago may now need a development application.
Tuarts, jarrah, marri and peppermints
Tuart is the giant of the coastal plain, growing to 40 metres on sand over limestone. Jarrah and marri dominate the hills side, in places like Kalamunda, Armadale and Mundaring. WA peppermint, a smaller tree to about 10 metres, turns up all over the western suburbs.
Storms come in winter
Perth's damaging weather mostly arrives on cold fronts. The south-west typically gets four to six a month from April to October, one or two of them severe, and about two tornadoes a year touch the metro area.
The shot-hole borer quarantine
A quarantine for the polyphagous shot-hole borer, a tiny beetle that kills trees, covers the whole metro area. It controls how wood and prunings can be moved, so it shapes almost every tree job in Perth. More on the tree pests and diseases guide.
Fire season in the hills
Hills councils send firebreak and hazard notices each year. Kalamunda's 2026/2027 notice wanted work finished by 1 November, including under-pruning tall trees near buildings. Check WA's Map of Bush Fire Prone Areas for your address.
Western Power for lines
Western Power runs the network. It says homeowners must keep trees on their property clear of powerlines all year, and takes reports of fallen or damaged lines.
Trees and power lines in Perth
Keep everyone at least 8 metres away, the distance Western Power gives, and treat the line as live. Call Western Power, or 000 first if anyone is hurt or there's fire. If a storm has badly damaged the house and you can't make it safe, the SES can help. An arborist comes after the network has made the line safe.
Common tree jobs in Perth
Pruning before winter. DFES suggests trimming loose branches before storm season, so autumn is when most Perth pruning calls start. See tree pruning in Perth for how council policies and the borer rules affect a prune.
Removals on smaller blocks. Infill and extensions put big gums next to new walls. That's exactly where a regulated tree policy or a significant tree listing can apply, so the council check comes before the quote.
Stumps in sandy ground. Once a tree is gone, the stump is the next job. Stump grinding in Perth covers what happens to the grindings under the quarantine.
Palms. Canary Island date palms grow wild on the coastal plain and cotton palms seed into the Swan River's banks. Palm trees in Perth covers the fronds, the lines and the weeds.
Clearing a block. Bigger blocks in the hills and on the fringe bring native vegetation permits and firebreak orders into play. See land clearing in Perth.
Hiring an arborist in Perth
Ring your council's planning team before you book anyone, and ask one question: does your tree retention or significant tree policy cover this tree? If the tree looks sick, with small round holes or sawdust-like dust on the bark, report it to DPIRD first and wait for their advice. Then get an arborist out to look at it in person, and make sure the quote says who's handling any council approval and where the wood is going.