The fees to lodge with council are not charged by Above All Tree Services. They are paid directly to City of Parramatta 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
Parramatta tree removal rules
Checked against City of Parramatta Council's own documents on · Council: 02 9806 5050
In the City of Parramatta you need a Tree Permit from Council to prune or remove any tree or palm 5 metres or taller, and any tree 3 metres or taller on a heritage item, in a Heritage Conservation Area or in a Special Character Area. Trees on land mapped 'Biodiversity' or in an endangered ecological community are protected whatever their size. Only a short list of weed species, some trees close to houses, pools and sewers, and minor pruning (branches up to 50 mm) are exempt; removing trees on heritage properties needs a Development Application.
The checker
Do I need approval to remove my tree?
Parramatta'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, park or reserve)?
Council's tree — don't touch it
Public trees are protected at any size. Submit a public tree maintenance request or call 02 9806 5050.
Is the property a heritage item, in a Heritage Conservation Area, or an Aboriginal place, and do you want to remove the tree?
Development Application for Tree Works
Removing a tree on a heritage property needs a DA lodged on the NSW Planning Portal. Minor pruning can use a Tree Permit.
Is the tree on land mapped 'Biodiversity' or part of an endangered ecological community?
Apply for a Tree Permit
Apply through Council's Online Services portal. The fee is $151Council fee for one tree plus $128Council fee for each extra tree.
How to apply on the Parramatta website · Need an arborist report?
Is the tree dead or dying (and not native animal habitat), or an imminent risk to life or property?
Send Council evidence first
No permit is needed, but Council must be satisfied and will send a letter before work. An AQF 5 arborist's risk assessment may be required.
Is the species on the DCP exempt list, or a poplar, willow, camphor laurel or liquidambar within 5 m of your house, pool or sewer?
No Tree Permit needed
This work is exempt under DCP section 5.3.4. Keep photos, and prune to AS 4373-2007.
Is the tree 5 m or taller (or 3 m or taller on a heritage, HCA or Special Character property)?
No Tree Permit needed
This work is exempt under DCP section 5.3.4. Keep photos, and prune to AS 4373-2007.
Are you only removing dead branches or doing minor pruning (branches up to 50 mm, hedge up to 20%)?
No Tree Permit needed
This work is exempt under DCP section 5.3.4. Keep photos, and prune to AS 4373-2007.
Apply for a Tree Permit
Apply through Council's Online Services portal. The fee is $151Council fee for one tree plus $128Council fee for each extra tree.
How to apply on the Parramatta website · Need an arborist report?
Size matters
How big is "protected" in Parramatta?
- Height: 5 m or more (3 m or more on heritage items, in Heritage Conservation Areas and Special Character Areas; any size on 'Biodiversity' land)
- Trunk: no trunk-diameter trigger; root pruning over 30 mm diameter counts as tree works
- Near the house: poplar, willow, camphor laurel and liquidambar within 5 m of a legally built building, in-ground pool or sewer pipe are exempt; any tree within 10 m of your dwelling if in a mapped 10/50 area
You need approval to…
- Any tree or palm — indigenous, endemic, exotic or introduced — 5 metres or taller.
- Any tree 3 metres or taller (or capable of reaching 3 metres, if it was planted under a consent or permit) that is a heritage item, within a Heritage Conservation Area, or within a Special Character Area.
- Any vegetation on land mapped 'Biodiversity' on the Parramatta LEP 2023 Natural Resources Map, and trees within an Endangered or Critically Endangered Ecological Community — regardless of size or distance from a house.
- Any tree that is, or is part of, an Aboriginal object, within an Aboriginal place of heritage significance, or on land mapped 'high sensitivity' on the Aboriginal sensitivity map.
- Any tree on the NSW State Heritage Register (Heritage Council approval or exemption is also needed).
- Any tree that a development consent requires to be kept (needs a Section 4.55 modification, not a Tree Permit).
- Pruning or removing roots more than 30 mm in diameter, and digging, filling or compacting soil within the Tree Protection Zone of a protected tree.
- Removing a tree on a heritage item or in a Heritage Conservation Area needs a Development Application for Tree Works lodged on the NSW Planning Portal; minor pruning there can use a Tree Permit.
