Tree pruning and lopping in Karrinyup
Lopping, or topping, cuts branches back to stubs between branch points. The tree answers with a burst of shoots that are often poorly attached, so the problem comes back and the tree can end up more dangerous than before. Australia's pruning standard, AS 4373-2007, lists both as unacceptable.
What usually works is one of the standard's pruning classes instead: crown thinning to let light and wind through, reduction pruning to bring a limb back off the roof, or crown lifting to clear a driveway. There's more in our lopping vs pruning guide and on crown thinning and lifting.
Whose tree is it in Karrinyup?
| Who's responsible | What that means for you | |
|---|---|---|
| The verge tree | The City of Stirling | Only the City may prune it; doing it yourself counts as vandalism |
| A tree under power lines | The City, and sometimes Western Power | Western Power may prune for clearance; report a tree on a line to them |
| Your own tree | You | Check the title for a register notification, and ask the City before a big removal |
| The neighbour's tree | Your neighbour | Legal Aid WA says overhanging branches can be cut back to the boundary unless a tree preservation order applies |
Tree lopping in Karrinyup: what's local
Golf and open space
About a third of Karrinyup is reserve, bushland or golf course. The private Lake Karrinyup Country Club is in the north-east, and the City's Hamersley Golf Course runs along the western border.
Houses from 1957 on
Karrinyup grew quickly from 1957, and again after the Mitchell Freeway reached Karrinyup Road in 1983 and 1984. Most homes are relatively modern brick and tile, many of them two storeys.
A swamp in the name
The name comes from Careniup, a local swamp; the country club changed the spelling in 1929.
New trees
About 100 trees went into Karrinyup in Stirling's 2025/26 planting, and the City now waters new trees for three years instead of two.
What won't Stirling prune for?
Stirling prunes street trees every year, and the City's street tree pruning map shows when your street is due. But it won't prune one to make it smaller, cut shade, reduce leaf, flower or seed drop, keep birds away or open up a view. If you're worried about a street tree's health or safety, use the City's Request for Maintenance form.
Storm damage and fallen trees in Karrinyup
Keep people and cars out from under it, because a split limb can drop without warning. If it's touching a power line, stay at least 8 metres away and call Western Power. For storm damage to the house that you can't make safe, call the SES, and 000 if anyone's in danger.
Hiring an arborist in Karrinyup
We'd ask an arborist to look at the tree and tell us what's actually wrong: weight over the roof, a limb reaching for the neighbours, too much shade on the pool. Then we'd ask for a pruning plan written to AS 4373-2007 rather than a quote to lop it. If removal really is the answer, we'd check the title and ring the City first, and read our WA permits page.