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Council tree rules · checked 30 September 2026
Blacktown tree removal rules
Checked against Blacktown City Council's own documents on · Council: 02 5300 6000
In Blacktown you need Council's written permission before you prune or remove any tree taller than 3 metres or with a trunk more than 200 mm across (measured 1 m above the ground). There is no general pruning allowance and no published exempt-species list; the main exemptions are dead, dying or dangerous trees backed by evidence you keep yourself. Applications cost $115Council fee plus $26.50Council fee per tree (pensioner owner-occupiers free) and Council must decide within 28 days.
The checker
Do I need approval to remove my tree?
Blacktown's rules as a map. Answer each question and it follows your path to the answer. It's a guide: if you're unsure, ask council or ask us.
Is the tree on your own private property (not a street, nature strip or park)?
Council's tree — don't touch it
Residents are not permitted to prune or remove street trees. Report it to Council on 02 5300 6000.
Is the tree removal part of a development application or complying development (CDC)?
Handled through your development approval
Don't use the tree permit form. Talk to your private certifier, or Council's Greenspace team on 5300 6000.
Is the property heritage listed, in a heritage conservation area or biodiversity conservation area, or is the tree on the Significant Tree Register?
Development application needed
Tree permits can't be issued here. Lodge a DA with an arborist report. Maintenance pruning or deadwood removal (AS 4373) is allowed as minor works.
Is the tree taller than 3 m, or is its trunk more than 200 mm across at 1 m above ground?
No permit needed
This falls outside Council's tree controls. Keep photos in case Council asks.
Is the tree dead (with no habitat), or has an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist reported it as dying or imminently dangerous?
Exempt — but keep your evidence
You can proceed without a permit only if you keep photos (dead tree) or the AQF Level 5 arborist report (dying or dangerous). Without it you risk prosecution.
Are you only removing branches that are partially detached or damaged by a storm?
No permit needed
This falls outside Council's tree controls. Keep photos in case Council asks.
You need a tree work permit
Lodge the Tree work permit application and pay $115Council fee plus $26.50Council fee per tree. Council must decide within 28 days of payment.
How to apply on the Blacktown website · Need an arborist report?
Size matters
How big is "protected" in Blacktown?
- Height: more than 3 m
- Trunk: diameter more than 200 mm, measured 1.0 m above ground
You need approval to…
- Pruning, lopping, cutting down, root cutting, uprooting, killing, poisoning, ringbarking or burning any prescribed tree — a tree taller than 3 metres and/or with a trunk diameter of more than 200 mm measured 1 m above ground.
- Destroying or clearing vegetation, in part or in whole, without Council consent.
- Any tree work on a property that is heritage listed, in a heritage conservation area, in a biodiversity conservation area, or on a tree listed on Council's Register of Significant Trees and Vegetation — this needs a development application with an arborist report, not a tree permit.
- Tree removal connected with a development application or complying development — this is dealt with through the DA or by your certifier, not a tree permit.
Usually no approval needed for…
- Plants that do not meet the DCP definition of a tree (3 m or less in height and a trunk of 200 mm or less at 1 m above ground).
- A dead tree — no longer living, without hollows and not used by animals as habitat. Keep photos proving it was dead and not a habitat tree before removal.
- A dying tree — so far declined that death is unavoidable. Keep a report with photos from a Consulting Arborist (minimum AQF Level 5).
- A dangerous tree — in imminent danger of failing, where action is needed to protect life, buildings or non-relocatable property. Only a Consulting Arborist (minimum AQF Level 5) can declare it dangerous; keep their report.
- Removing branches partially detached or damaged in storms or high winds (not whole trees).
- Pruning or removal required by, or under a direction issued under, the Electricity Supply Act 1995, Rural Fires Act 1997, another Act, or a direction from an emergency service (e.g. Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW RFS, NSW Police). Keep written proof of the order.
- Clearing under the NSW RFS 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Code of Practice, if your property is in an entitlement area — but not on heritage-listed land or land mapped on the Biodiversity Values Map or the Blacktown LEP 2015 conservation maps, and check with Council first.
- On heritage-listed or conservation-area properties, 'minor works' — general maintenance pruning or deadwood removal as defined in AS 4373–2007 — do not need a development application.
Step by step
How to apply in Blacktown.
From checking the rules to planting the replacement tree.
Measure the tree
If it is over 3 m tall or the trunk is over 200 mm across at 1 m above ground, it is protected.
Check heritage and significance
Check Blacktown LEP 2015 Schedule 5, the Significant Tree & Vegetation Register and biodiversity maps. If any apply, you need a development application with an arborist report instead.
Check whether an exemption applies
Dead, dying or dangerous trees can be removed without a permit only if you keep the required photos or AQF Level 5 arborist report. If in doubt, apply.
Fill in the Tree work permit application
Number each tree on the block plan and give the species and reason. Every owner must sign; strata or company owners need the common seal.