Usually no approval needed for…
- Species on Table 5.3.4.2 of the DCP (the exempt tree species list) — Council may ask for photos and/or a written statement from an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist confirming the species.
- Poplar (Populus spp.), willow (Salix spp.), camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) and liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua) with the trunk within 5 metres of a sewer pipe, the outside wall of a legally built building, or the coping of a legally built in-ground pool — on the same property only (not a neighbour's tree).
- A tree that Council is satisfied is dead or dying and is not native animal habitat and not on 'Biodiversity' land — Council issues a letter confirming the exemption first.
- A tree that Council is satisfied poses an imminent risk to human life or property (SEPP clause 2.7) — a tree risk assessment by an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist may be needed.
- Trees within 10 metres of your approved dwelling if the NSW RFS tool shows your property is in a 10/50 area (your own property only).
- Trees under 3 metres tall that are not on 'Biodiversity' land (Council's web page).
- Trees approved for removal in a development consent and listed in its conditions.
- Pruning (to AS 4373-2007) that removes dead branches only.
- Minor pruning for building clearance — branches no larger than 50 mm at the branch collar, where they are within 2 metres of the building, with the tree owner's written consent.
- Pruning branches no larger than 50 mm to keep clearances to powerlines under the Electricity Supply Act 1995.
- Reducing a hedge by no more than 20% of its height and/or width in one year.
- Removing mistletoe or other parasitic plants from a tree.
- Works by the SES or RFS in an emergency, work required under the Electricity Supply Act 1995, and clearing under an RFS Section 66 directive or the 10/50 Code of Practice.
Parramatta's exempt species list (15 entries): trees you can usually remove without a permit
- Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
- Hackberry (Celtis sinensis)
- Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster spp.)
- Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
- Coral trees (Erythrina spp.)
- Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos)
- Large-leafed privet (Ligustrum lucidum and cultivars)
- Small-leafed privet (Ligustrum sinense)
- Oleander (Nerium oleander)
- African olive (Olea europaea var. africana)
- Lombardy poplar (Populus nigra 'Italica')
- Firethorn (Pyracantha spp.)
- Rhus / sumac tree (listed as Rhus toxicodendron)
- Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla)
- Cocos / Queen palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)
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 Parramatta.
From checking the rules to planting the replacement tree.
Check whether your tree is protected
Measure the height. Five metres or more, or three metres or more on a heritage or Special Character property, or any size on 'Biodiversity' land, means it is protected.
Check heritage and biodiversity mapping
Look up your address on the NSW ePlanning Spatial Viewer for heritage items, Heritage Conservation Areas and the Parramatta LEP 2023 Biodiversity map.
Check the exemptions
Is it on the exempt species list, one of the four listed species within 5 m of your house, pool or sewer, or minor pruning (dead branches, up to 50 mm)? If so, no permit is needed.
Choose the right application
Most properties use the Tree Permit. For removal on a heritage item or in an HCA, lodge a Development Application for Tree Works on the NSW Planning Portal.
Get every owner's signature
All owners must sign (tenants cannot). Strata common property needs the Body Corporate's seal; companies need an ASIC extract and director signatures.
Lodge and pay
Apply through Council's Online Services portal (Lodge an Application, Development, Tree Permit Application) or lodge the PDF form in person. The fee is $151Council fee for one tree plus $128Council fee per extra tree.
Allow the inspection
A Council arborist inspects the tree, possibly while you are out. Tell Council about dogs or locked gates on the form.
Follow the permit
Do only the approved work, plant any replacement tree required, and finish within two years. You can appeal a refusal to the Land and Environment Court within three months.
Council fees paid to City of Parramatta Council, not to Above All Tree Services
| Council fee for | Council fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tree Permit application — 1 tree | $151.00Council fee | 2026/2027 financial year |
| Tree Permit application — each additional tree | $128.00Council fee | 25% discount on the total fee for Pensioner Concession Card, Commonwealth Seniors Health Card or DVA Pensioner Concession Card holders; no refund if the inspection finds the works are exempt |
Processing: No processing time is stated on Council's tree pages or form. Council's neighbour page says approved works must be completed within two years of the date of consent.
The details
Everything else you should know.
The situations that trip people up, from Parramatta council's own rules.
