The fees to lodge with council are not charged by Above All Tree Services. They are paid directly to Campbelltown City Council. Prices were last checked on . We have done our best to keep these current and accurate, but you should always refer to the council's website to confirm pricing.
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Council tree rules · checked 30 September 2026
Campbelltown tree removal rules
Checked against Campbelltown City Council's own documents on · Council: 02 4645 4000
In Campbelltown, a tree on private land taller than 3 m, with a trunk circumference of 500 mm or more at ground level, or a crown spread of 4 m or more usually needs a Council permit before you prune or remove it. There are exemptions: listed weed species (with an arborist report to Council first), trees within 3 m of a house or other building, and limited pruning. Trees that are dead, dying or dangerous need a Council declaration before removal. Stricter rules apply to "declared vegetation" such as heritage, koala habitat, threatened species and endangered ecological communities.
The checker
Do I need approval to remove my tree?
Campbelltown'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 park, reserve or nature strip)?
Council's tree - don't touch it
Trees in parks, reserves and on nature strips belong to Council. Report issues online or call 02 4645 4000.
Is the tree work part of building or other development on the site?
Include it in a development application
Council doesn't issue vegetation permits to let development proceed. Tree removal must be assessed with your development application. Speak to Council's duty planner.
Is the tree dead, dying or dangerous?
Apply for a dead, dying or dangerous declaration
Lodge Council's Dead, Dying and Dangerous Tree application ($179Council fee for up to 4 trees in 2026-27) and wait for the declaration before removing the tree. In a life-threatening emergency call 000; for storm damage call the SES on 132 500.
How to apply on the Campbelltown website · Need an arborist report?
Is it declared vegetation (heritage, Significant Tree Register, koala habitat, threatened species, endangered ecological community, hollows, occupied by fauna, slope over 20%, or kept by a DA condition)?
Vegetation permit or state approval needed
Declared vegetation needs a vegetation permit with an ecological consultant's report. If clearing exceeds the Biodiversity Offset Scheme thresholds, the Native Vegetation Panel decides (Local Land Services 1300 795 299). Most exemptions don't apply.
Is it under 3 m tall, under 500 mm circumference at ground level, and with a crown under 4 m?
No permit needed (check the conditions)
Small trees, trees within 3 m of a house, and limited pruning are exempt. For exempt species you must send Council an arborist's report five business days before removal and leave the roots in the ground.
Is it on Council's Exempt Species List, or within 3 m of your house or another Class 1 to 9 building?
No permit needed (check the conditions)
Small trees, trees within 3 m of a house, and limited pruning are exempt. For exempt species you must send Council an arborist's report five business days before removal and leave the roots in the ground.
Do you only want limited pruning (10% of canopy a year by an arborist, or small overhanging branches on a tree under 5 m)?
No permit needed (check the conditions)
Small trees, trees within 3 m of a house, and limited pruning are exempt. For exempt species you must send Council an arborist's report five business days before removal and leave the roots in the ground.
Apply for a tree permit
Apply online (up to 4 trees) with a site plan, owners' consent and supporting reports. More than 4 trees needs a vegetation permit. Council aims to respond within 10 business days.
How to apply on the Campbelltown website · Need an arborist report?
Size matters
How big is "protected" in Campbelltown?
- Height: more than 3 m
- Trunk: outside circumference of at least 500 mm at ground level
- Canopy: branch and foliage crown spread of at least 4 m
You need approval to…
- A tree is a perennial plant with at least one self-supporting stem that is more than 3 m tall, has an outside circumference of at least 500 mm at ground level, or has a crown spread of at least 4 m.
- Clearing includes pruning. Clearing a 'declared tree' that isn't exempt needs a tree permit (up to 4 trees). More than 4 trees needs a vegetation permit.
- Clearing 'declared vegetation' needs a vegetation permit (with an ecological consultant's report) unless an exemption applies. This covers vegetation in a heritage item or heritage conservation area, Aboriginal objects or places, trees on Council's Significant Tree Register, trees that a development consent issued on or after 1 January 2010 requires you to keep, core or potential koala habitat, threatened flora, endangered ecological communities, vegetation occupied by native fauna, hollow-bearing trees, and vegetation on slopes over 20%.
- Clearing above the NSW Biodiversity Offset Scheme thresholds can't be approved by Council. It needs a permit from the Native Vegetation Panel.
- Clearing that is part of another development needs a development application. Council doesn't issue vegetation permits to let development proceed.
Usually no approval needed for…
- Clearing approved by a development consent.
- A tree that Council has declared to be a risk to life or property (apply first with the Dead, Dying and Dangerous Tree application).
