Sydney, New South Wales

Arborist reports in Sydney

Arborist reports in Sydney, matched to a local arborist.

Sydney councils that ask for an arborist report generally want it from a consulting arborist with AQF Level 5, the Diploma of Arboriculture, and some only consider reports written to their own guidelines.

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.

When council asks for an arborist report in Sydney

Not always at the start. Ku-ring-gai and Inner West don't make a report compulsory with every tree application, though Inner West says one may help it succeed. Campbelltown wants a report from a qualified arborist for any tree over 10 metres, and Lane Cove wants an AQF Level 5 report to remove a live tree on safety or damage grounds.

Reports carry the most weight when a tree is said to be dangerous or dying. Since the 2026 NSW changes, your council has to confirm in writing that a tree is an imminent risk before work starts, and Parramatta, Ryde and Georges River all point to an AQF5 tree risk assessment as the evidence.

Building work is the other trigger. Willoughby requires a report for clearing in a development application, and Blacktown sends heritage, conservation-area and register trees through a development application with an arboricultural assessment report.

Arborist reports in Sydney: what's local

Willoughby

Only a Consultant Arborist with at least AQF Level 5, working to AS 4373 and AS 4970, who isn't financially tied to a tree removal or pruning company.

Hornsby and Ku-ring-gai

Both publish their own guidelines for arborist reports. Hornsby accepts reports only if they follow its guidelines, and Ku-ring-gai won't consider a report that doesn't follow its own.

Blacktown

Only an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist can declare a tree dangerous or dying there, and council says to keep their report and photos as proof.

Inner West

Council sets levels by task: AQF Level 5 or equivalent for consulting reports, Level 4 for root pruning assessments and Level 3 for working arborists.

Sutherland Shire

In judging a tree's risk, council weighs its own officers' advice or a report by someone with AQF Level 4 or higher in arboriculture.

What goes into a council report

Expect the tree identified by species, its health and structure described, your reason for the work assessed against what council actually tests, photos, and a clear recommendation. Where a tree sits near a building project, AS 4970:2025, the standard for protecting trees on development sites, sets out tree protection zones and impact assessments. Our tree protection zones guide explains those.

A report isn't a permit. It's evidence council weighs, so a weak or off-format one can sink an application that might otherwise have gone through.

Questions to ask about a report in Sydney

Do you hold AQF Level 5, the Diploma of Arboriculture?
Will you write it to my council's report guidelines, if it has them?
Do you also do removals or pruning? Willoughby won't accept a report from someone financially tied to that work.
Will the report deal with the reason council will test, such as risk, damage or development?
Do you carry professional indemnity insurance as well as public liability?
When will I have it in writing, and does it include photos?

Hiring an arborist for a report in Sydney

Read your council's page to see whether a report is required, optional or only needed for certain reasons. If you're claiming risk or damage, get the report before you apply, from an AQF5 consultant who won't be doing the cutting. It takes a little longer up front and can save you a refusal and a review.

Arborist reports in Sydney: common questions

Can the arborist who removes my tree write the report?

Some councils say no. Willoughby only accepts reports from a consultant who isn't financially tied to a removal or pruning company, so ask before you book.

Does every Sydney tree application need an arborist report?

No. Ku-ring-gai and Inner West say reports aren't mandatory, though they can help. Others want one in particular cases, like Campbelltown for trees over 10 metres. Check your council's page.

What's the difference between AQF Level 3 and Level 5?

Level 3 is the Certificate III in Arboriculture, the trade qualification for working arborists. Level 5 is the Diploma of Arboriculture, held by consulting arborists who assess trees and write reports on their health and risk.

Need an arborist report in Sydney?

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

Other tree services in Sydney

Tree permits in New South Wales