Storm damage and fallen trees in Turramurra
Keep people and cars away from split trunks and hanging branches; they can drop without warning. If anyone is hurt or trapped, call 000. For a tree on the house or across the driveway, the NSW SES takes calls. Report fallen wires to Ausgrid and stay at least 8 metres back.
Tree removal in Turramurra: what's local
Bush on the edges
Sheldon Forest, on the south-eastern boundary, holds some of the best preserved blue gums and turpentine forest around. Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park lies to the north, and Lane Cove National Park borders South Turramurra.
Some of Sydney's thickest canopy
Council's 2020 canopy mapping put neighbouring North Turramurra top of all Ku-ring-gai suburbs at 64.8%, with South Turramurra next at 61.8%. Across Ku-ring-gai there are about 92 kilometres where bushland meets private yards.
The 1991 storm
On 21 January 1991, a storm hit Turramurra, Lindfield and Wahroonga hardest, with damage that pointed to a tornado or severe downburst around Turramurra. The AIDR says at least 50,000 significant trees were felled or damaged, and falling trees hit over 10,000 houses.
Sloping blocks
Turramurra sits around 170 metres above sea level on hilly ground. On a slope, what's downhill of the tree (a house, a pool, a neighbour's roof) decides how it has to come down.
Building pressure on the centre
Ku-ring-gai's urban forest study expected the Turramurra local centre to lose more canopy to development than any other local centre in the council area.
Signs a tree needs an arborist in Turramurra
Not the way most people hope. Under NSW's 2026 changes, a tree can only come down under the risk exemption if council agrees it's an imminent safety risk and confirms that in writing first. Ku-ring-gai's DCP also requires council to be satisfied that a structurally unsound tree is an imminent risk to life or property.
Dead trees need written confirmation too. Email council photos and the address, and wait until it confirms the tree is dead and not needed as habitat. Our dead and dangerous trees page covers what an arborist checks.
Where risk is the issue, Ku-ring-gai's DCP says an arborist's report and testing may be needed for a significant tree said to be an imminent risk.
Hiring an arborist in Turramurra
Get an arborist out before the next big wind, not after it. A written assessment of a cracked limb or a lifting root plate is the evidence council asks for, and it's far easier to arrange on a calm day than in a storm clean-up. Until then, keep the area under the tree clear.