- A tree that Council has declared to be dead or dying and not required for habitat (apply first with the same application).
- Pruning or removal authorised by an emergency services organisation, such as the SES or RFS.
- Pruning that doesn't remove a substantial part of the vegetation, and for trees over 5 m, pruning by a qualified arborist to AS 4373-2007 of no more than 10% of the canopy each year, with the pruning specification kept for two years.
- For trees under 5 m, pruning individual branches that overhang a dwelling, formal driveway or path, where the branches are under 100 mm at the final cut, the tree's overall shape isn't changed, and the cut is at the branch collar.
- Clearing under an RFS permit, or clearing that is exempt under the Rural Fires Act 1997.
- Species on Council's Exempt Species List, provided an arborist's report identifying the species is given to Council at least five business days before removal and the roots are left in the ground without disturbing the soil.
- A declared tree within 3 m of a Class 1 to 9 building (houses, commercial, educational and industrial buildings), measured from the foundation wall to the centre of the trunk. This doesn't apply to sheds, pools, retaining walls, driveways, gazebos or cabanas.
- Reasonable maintenance of existing landscaped areas, such as hedge trimming (not tree removal).
Campbelltown's exempt species list (26 entries): trees you can usually remove without a permit
- Any fruit trees that are not native vegetation
- Any tree listed on the Greater Sydney Strategic Weed Management Plan
- African olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata)
- Bamboo (Bambuseae spp.)
- Box elder (Acer negundo)
- Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora)
- China doll (Radermachera sinica)
- Cocos palm / queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)
- Cootamundra wattle (Acacia baileyana)
- Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster spp.)
- Firethorn (Pyracantha spp.)
- Giant reed (Arundo donax)
- Golden cypress pine (Cupressus macrocarpa 'Brunniana')
- Golden wreath wattle / orange wattle (Acacia saligna)
- Goldenrain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata)
- Hackberry (Celtis australis)
- Kaffir plum (Harpephyllum caffrum)
- Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
- Mulberry (Morus spp.)
- Norfolk Island hibiscus / itchy pod tree (Lagunaria patersonia)
- Oleander (Nerium oleander)
- Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
- Poplars (Populus spp.)
- Prunus (Prunus spp.)
- Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
- Umbrella tree (Schefflera spp.)
Exemptions usually don't apply on heritage properties. Not sure what your tree is? Send us a photo.
Step by step
How to apply in Campbelltown.
From checking the rules to planting the replacement tree.
Work out which type of protection applies
Check whether your tree is a 'declared tree' or 'declared vegetation' (heritage, koala habitat, threatened species, endangered ecological community, hollows, fauna, steep slope). An arborist can email declared.vegetation@campbelltown.nsw.gov.au with a marked-up site plan and photos to confirm.
Check the exemptions
See whether the tree is on the Exempt Species List (you must still send Council an arborist's report five business days before removal), within 3 m of your house, or only needs limited pruning.
If it's dead, dying or dangerous, apply for a declaration first
Lodge the Dead, Dying and Dangerous Tree application online or at the Civic Centre, with a site plan and owners' consent. Don't cut until Council declares it.
Gather your supporting documents
Get an arborist's report (required if any tree is over 10 m), plus a plumber's or structural engineer's report if damage is the reason. Prepare a site plan and get every owner's consent.
Lodge the application and pay
Apply online through Council's Private tree pruning/removal eService (maximum 4 trees) or at the front counter. Pay by card; a merchant fee applies. More than 4 trees needs a vegetation permit.
Wait for Council's decision
Council inspects and notifies you within 10 business days. Follow permit conditions, including any replacement planting or offset fee.
Council fees paid to Campbelltown City Council, not to Above All Tree Services
| Council fee for | Council fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tree permit (DCP pathway) | $188.00Council fee | 2026-27, each |
| Vegetation permit (400 m2 or less, or 4 trees) | $188.00Council fee | 2026-27 |
| Vegetation permit (more than 400 m2 or 4 trees) | $179.00Council fee | 2026-27, plus $36.00Council fee per additional tree and per 100 m2 of non-tree vegetation |
| Private Tree Prune or Removal (4 or less) | $183.00Council fee | 2026-27, per group incl. GST. $225Council fee for 5 to 15 trees, POA for 16 or more, $224Council fee for an urgent 48-hour response |
| Dead, dying or dangerous tree assessment | $179.00Council fee | 2026-27, up to 4 trees (also $179Council fee for 5 to 10 trees), plus $36.00Council fee per tree over 4 (up to 10) |
Processing: Council inspects and notifies the applicant of the outcome within 10 business days, and urgent applications are prioritised. The guides say Council aims to decide dangerous-tree declarations within 3 days and dead or dying declarations within 14 days.