Pruning
Without a permit you may remove dead branches, prune branches no larger than 50 mm at the branch collar where they are within 2 metres of a building (with the tree owner's written consent), prune up to 50 mm for powerline clearance, cut a hedge back by up to 20% of its height or width a year, and remove mistletoe — all to AS 4373-2007 and the SafeWork NSW Amenity Tree Industry Code of Practice. Any other pruning of a protected tree, or cutting roots over 30 mm, needs a Tree Permit. Pruning for views, solar panels or leaf drop is not usually supported.
Dead or dangerous trees
You do not need a Tree Permit to remove a tree that Council is satisfied is dead or dying (and not native animal habitat or on 'Biodiversity' land), or that poses an imminent risk to life or property — but you must give Council evidence first, and Council issues a letter confirming the tree is exempt before any work. A tree risk assessment by an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist may be needed. Removal must be supervised by an AQF Level 3 arborist, and Council may require a replacement tree. A dead tree that is habitat for native animals and not a risk is not usually approved for removal.
Arborist reports
An arboricultural report by an AQF Level 5 arborist, and other specialist reports (structural engineer, plumber with a sewer diagram, heritage impact statement), may be required to support an application. Trees in an ecological community listed under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 need an 'Assessment of Significance' by a qualified ecologist. Exempt-species identification may need an AQF Level 5 statement. Exempt removals must be supervised by an AQF Level 3 arborist.
Replacement planting
Where a tree is approved for removal, Council will seek a suitable canopy replacement tree or trees on the site, grown to maturity and replaced if it fails. If there is no suitable spot (for example a small backyard), a financial contribution to public tree planting is required; offset fees are in Council's published fees and charges.
Bushfire and the 10/50 rule
Possibly. Council's own exemption page says that if the NSW RFS has designated your property as a 10/50 area, a tree within 10 metres of your approved dwelling can be removed without a Council permit. Council also keeps a Bush Fire Prone Land Map. Check your address with the NSW RFS 10/50 online tool first.
Heritage properties
Parramatta has many heritage items and Heritage Conservation Areas. On these properties any tree 3 metres or taller is protected; minor pruning can go through a standard Tree Permit, but removal (major work) needs a Development Application for Tree Works lodged on the NSW Planning Portal. The exempt-species and near-building exemptions do not apply to heritage items, HCAs, Aboriginal objects or Aboriginal places. State Heritage Register sites also need Heritage Council approval or exemption (which may allow pruning of up to 30% of the canopy in two years).
Your neighbour's tree
Council cannot intervene in private tree disputes — they are a civil matter. As a courtesy, ask the tree owner before doing minor exempt pruning of overhanging branches from your side, and never go onto their property. Major pruning needs a Tree Permit signed by the tree owner. If you cannot agree, you can apply to the Land and Environment Court under the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006. The near-building exemptions never apply to a neighbour's tree.
Street and park trees
Trees in streets, nature strips, parks, reserves and bushland on Council land are public trees and are protected irrespective of size; Tree Permit applications are not accepted for them. Submit a public tree maintenance request to Council. Trees in Parramatta Park and other State precincts are managed by the NSW Government. Council does not prune street trees for views, solar access, leaf drop or branches overhanging a private boundary.
Penalties
Council says penalties, including fines, may be issued to anyone found guilty of contravening the tree controls. The DCP adds that a court may also order repair, remedial pruning or replacement of a damaged or removed tree and order the replacement to be maintained to maturity.
What's different about Parramatta
- Parramatta's exempt species list is short (15 species) compared with most Sydney councils, and a number of common weeds such as camphor laurel are only exempt within 5 m of a house, pool or sewer.
- Trees on land mapped 'Biodiversity' on the Parramatta LEP 2023 Natural Resources Map are protected at any size.
- On heritage items, in Heritage Conservation Areas and in Special Character Areas the height trigger drops from 5 m to 3 m.
- Council's exemption page recognises the RFS 10/50 scheme: trees within 10 m of your approved dwelling can be removed if your property is in a mapped 10/50 area.
- Trees in Parramatta Park and other State-managed precincts are looked after by the NSW Government, not Council.
Trees common in Parramatta
- Forest red gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis)
- Grey box (Eucalyptus moluccana)
- Sydney blue gum (Eucalyptus saligna)
- Smooth-barked apple (Angophora costata)
- Swamp mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta)
- Turpentine (Syncarpia glomulifera)
- Narrow-leaved ironbark (Eucalyptus crebra)
- Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina)
Suburbs
24 Parramatta suburbs we cover.
Each suburb page has local notes, jobs nearby and a link back here.