Email or post the form and pay the invoice
Send it to council@blacktown.nsw.gov.au or Greenspace Services, PO Box 63, Blacktown NSW 2148. Pay the invoice ($115Council fee plus $26.50Council fee per tree) — the 28 days only starts once it is paid.
Allow the inspection
An Urban Forest Officer will inspect from ground level, including the backyard. Tell Council about dogs or tenants.
Wait for written approval
Do not start work until you have written approval, and plant any replacement trees the permit requires. You can appeal to the Land and Environment Court within 3 months.
Council fees paid to Blacktown City Council, not to Above All Tree Services
| Council fee for | Council fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tree removal and pruning application — processing fee | $115.00Council fee | 2026/27 Goods and Services Pricing Schedule, section 4.13.1. Invoice issued on receipt; not processed until paid. |
| Tree removal and pruning application — inspection fee | $26.50Council fee per tree | In addition to the processing fee. |
| Urgent inspection (within 48 hours) | $395.00Council fee | Covers 1 to 10 trees. Pensioners must pay this fee if they want an urgent inspection. Not available for CDC-related applications. |
| Extension of tree permit | $37.50Council fee per tree | One 3-month extension per permit. |
| Pensioner owner-occupiers | Free | Application and inspection fees waived with satisfactory evidence, if the pensioner owns and lives at the property. Does not apply to urgent requests. |
Processing: Council must determine the application within 28 days of the fee being paid; if not notified within 28 days it is deemed refused. Urgent applications are assessed within 48 hours (lodged after 10 am Friday means the following Monday; weekends and public holidays excluded). Council currently notes higher than usual volumes and longer processing times.
The details
Everything else you should know.
The situations that trip people up, from Blacktown council's own rules.
Pruning
Council says consent is required to prune any prescribed tree, and its pages publish no percentage or branch-size pruning allowance. The only pruning you can do without a permit is removing storm-damaged branches that are partially detached, pruning required by an authority (e.g. powerline clearance under the Electricity Supply Act), or work on trees that fall under the dead/dying/dangerous exemptions. Council notes that practising arborists (AQF Level 3) do physical tree work, while consulting arborists (AQF Level 5) prepare reports.
Dead or dangerous trees
Dead, dying and dangerous trees can be removed without a permit, but the proof burden is on you. For a dead tree keep photographs showing it was dead and not a habitat tree. For a dying or dangerous tree you need a report with photographs from a Consulting Arborist (minimum AQF Level 5) — only they can declare a tree dangerous — and you must keep it. Council says anyone who cannot demonstrate the tree was dying, dead or imminently about to fall is liable to prosecution. If you want Council to assess it instead, an Urgent application ($395,Council fee 1–10 trees) is inspected within 48 hours. Storm emergencies on private land should be reported to the SES on 132 500.
Arborist reports
Not compulsory for a standard tree work permit, but Council assesses what you submit, so include any reports and photos you want considered. A report from a Consulting Arborist (minimum AQF Level 5) is required to rely on the dying or dangerous tree exemptions, and an arboricultural assessment report must accompany a development application for heritage, conservation-area or significant-register trees.
Replacement planting
Where Council approves removal it will generally require replacement trees. The number, minimum mature height and type are set as conditions on the permit.
Bushfire and the 10/50 rule
Council says 10/50 options exist in designated bushfire-prone areas, but they do not apply to heritage-listed properties or land on the NSW Biodiversity Values Map or Blacktown LEP 2015 conservation maps. You must check with Council before clearing, and check the RFS online tool on the day of the work.
Heritage properties
Tree work permits cannot be issued for heritage-listed properties or those in a heritage conservation area (Blacktown LEP 2015 Schedule 5), in a biodiversity conservation area, or for trees on the Register of Significant Trees and Vegetation. Those need a development application with an arborist's assessment report. General maintenance pruning or deadwood removal (AS 4373) counts as 'minor works' and does not need a DA. Check the LEP, the NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer or call Council on 5300 6000.
Your neighbour's tree
First check whether the neighbour's tree is protected. If it is, the owner must apply, or authorise you in writing to apply — all owners must sign the form. Council will not mediate; if your neighbour won't agree you can use the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006 through the NSW Land and Environment Court (02 9113 8200).
Street and park trees
Residents are not permitted to prune or remove a street tree; doing so without a valid permit is an offence. Report street tree maintenance on 02 5300 6000 (24 hours for urgent issues) or via Council's online form. Removing a nature-strip tree for a driveway crossover needs Council permission, a processing fee and possibly a replacement tree fee.
Penalties
Council states that under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 it can issue on-the-spot fines and, where there is a breach of development consent (including tree removal without consent), fines of up to $3,000 for individuals and $6,000 for corporations. It can also take court action: up to 10,000 penalty units in the Land and Environment Court or up to 1,000 penalty units in the Local Court. It is not a defence that the species was not identified by a qualified person.
What's different about Blacktown
- Blacktown's prescribed-tree size test uses a 200 mm trunk diameter at 1.0 m — larger than most Sydney councils — but a lower 3 m height.
