Tell us the job

Sydney, New South Wales

Hedge trimming in Sydney

Hedge trimming in Sydney, matched to a local arborist.

Most Sydney hedge trimming is plain garden upkeep, but once a hedge passes 2.5 metres and severely blocks a neighbour's sun or view, the NSW Trees Act and the Land and Environment Court can come into it.

  • 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.

Tree job in Sydney?

Only one local arborist gets your number.

A worker in earmuffs, safety glasses and gloves trimming a tall hedge from the lawn with a long-reach hedge trimmer

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

  1. Tell us the job

    What the tree needs and your postcode. A few taps.

  2. We pass it on

    To a local arborist near your postcode.

  3. They call you

    They talk it through, usually see the tree, and quote in writing. You decide.

How hedge trimming works in Sydney

Legal Aid NSW says a hedge under the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006 is two or more trees over 2.5 metres high, planted together to form a hedge. For these disputes, bamboo, tiger grass and giant clumping grass count as trees too.

For an order, the hedge has to severely obstruct sunlight to a window of a home on the neighbour's land, or a view from that home. The Court must be satisfied you've tried to sort it out first, and the neighbour and council must be served at least 21 days before the preliminary hearing.

The Court can order pruning or removal, but compensation for lost sun or views isn't available. Our neighbours' trees guide covers the wider rules.

Hedge trimming in Sydney: what's local

Big hedge plants can be trees to council

A tall screen can include plants big enough to fall under a DCP. Inner West prescribes trees 4 m or taller, and Willoughby trees over 4 m or with a crown wider than 3 m, so a hard cut on an old hedge may need approval.

Views aren't a council reason

Lane Cove says it doesn't allow large sections of trees to be cut for sun or views, and Willoughby generally won't approve removal for views or light. For a neighbour's hedge, the Trees Act is the route, not council.

Reaching over the fence

Lane Cove needs the neighbour's written consent if pruning means going onto their land or reaching across the boundary. Legal Aid NSW says cuttings from a neighbour's plant belong to them, so hand them back.

Council won't referee

Georges River says council can't make neighbours prune or mediate disputes, and points people to a Community Justice Centre, then the Land and Environment Court.

Questions to ask about hedge trimming in Sydney

  • The finished height and width, and which faces get cut
  • How often it should be trimmed to hold that shape
  • Whether any plant in the hedge is big enough to need council approval
  • Access to the neighbour's side, with their written OK
  • Clippings: mulched, bagged or taken away
  • Whether part of the hedge is near the service wire to the house, which comes first

Hedge trimming in Sydney: what you can do yourself

You can

  • Trim soft new growth you can reach from the ground with hand shears or loppers
  • Talk to the neighbour early, before a hedge turns into a dispute
  • Keep dated photos if a window is losing its sun

Leave to an arborist

  • Hedges you'd need a ladder or a platform for
  • A hard cut back on an old, overgrown hedge, which some plants don't recover from
  • Anything growing near a power line, including your own service wire

Hiring an arborist for hedge trimming in Sydney

Agree a height everyone can live with, then hold it there with regular trims, which is kinder to the plants than a hard cut every few years. If you're the one losing sun, start with a friendly conversation and a photo record. Court is the last step, and Legal Aid NSW suggests getting a shade diagram from an expert before you apply.

Hedge trimming in Sydney: common questions

What height makes a hedge a problem in NSW?

The Trees Act deals with hedges of two or more trees over 2.5 metres that severely block sun to a window or a view from a neighbour's home. Trees that damage property or could injure someone are dealt with separately, and council rules still apply to large plants.

Can I trim my neighbour's hedge from my side?

Legal Aid NSW says you may be able to cut back to the boundary, but check with your council first, and don't go onto their land without permission. The cuttings belong to the neighbour.

Will council order my neighbour to cut their hedge?

Generally not. Georges River, for one, says it can't compel neighbours or mediate. A Community Justice Centre is the usual next step, then the Land and Environment Court.

Need a hedge trimmed in Sydney?

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

Tree job in Sydney?

Only one local arborist gets your number.

Other tree services in Sydney

Arborists in suburbs around Sydney

Tree permits in New South Wales

More on hedge trimming in Sydney

Sources

Tree rules change, so check with your council before anything is cut. How we write and check these pages.