Tree removal in the Southern Highlands: good to know
| Tree Removal Exemption (TREX) | Vegetation Clearing Permit | Development application | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How many trees | Up to 5 in each 12 months | Up to ten in each 12 months | Over 10 in 12 months, or any tree work tied to building |
| When it fits | The tree is dead, dying or dangerous | Other removals and pruning, including dead trees with habitat | Development, heritage impacts, threatened communities or habitat for listed species |
| Reports | A dangerous tree needs a Consulting Arborist report at AQF Level 5 | A qualified arborist's report on species and the reason | Whatever the assessment needs, heritage evidence included |
Tree removal permits in the Southern Highlands
The TREX has exemption in its name, but it's still an application to council, and council has to approve it. It only fits a tree that's dead, dying or dangerous. A dead or dying tree with habitat in it, or the potential for habitat, goes the Vegetation Clearing Permit way instead.
Heritage is the other trap. If council thinks a removal may significantly affect heritage significance, it won't approve a TREX, and you'll need a development application with evidence from a heritage assessment.
What counts as a tree comes from the Wingecarribee development control plan, which has separate urban and rural sections. Its size tests include a height over 6 metres or a crown spread of at least 4 metres. NSW's wider framework is on our NSW permit page.
Tree removal in the Southern Highlands: what's local
Arborist levels matter here
Council says a practising arborist holds at least AQF Level 3 and does hands-on tree work, but that level doesn't qualify them to write formal reports. Reports for a clearing permit or a DA come from a Consulting Arborist at AQF Level 5.
Pruning has rules too
Wingecarribee lists lopping (cutting between branch unions and leaving a stub) as prohibited pruning work, and calls topping an antiquated practice that weakens trees. Pruning must follow AS 4373 unless an AQF Level 5 arborist specifies otherwise.
Private means not council's
Council treats any tree on land that isn't under council or government control as a private tree. Trees in parks and on verges are a separate conversation with council.
Endeavour Energy's lines
Wingecarribee is in Endeavour Energy's franchise area. Endeavour says the trees on your property are yours to keep clear of the service line, and to keep a three metre safety clearance from its powerlines yourself.
Storm damage and fallen trees in the Southern Highlands
Anyone hurt or trapped: 000. A fallen tree blocking the driveway or threatening the house: the NSW SES. Fallen or sparking lines: Endeavour Energy, and keep 8 metres back. Leave hanging branches alone until an arborist has looked at them.
Questions to ask an arborist in the Southern Highlands
- Which of council's three routes do you think this tree falls under, and why?
- If it's dangerous, who will write the Consulting Arborist report, and at what AQF level?
- Have you checked for hollows or nests that could push it into a Vegetation Clearing Permit?
- Is the property heritage listed, or in a heritage conservation area?
- Will the pruning follow AS 4373, with no lopping or topping?
- Can I see your insurance before work starts?
Hiring an arborist in the Southern Highlands
Count the trees you want gone over the next year, then sort them by condition. One or two dead or dangerous trees is TREX territory, with a Level 5 report for anything dangerous. A bigger tidy-up or a healthy tree points to the clearing permit, and anything tied to building plans belongs in the DA. Ring council if it's not clear-cut.