- Prospect is home to Significant Tree Register entries, including avenue plantings of hoop pines and bunya pines at Prospect Reservoir and trees at St Bartholomew's Church; listed trees need a development application for any removal.
- Council says Blacktown has some of the lowest urban canopy cover in NSW (just under 20.2%) and is preparing a Street Tree Master Plan.
- Pensioners who own and live in the property pay no application or inspection fee.
- Council's own officers inspect only from ground level using a basic Visual Tree Assessment, so independent AQF Level 5 reports are the way to raise concerns that can't be seen from the ground.
Trees common in Blacktown
- Forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis)
- Narrow-leaved ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra)
- Spotted gum (Corymbia maculata)
- Hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii)
- Bunya pine (Araucaria bidwillii)
- Moreton Bay fig (Ficus macrophylla)
- Brush box (Lophostemon confertus)
Suburbs
51 Blacktown suburbs we cover.
Each suburb page has local notes, jobs nearby and a link back here.
Questions
Blacktown tree rules: questions.
Do I need council approval to remove a tree in Blacktown?
In Blacktown you need Council's written permission before you prune or remove any tree taller than 3 metres or with a trunk more than 200 mm across (measured 1 m above the ground). There is no general pruning allowance and no published exempt-species list; the main exemptions are dead, dying or dangerous trees backed by evidence you keep yourself. Applications cost $115Council fee plus $26.50Council fee per tree (pensioner owner-occupiers free) and Council must decide within 28 days.
Can I prune a tree without a permit in Blacktown?
Council says consent is required to prune any prescribed tree, and its pages publish no percentage or branch-size pruning allowance. The only pruning you can do without a permit is removing storm-damaged branches that are partially detached, pruning required by an authority (e.g. powerline clearance under the Electricity Supply Act), or work on trees that fall under the dead/dying/dangerous exemptions. Council notes that practising arborists (AQF Level 3) do physical tree work, while consulting arborists (AQF Level 5) prepare reports.
How much does a tree permit cost in Blacktown?
This is a council fee, paid to Blacktown City Council, not to us. Tree removal and pruning application — processing fee: $115.00Council fee (2026/27 Goods and Services Pricing Schedule, section 4.13.1. Invoice issued on receipt; not processed until paid.). Other council fees are listed on this page.
How long does Blacktown council take to decide?
Council must determine the application within 28 days of the fee being paid; if not notified within 28 days it is deemed refused. Urgent applications are assessed within 48 hours (lodged after 10 am Friday means the following Monday; weekends and public holidays excluded). Council currently notes higher than usual volumes and longer processing times.
Can I remove a dead or dangerous tree in Blacktown?
Dead, dying and dangerous trees can be removed without a permit, but the proof burden is on you. For a dead tree keep photographs showing it was dead and not a habitat tree. For a dying or dangerous tree you need a report with photographs from a Consulting Arborist (minimum AQF Level 5) — only they can declare a tree dangerous — and you must keep it. Council says anyone who cannot demonstrate the tree was dying, dead or imminently about to fall is liable to prosecution. If you want Council to assess it instead, an Urgent application ($395,Council fee 1–10 trees) is inspected within 48 hours. Storm emergencies on private land should be reported to the SES on 132 500.
Can I prune or remove the street tree outside my house?
Residents are not permitted to prune or remove a street tree; doing so without a valid permit is an offence. Report street tree maintenance on 02 5300 6000 (24 hours for urgent issues) or via Council's online form. Removing a nature-strip tree for a driveway crossover needs Council permission, a processing fee and possibly a replacement tree fee.
Sources: what Blacktown council actually says
“a perennial plant with a self-supporting stem which has a height of more than 3 metres and/or a trunk diameter of more than 200mm or more measured 1.0 metre above ground level.”
“Tree work permits cannot be issued for properties which are: heritage listed, in a heritage conservation area, is located in a biodiversity conservation area”
“A tree can only be declared dangerous by a Consulting Arborist who holds a minimum qualification of Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) Level 5 in arboriculture.”
“fines of up to $3,000 for individuals and $6,000 for corporations may be issued”
Rules come from: Blacktown Development Control Plan 2015, Part A, Section 4.3 Tree preservation (prescribed tree definition), applied through SEPP (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021 Chapter 2; Blacktown LEP 2015 Schedule 5 (heritage).
- Trees on private land — Blacktown City Council
- Trees on public land — Blacktown City Council
- Tree management — Blacktown City Council
- Tree work permit application (removal or pruning on private land) (PDF)
- Goods and services pricing schedule 2026/27, adopted 13 July 2026 (PDF), section 4.13
- Blacktown DCP 2015 Part A — Introduction and General Guidelines, section 4.3 (PDF)
- Register of Significant Trees and Vegetation, v10 2012 (PDF)
- Blacktown LEP 2015 — NSW Legislation
Checked against Blacktown City Council's own pages and documents on 30 September 2026. Councils change their rules and fees, usually on 1 July, so confirm with Blacktown City Council (02 5300 6000) before any work. This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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