The details
Everything else you should know.
The situations that trip people up, from Campbelltown council's own rules.
Pruning
Pruning is exempt if it doesn't remove a substantial part of the tree. For trees over 5 m, a suitably qualified arborist can prune up to 10% of the canopy per year to AS 4373-2007, and you must keep the pruning specification for two years. For trees under 5 m, you can remove individual branches under 100 mm that overhang a dwelling, formal driveway or path, as long as the overall shape isn't changed and cuts are at the branch collar. Other pruning needs a permit.
Dead or dangerous trees
Don't remove a dead, dying or dangerous tree until Council has declared it so. Lodge a Dead, Dying and Dangerous Tree application (online or at the Civic Centre counter) with a site plan, photos and every owner's authorisation. Council aims to decide within three days for dangerous trees and 14 days for dead or dying trees (the guide), and the webpage says you will be notified within 10 business days, with urgent applications prioritised. Council won't declare a tree a risk to life or property if the only danger is bushfire hazard. In a life-threatening emergency call 000; for storm damage call the SES on 132 500.
Arborist reports
Council prefers that you engage an AQF Level 5 arborist to work out which approval pathway applies. The Declared Trees guide lists an arborist's report as a required part of a tree permit application. The online application says a report from a qualified arborist is required if any tree to be pruned or removed is over 10 m tall. If the reason is pipe damage you need a licensed plumber's report, and for building damage a structural engineer's report. For exempt species, an arborist's report identifying the species must reach Council five business days before removal. Vegetation permits also need an ecological consultant's report.
Replacement planting
Permits generally carry conditions requiring compensatory planting to replace removed vegetation, or a fee in lieu of planting (see Council's Tree Offset Policy). They may also require replacement nesting opportunities and management of affected fauna (DCP 11.3.9). Vegetation permit applications to remove trees must include a landscaping plan showing replacement planting.
Bushfire and the 10/50 rule
Council's DCP says clearing permitted under the Rural Fires Act 1997 (which includes the RFS 10/50 scheme) doesn't need a Council permit, but Council won't issue tree permits for bushfire hazard reduction. Council doesn't list which suburbs are in a 10/50 entitlement area, so check your address with the RFS 10/50 tool. For bushfire clearing advice call the RFS on 1800 679 737.
Heritage properties
Vegetation in the mapped extent of a heritage item or heritage conservation area, Aboriginal objects and places, and trees on Council's Significant Tree Register are all "declared vegetation". Under the Vegetation SEPP, Council can only issue a permit there if the work is minor or maintenance and won't harm heritage significance. Applications may need a heritage impact assessment or an Aboriginal cultural heritage assessment. Minor ongoing maintenance pruning that doesn't remove a substantial part of the tree is exempt.
Your neighbour's tree
Council has limited capacity to intervene in overhanging branches or leaf litter from a neighbour's tree. It suggests taking photos, speaking to your neighbour, contacting Legal Aid NSW (1300 888 529), getting an arborist report and a repair quote, and if that fails, applying to the Land and Environment Court. Approval from Council may still be needed to remove the vegetation.
Street and park trees
Trees on parks, reserves and nature strips are Council trees. Report pruning, removal, infestation or damage issues through Council's online "Report Council Tree Issue" service. Council won't prune street trees to reduce leaf or sap drop, increase light or solar access, for unapproved bushfire hazard control, or for looks. Don't plant, prune or remove trees on the nature strip yourself.
Penalties
Anyone who carries out or authorises tree clearing in breach of the Vegetation SEPP commits an offence under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and is liable to prosecution and a penalty. They may also be required to plant new trees and vegetation and maintain them to maturity. Council's page doesn't state dollar amounts.
What's different about Campbelltown
- Campbelltown sorts private vegetation into 'declared trees' and 'declared vegetation'. Declared vegetation includes endangered ecological communities, threatened flora, hollow-bearing trees, fauna-occupied vegetation and slopes over 20%. The 3 m-from-building and exempt-species exemptions don't apply to it.
- Core or potential koala habitat identified under Council's Koala Plan of Management is declared vegetation and needs a vegetation permit.
- The exempt-species exemption is conditional. A suitably qualified arborist must identify the species in a report to Council at least five business days before removal, and the roots must be left in the ground.
- Council won't issue permits for bushfire hazard reduction and won't declare a tree dangerous only because of bushfire hazard. Bushfire clearing goes through the RFS and the Rural Fires Act.
- Council keeps a Significant Tree Register of trees with visual, historic, botanical, cultural or commemorative significance.
