Can I prune 10% of a tree without a permit on the North Shore?

Don't assume so. Lane Cove says it doesn't allow it, and the councils that list light pruning set their own limits. Check with your council before any cut.

Does a dead tree still need approval?

Since NSW's 2026 changes, dead and dying protected trees need a council permit or Native Vegetation Panel approval. In Ku-ring-gai, email council photos and the address and wait for written confirmation.

Who prunes the street tree under the power lines?

Ausgrid clears vegetation around its network that isn't on private property. Report trees near wires to Ausgrid.

Tree removal North Shore: four councils, four permit tests

Tree removal permits on the North Shore

	Council	Size that triggers a permit
North Sydney	Over 5 metres high, a crown over 5 metres wide, or a trunk circumference over 500 mm at ground level.	Fines for breaching its policy can reach $1.1 million, for whoever did the work and whoever asked for it.
Willoughby	Over 4 metres tall, a girth over 600 millimetres at 1.4 metres, or a crown spread over 3 metres.	Locally native and visually prominent trees can be covered too. Approved permits go up on the front boundary 72 hours before work.
Lane Cove	Over 4 metres tall, a canopy over 5 metres, a trunk over 150mm across at 1 metre, or roots 40mm or more.	Council says it doesn't allow pruning of up to 10% without a permit, unlike some other councils.
Ku-ring-gai	5 metres or taller, or a trunk 150mm across or more at ground level.	No work can start on a dead tree until council confirms in writing it's dead and not needed as habitat.

Not sure which council you're in?

Your rates notice will say. As a rough guide from Ausgrid's suburb lists, St Ives, Pymble, Killara, Lindfield and Gordon are in Ku-ring-gai, Cremorne and Cammeray are in North Sydney, and Northbridge is in Willoughby. Lane Cove has its own council.

Each one has a page on the rules: Willoughby, Lane Cove and Ku-ring-gai. For North Sydney, ring council and see the NSW permit rules.

Tree removal on the North Shore: what's local

Bushland in the back fence

Ku-ring-gai says over 30 per cent of its area is bushland, across 158 reserves, bordered by Garigal, Lane Cove and Ku-ring-gai Chase national parks. Willoughby looks after over 300 hectares, mostly along the Lane Cove River and Middle Harbour.

Rare forest on the ridges

Blue Gum High Forest, led by Sydney blue gum and blackbutt, is critically endangered and found mainly in Lane Cove, Willoughby, Ku-ring-gai and nearby areas. Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest is another critically endangered community with remnants in Ku-ring-gai.

Bushfire prone streets

Ku-ring-gai says to check whether a property is bushfire prone on its online map, the RFS tool or a Section 10.7 planning certificate. Any 10/50 clearing depends on the RFS mapping on the day.

Wires

Ausgrid's crews were trimming in Ku-ring-gai, North Sydney and Willoughby suburbs in October and November 2026. Trees on street lines are Ausgrid's: call them.

Big old trees and big fines

In June 2026, a Killara owner was reported fined $10,000 plus $4,800 in costs in Hornsby Local Court for removing a 24 metre Norfolk Island pine without consent. Councils here do follow up.

If you're searching for a tree lopper, know that cutting a big tree back to stubs is the kind of work councils refuse. An arborist can usually get the clearance you want with proper pruning, and can write up a removal case where one exists.

Hiring an arborist on the North Shore

We'd confirm the council from the rates notice, then measure the tree the way that council measures it, because the four tests really are different. If it's a native on a ridge or near bushland, we'd expect it to be protected and get an arborist's written assessment before applying.

Tree removal and lopping on the North Shore