Which trees does the Inner West protect?
The Inner West Council Tree Management DCP 2023, in force since 1 April 2023, sets the rules for trees on private land. It protects (prescribes) any tree that passes one of four tests, listed below. The state framework behind it is on our NSW permit page.
The four tests for a prescribed tree
- 4 metres or taller above existing ground level
- Under 4 metres, but with a trunk diameter over 150mm at 1.4m (breast height)
- A canopy spread of 2 metres or more
- A palm or tree fern with 4 metres or more of clean stem
A 2 metre canopy isn't big, so even a courtyard tree behind a terrace can count. A tree works permit covers removing or pruning a prescribed tree, pruning more than 10% of its canopy, and any root pruning.
Dead trees and heritage streets
Removing a dead tree still needs council consent here, through a tree works permit or a development application. Don't let anyone take one down just because it has died.
Heritage changes the route entirely. Trees on council's Heritage Trees List, on a heritage item property, in a heritage conservation area, or forming part of an Aboriginal object or place need a development application, not a tree permit. Check whether your street sits in one before you apply.
How to lodge a tree permit in the Inner West
Complete the form
Fill in the Prune or Remove a Tree on Private Land form.
Get every owner's signature
All owners must sign. Council says an application without every owner's signature will be refused.
Add reports if they help
Arborist reports aren't mandatory, but they can help, and so can a plumber's report if roots are in the pipes.
Lodge online
Register on council's online portal and lodge there. Complete applications are generally finalised within 28 days, but in October 2026 council warned of a 6-8 week turnaround because of a backlog.
Replant if approved
A replacement tree must be planted for any prescribed tree approved for removal.
If you think the tree is dangerous
Council's DCP wants written evidence that a tree is imminently dangerous: photographs, or written evidence from an AQF5 arborist. If anyone is in danger right now, call 000. The SES handles storm damage to homes.
Council doesn't prune or remove trees on private property itself. Once you have consent, an arborist does the work, and council suggests working arborists hold AQF Level 3.
What council does about illegal tree work
After a report, council inspects the tree to identify the species and what was cut, gathers evidence, and applies penalties and/or warnings. Where trees were removed without consent it may ask for extra planting. Rangers take reports, and council has an after-hours on-call line for urgent matters.
Bigger NSW penalties were announced as proposals on 20 October 2026, including court penalties of up to $500,000 for individuals.
Inner West Council tree removal permits: what to do next
We'd check two things before anything else: whether the street is in a heritage conservation area, and whether the tree passes any of the four tests. With tests this low, expect the second answer to be yes. Then we'd collect every owner's signature before lodging, since a missing one is the easiest refusal to avoid, and allow for the longer wait council flagged.
Want an arborist to look at it?
Tell us the job and your postcode, and a local arborist calls you to talk it through.