Trees and power lines in Sydney
If anyone is hurt or trapped, call 000. For a tree on the house or blocking the driveway, the SES can help. Keep everyone at least 8 metres from fallen lines and anything touching them. A tree on a street line is the network's job: Ausgrid, or Endeavour Energy in Greater Western Sydney.
Tree removal permits in Sydney
The state sets the frame. Chapter 2 of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021 covers the listed Metropolitan Sydney council areas, and each council's development control plan (DCP) then decides which private trees need approval.
The 2026 NSW changes tightened things everywhere. Protected dead and dying trees now need a council permit, and the imminent risk exemption only applies once your council confirms it in writing.
Where some Sydney councils draw the line
| What the council says needs approval | Worth knowing | |
|---|---|---|
| Inner West | A tree 4 m or taller, a shorter one with a trunk over 150mm at 1.4 m, a canopy spread of 2 m or more, or a palm with 4 m of clean stem | Pruning more than 10% of the canopy, and any root pruning, needs a permit |
| Lane Cove | A tree over 4 m tall, a canopy over 5 m wide, a trunk over 150mm at 1 m, or roots 40mm or more | Council says it doesn't allow 10% pruning without a permit |
| Parramatta | Any tree or palm 5 m or taller, whatever the species | Heritage sites go through a development application |
| Sutherland Shire | A trunk 100mm or more across, measured 500mm above the ground | Bushland plants of any size, and trees within 4 m of a creek |
| Hornsby | Every tree except species council treats as invasive or environmentally detrimental | Council's online decision tool shows whether you need a permit |
We also have permit pages for Ku-ring-gai, Willoughby, Cumberland, the Northern Beaches, Ryde, Blacktown, Penrith, Georges River, Randwick and Campbelltown. Otherwise, start at the NSW permit page and your council's own tree page.
Tree removal in Sydney: what's local
Sandstone ridges
Sydney red gums (Angophora costata) grow on sandy soil over sandstone, and their smooth pink, grey or cream bark gives them away. Rock near the surface affects how a tree anchors and how deep a stump can be ground.
Shale forests in the north
Blue Gum High Forest, of Sydney blue gum and blackbutt, survives mainly from Lane Cove and Willoughby up through Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby and Ryde, with less than 200 hectares left by 2000.
Clay woodland in the west
Cumberland Plain Woodland, grey box and forest red gum on heavy clay, has 9 percent of its original extent left. Both forests are critically endangered, and the 10/50 Code doesn't allow clearing critically endangered communities.
Figs and palms
Port Jackson figs spread wide on rocky ground, often with buttressed trunks, so one near a wall or pool needs its roots looked at. Parramatta, Inner West and Randwick all write palms into their rules.
Storm damage and fallen trees in Sydney
East coast lows are the storms to watch. The Bureau of Meteorology says they can bring damaging to destructive winds and heavy to intense rain, and the June 2007 storm caused widespread damage across the Sydney metropolitan area. Our storm damage page covers what to do first.
Where suburbs back onto bush, the NSW 10/50 rule may apply; Northern Beaches, Sutherland Shire and Blacktown all mention it in their tree rules. It only works inside a mapped entitlement area, and the RFS says to check its online tool on the day you clear. Our 10/50 guide explains the limits.
Tree removal in Sydney: good to know
Two networks share Sydney. Ausgrid's tree trimming areas are Northern Sydney and Southern and Eastern Sydney, and Endeavour Energy covers Greater Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains. Trimming within three metres of Ausgrid's lines is only for workers qualified under the SafeWork NSW code, and Endeavour asks everyone to keep a three metre clearance. Our power lines guide explains who does what.
Questions to ask an arborist in Sydney
Plenty of people here search for tree loppers, and that's fine. A good arborist will gently explain that lopping (cutting branches back to stubs) isn't proper pruning, and Northern Beaches says it won't approve lopping or topping requests. The lopping page sets out the difference.
We also have Sydney pages on tree pruning, stump grinding, palm trees, hedge trimming, arborist reports and land clearing.
Hiring an arborist in Sydney
We'd find out which council you're in before anything else, then read that council's page for its size rule and whether pruning and dead trees are covered. Get an arborist to look at the tree and put the plan in writing, including who lodges the application. If there's any chance a branch is near a line, ring the network first.