Questions
Parramatta tree rules: questions.
Do I need council approval to remove a tree in Parramatta?
In the City of Parramatta you need a Tree Permit from Council to prune or remove any tree or palm 5 metres or taller, and any tree 3 metres or taller on a heritage item, in a Heritage Conservation Area or in a Special Character Area. Trees on land mapped 'Biodiversity' or in an endangered ecological community are protected whatever their size. Only a short list of weed species, some trees close to houses, pools and sewers, and minor pruning (branches up to 50 mm) are exempt; removing trees on heritage properties needs a Development Application.
Can I prune a tree without a permit in Parramatta?
Without a permit you may remove dead branches, prune branches no larger than 50 mm at the branch collar where they are within 2 metres of a building (with the tree owner's written consent), prune up to 50 mm for powerline clearance, cut a hedge back by up to 20% of its height or width a year, and remove mistletoe — all to AS 4373-2007 and the SafeWork NSW Amenity Tree Industry Code of Practice. Any other pruning of a protected tree, or cutting roots over 30 mm, needs a Tree Permit. Pruning for views, solar panels or leaf drop is not usually supported.
How much does a tree permit cost in Parramatta?
This is a council fee, paid to City of Parramatta Council, not to us. Tree Permit application — 1 tree: $151.00Council fee (2026/2027 financial year). Other council fees are listed on this page.
How long does Parramatta council take to decide?
No processing time is stated on Council's tree pages or form. Council's neighbour page says approved works must be completed within two years of the date of consent.
Can I remove a dead or dangerous tree in Parramatta?
You do not need a Tree Permit to remove a tree that Council is satisfied is dead or dying (and not native animal habitat or on 'Biodiversity' land), or that poses an imminent risk to life or property — but you must give Council evidence first, and Council issues a letter confirming the tree is exempt before any work. A tree risk assessment by an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist may be needed. Removal must be supervised by an AQF Level 3 arborist, and Council may require a replacement tree. A dead tree that is habitat for native animals and not a risk is not usually approved for removal.
Can I prune or remove the street tree outside my house?
Trees in streets, nature strips, parks, reserves and bushland on Council land are public trees and are protected irrespective of size; Tree Permit applications are not accepted for them. Submit a public tree maintenance request to Council. Trees in Parramatta Park and other State precincts are managed by the NSW Government. Council does not prune street trees for views, solar access, leaf drop or branches overhanging a private boundary.
Sources: what Parramatta council actually says
“Any tree or palm - whether indigenous, endemic, exotic or introduced species with a height equal to or exceeding five (5) metres”
“The tree is less than 3 metres in height and it is not on land mapped as 'Biodiversity' under Parramatta LEP 2023.”
“Selective pruning for building clearance, being only minor pruning to remove branches no larger than 50mm diameter at the nearest branch collar where branch encroachment is within 2m of such”
“Before any tree works are undertaken, Council will issue a letter to the owner of the tree confirming that the tree is exempt from the requirement for a tree permit”
Rules come from: Parramatta DCP 2023, Part 5 Environmental Management, Section 5.3.4 Tree and Vegetation Preservation (made under SEPP (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021, Chapter 2) and Parramatta LEP 2023 clause 5.10 (heritage).
- Trees on Private Land — City of Parramatta
- Tree Works Without a Permit — City of Parramatta
- Works Requiring Permission — City of Parramatta
- Tree Works Approval — Non-Heritage Sites (fees and lodgement)
- Tree Works Approval — Heritage Sites
- Council's tree assessment principles — City of Parramatta
- Tree Disputes with Neighbours — City of Parramatta
- Trees Blocking Sewers & Pipes — City of Parramatta
- Public Tree Maintenance — City of Parramatta
- Tree Permit Application Form FY2026/2027
- Parramatta DCP 2023 Part 5 Environmental Management (Section 5.3.4 Tree and Vegetation Preservation; Table 5.3.1.1)
Checked against City of Parramatta Council's own pages and documents on 30 September 2026. Councils change their rules and fees, usually on 1 July, so confirm with City of Parramatta Council (02 9806 5050) before any work. This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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