Branchline 05 7 min read Guide
Do you need council approval to remove a tree in the Northern Rivers?
When a tree-removal permit is required across Northern Rivers councils, how to apply, and when you also need an arborist report.
Short answer: Often yes, but not always. Whether you need a permit depends on the tree's height and trunk size, the species, and your council's rules. We check before any work is booked, so the job is legal before it starts.
When you do, and do not, need approval
Most Northern Rivers councils protect bigger trees. The triggers are tree height and trunk size, plus heritage and green zones. Smaller trees are often let through. So are some weed species, and trees that are dead or a clear hazard. But the limits differ in Ballina, Byron and Lismore. A tip from a mate is not enough to go on.
Before you remove a tree
- Measure the tree: height, and trunk circumference at about 1.4m off the ground.
- Check your council's tree or vegetation rules, or ask us to confirm for your address.
- If it is significant or near a build, get an arborist report (often what council wants).
- If it is an urgent hazard, keep photos and an assessment before it comes down.
What it costs to get approval
When a permit is needed, there are two costs. One is the council fee. The other is sometimes an arborist report to back it up. We price both as their own lines on the quote. A job that needs a permit and a report is never hidden as a plain removal.
Up to $1.1M
maximum penalty for illegal removal of a protected tree
NSW EP&A Act, indicative
200 mm
a common trunk-circumference trigger for needing approval
Typical council DCP
10 days
typical council turnaround on a tree application
Indicative, varies by council
Indicative figures for the Northern Rivers. Always confirm the current rule for your council and address.
Red flag
A lopper who says "no permit needed, mate" without measuring the tree or checking the
council rules, and offers to do it cash on the weekend, is how people end up with a fine
far larger than the quote. Walk away.
Good sign
A qualified arborist who measures the tree, identifies the species, checks your council's
rules, and is willing to tell you when a tree cannot legally come down.
If approval is refused, or the tree can stay
Sometimes the honest answer is that the tree stays, and a crown reduction or deadwooding solves the actual problem (the limb over the roof, the drop risk) without removing it. Where that is the case, we will say so, and quote the pruning instead.
The cheap lopper
The qualified arborist
Removes the tree with no check on whether it is legal.
Confirms whether council approval is required before booking.
No insurance, so a fine or damage lands on you.
Fully insured, with the AQF level named on the quote.
A vague all-in price.
Report, permit fee, removal, clean-up and stump, each a line.
Watch
Council tree approval, explained
A short walkthrough of when a Northern Rivers council needs an application before a tree comes down, and how we confirm it for you.
Common questions
Do I always need council approval to remove a tree?
No. It depends on the tree height and trunk size, the species, and your council rules. Many councils exempt small trees, certain weed species, and trees that are dead or an imminent hazard. We identify the tree and confirm what applies before any work is booked.
What if the tree is dangerous right now?
Most councils allow removal of an imminent hazard, but you should document it: photos, and ideally an arborist assessment. We make the tree safe and give you the paperwork that shows why it had to come down.
What is a significant or protected tree?
Broadly, a tree over a size threshold, or one that is heritage or habitat listed, or in a tree-protection or environmental zone. Removing one without approval can carry serious fines, which is exactly why we check first.