When you need one
You won’t need a report for every tree. Councils usually ask for one when:
- the tree is large or significant, and council wants evidence before approving removal
- you’re claiming the tree is dead, dying or dangerous
- the tree is on a development site (for a DA or complying development)
- the tree is causing structural damage, when council may also want an engineer’s or plumber’s report
- you’re appealing a refusal, or taking a neighbour dispute to the Land and Environment Court
Some councils send their own arborist to inspect every application. Sutherland Shire does, so a report there is optional unless you’re lodging under its TRAQ fee line or reviewing a refusal. Liverpool and Ryde expect an AQF 5 report for removals.
What “AQF Level 5” means
The Australian Qualifications Framework levels in arboriculture run from Certificate II to a Graduate Diploma. The current qualifications are:
- AHC30824 Certificate III in Arboriculture (AQF 3): the trade qualification for climbing and EWP arborists
- AHC50524 Diploma of Arboriculture (AQF 5): described as the qualification “for consulting arborists and tree managers” who assess trees and write reports
(Older certificates carry earlier codes such as AHC30820 and AHC50520, which have now been superseded.)
What a good report contains
Sutherland Shire’s published checklist is a good benchmark:
- the author’s name, qualifications and licence numbers
- the brief, site address, inspection date and method, including TRAQ forms if used
- a site map with every tree numbered
- for each tree: scientific and common name, height, canopy spread, trunk diameter, condition, and the tree protection zone and structural root zone
- a discussion of the evidence, such as decay, cracks, root damage and lean, with captioned photos
- the options (keep, prune, remove), how feasible each is, and a recommendation
For development sites, the standard is AS 4970:2025 Protection of trees on development sites, which replaced the 2009 edition in May 2025.
Independence
A few councils won’t accept a report written by a company that also does tree removal:
- Woollahra: only from AQF 5 arborists whose company has no financial link to tree removal or pruning.
- Lane Cove: its DCP says reports must be by independent AQF 5 arborists.
- Sutherland Shire: TRAQ reports lodged with an application must come from an independent consultant with no link to a tree contracting company.
Others ask for an “independent” arborist for some applications, which a company that also does the tree work may not satisfy:
- Willoughby: its application form asks for an independent AQF Level 5 arborist’s report.
- Mosman: dangerous-tree claims and appeals need an independent consulting arborist’s report.
- Northern Beaches: removing a significant tree needs a report from an independent qualified arborist.
Where any of these apply, we’ll tell you straight away, point you to an independent consultant, and quote the approved work afterwards. For other applications, our two AQF Level 5 consulting arborists can write the report. Each council’s page notes the rule where it exists. See arborist reports and permits.