Trees common in Campbelltown
- Grey box (Eucalyptus moluccana)
- Cabbage gum (Eucalyptus amplifolia)
- Thin-leaved stringybark (Eucalyptus eugenioides)
- Broad-leaved apple (Angophora subvelutina)
- Spotted gum (Corymbia maculata)
- Swamp oak (Casuarina glauca)
- Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera)
- Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina)
Suburbs
34 Campbelltown suburbs we cover.
Each suburb page has local notes, jobs nearby and a link back here.
Questions
Campbelltown tree rules: questions.
Do I need council approval to remove a tree in Campbelltown?
In Campbelltown, a tree on private land taller than 3 m, with a trunk circumference of 500 mm or more at ground level, or a crown spread of 4 m or more usually needs a Council permit before you prune or remove it. There are exemptions: listed weed species (with an arborist report to Council first), trees within 3 m of a house or other building, and limited pruning. Trees that are dead, dying or dangerous need a Council declaration before removal. Stricter rules apply to "declared vegetation" such as heritage, koala habitat, threatened species and endangered ecological communities.
Can I prune a tree without a permit in Campbelltown?
Pruning is exempt if it doesn't remove a substantial part of the tree. For trees over 5 m, a suitably qualified arborist can prune up to 10% of the canopy per year to AS 4373-2007, and you must keep the pruning specification for two years. For trees under 5 m, you can remove individual branches under 100 mm that overhang a dwelling, formal driveway or path, as long as the overall shape isn't changed and cuts are at the branch collar. Other pruning needs a permit.
How much does a tree permit cost in Campbelltown?
This is a council fee, paid to Campbelltown City Council, not to us. Tree permit (DCP pathway): $188.00Council fee (2026-27, each). Other council fees are listed on this page.
How long does Campbelltown council take to decide?
Council inspects and notifies the applicant of the outcome within 10 business days, and urgent applications are prioritised. The guides say Council aims to decide dangerous-tree declarations within 3 days and dead or dying declarations within 14 days.
Can I remove a dead or dangerous tree in Campbelltown?
Don't remove a dead, dying or dangerous tree until Council has declared it so. Lodge a Dead, Dying and Dangerous Tree application (online or at the Civic Centre counter) with a site plan, photos and every owner's authorisation. Council aims to decide within three days for dangerous trees and 14 days for dead or dying trees (the guide), and the webpage says you will be notified within 10 business days, with urgent applications prioritised. Council won't declare a tree a risk to life or property if the only danger is bushfire hazard. In a life-threatening emergency call 000; for storm damage call the SES on 132 500.
Can I prune or remove the street tree outside my house?
Trees on parks, reserves and nature strips are Council trees. Report pruning, removal, infestation or damage issues through Council's online "Report Council Tree Issue" service. Council won't prune street trees to reduce leaf or sap drop, increase light or solar access, for unapproved bushfire hazard control, or for looks. Don't plant, prune or remove trees on the nature strip yourself.
Sources: what Campbelltown council actually says
“A tree is a perennial plant with at least one self supporting stem which; i) has a height of more than 3 metres; ii) has an outside circumference of at least 500mm at ground level; or iii) has a branch and foliage crown spread of at least 4 metres.”
“A permit is not required to prune or remove a declared tree if the tree is located within 3m of a building that is Class 1 to 9 under the Building Code of Australia.”
“no more than 10 percent of the canopy cover is pruned annually”
“Council being provided with a report from a suitably qualified arborist identifying the species of the tree(s) at least five business days prior to its removal”
Rules come from: Campbelltown (Sustainable City) DCP 2015, Volume 1 Part 11 Vegetation and Wildlife Management, Section 11.3 Permits for Vegetation Management (Amendment No 8, effective 4 May 2020); Exempt Tree Species List (26 May 2020).
- Tree Management - Campbelltown City Council
- Guide to Clearing Trees on Private Land - Declared Trees (Version 1.2)
- Guide to Clearing Trees on Private Land - Declared Vegetation, Biodiversity (Version 1.2)
- Guide to Clearing Trees on Private Land - Declared Vegetation, Heritage (Version 1.2)
- Exempt Tree Species List (effective 26 May 2020)
- Campbelltown (Sustainable City) DCP 2015 Part 11 Vegetation and Wildlife Management (Amendment No 8)
- Adopted Fees and Charges 2026-27
- Native Gardening Guide (species)
Checked against Campbelltown City Council's own pages and documents on 30 September 2026. Councils change their rules and fees, usually on 1 July, so confirm with Campbelltown City Council (02 4645 4000) before any work. This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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