The fees to lodge with council are not charged by Above All Tree Services. They are paid directly to Strathfield Municipal 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
Strathfield tree removal rules
Checked against Strathfield Municipal Council's own documents on · Council: 02 9748 9999
In Strathfield you need council's written consent to prune or remove any tree 4 m or taller, or with a girth (trunk circumference) over 0.5 m measured 1 m above the ground — and even to do works within 5 m of a tree's base. Most private trees go through a Tree Management Application, but heritage items, Heritage Conservation Areas and trees on the Significant Tree Register need a Development Application. Council says plainly that there is no "10% rule" or distance-from-house exemption in Strathfield.
The checker
Do I need approval to remove my tree?
Strathfield'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?
Is the property a heritage item, in a Heritage Conservation Area, or the tree on the Significant Tree Register?
Development Application needed
Lodge a DA on the NSW Planning Portal with an AQF Level 5 arborist's report.
How to apply on the Strathfield website · Need an arborist report?
Has an AQF Level 5 arborist found the tree is an imminent risk to life?
Call council now
Contact council on 02 9748 9999 with the arborist's findings before any work.
Is the tree under 4 m tall with a trunk girth of 0.5 m or less at 1 m?
No consent needed
Notify your neighbours, take photos first and prune to AS 4373-2007.
Is it on the exempt species list or a declared weed?
No consent needed
Notify your neighbours, take photos first and prune to AS 4373-2007.
Is it only deadwood removal or clearance pruning within council's limits (e.g. 1 m from walls and gutters, branches under 50 mm)?
No consent needed
Notify your neighbours, take photos first and prune to AS 4373-2007.
Tree Management Application needed
Lodge the form with all owners' consent. $149Council fee per tree for 1–5 trees. No 10% rule applies.
How to apply on the Strathfield website · Need an arborist report?
Is it a neighbour's tree overhanging your property (not a nature strip tree)?
Council's tree — don't touch it
Nature strip and park trees are public land. Call council on 02 9748 9999.
Is it only deadwood removal or clearance pruning within council's limits (e.g. 1 m from walls and gutters, branches under 50 mm)?
No consent needed
Notify your neighbours, take photos first and prune to AS 4373-2007.
Tree Management Application needed
Lodge the form with all owners' consent. $149Council fee per tree for 1–5 trees. No 10% rule applies.
How to apply on the Strathfield website · Need an arborist report?
Size matters
How big is "protected" in Strathfield?
- Height: 4 m or more
- Trunk: girth (circumference) greater than 0.5 m, measured 1 m above ground
- Near the house: no distance-from-building exemption — council states none applies; works within 5 m of a tree's base also need consent
You need approval to…
- Pruning, removing, lopping, topping or injuring any tree (above or below ground) 4 m or taller.
- The same for any tree with a girth greater than 0.5 m, measured 1 m above the ground.
- Undertaking works (such as root cutting, soil compaction or changing ground levels) within 5 m of the base of a tree.
- Using climbing spikes on a tree, unless it is dead or removal has been approved.
- Removing or pruning a tree on a heritage item, in a Heritage Conservation Area or on the Significant Tree Register — this needs a Development Application.
- Dead or dying trees — council staff must assess them for habitat value before removal.
- Pruning a neighbour's overhanging branches, unless the work is exempt (such as deadwood or the permitted clearances).
Usually no approval needed for…
- Removal or pruning (to AS 4373-2007) of species on council's exempt species list (Appendix 2), unless the tree is a heritage item, contributes to a Heritage Conservation Area, or is on the Significant Tree Register.
- Removal, pruning or control of trees declared noxious or priority weeds for the Strathfield area.
- Removal of dead branches from a tree, to AS 4373-2007 (check the tree is not simply a deciduous tree without leaves).
- Annual hedge maintenance where less than 500 mm of height, width or depth is cut and branches are under 20 mm in diameter.
- Clearance pruning to AS 4373 within set limits — for example 2 m above your roofline and 1 m from walls, windows, balconies and gutters (branches under 50 mm), 0.5–1 m from power or phone lines (under 50 mm), and 2.5 m over footpaths (under 100 mm).
- Emergency work by the SES, Fire and Rescue NSW or council for safety, and work under electricity, roads, rural fires or exempt and complying development laws.
- Council asks owners to notify neighbours before any tree removal or pruning and to photograph exempt trees before removal to confirm their identity.
Strathfield's exempt species list (29 entries): trees you can usually remove without a permit
- Box elder (Acer negundo)
- Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
- Evergreen alder (Alnus jorullensis)
- Papaya (Carica papaya)
- River she-oak (Casuarina cunninghamiana)
- Celtis / hackberry (Celtis spp.)
- Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora)
- Citrus (all varieties)
- Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster spp.)
- Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica)
- Coral tree (Erythrina x sykesii)
- Edible fig (Ficus carica)
- Rubber tree (Ficus elastica)
- Silky oak (Grevillea robusta)
- Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
- Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua)
- Apple tree (Malus domestica)
- Mango (Mangifera indica)
- Broad-leaved paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia)
- Mulberry (Morus spp.)
- Banana (Musa spp.)
- Oleander (Nerium oleander)
- African olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata)
- Stone fruit trees (Prunus spp.)
- Black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia, not cultivars)
- Willows (Salix spp.)
- Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla)
- Cocos palm (Syagrus romanzoffianum)
- Rhus tree (Toxicodendron succedaneum)
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 Strathfield.
From checking the rules to planting the replacement tree.
Check whether consent is needed
Is the tree 4 m or taller, or is its trunk girth over 0.5 m at 1 m high? Check the exempt species list and the permitted clearance pruning. Remember there is no 10% rule.
Check heritage and significant-tree status
If the property is a heritage item, in a Heritage Conservation Area or the tree is on the Significant Tree Register, lodge a DA on the NSW Planning Portal instead.
Get owner consent
All owners must sign. Strata properties need a copy of the strata committee resolution; companies need directors' signatures and ABN or seal.
Complete the Tree Management Application
Describe each tree, its location and the reason. Attach photos and any arborist (AQF Level 5), engineer or plumber reports.
Lodge and pay
Lodge the form with council and pay the per-tree fee ($149Council fee per tree for 1–5 trees in 2026/27).
Inspection and decision
Council inspects the tree. If approved, the consent lasts one year; keep it on site during the work and plant any replacement trees within one month.
If refused
Lodge a Tree Management Appeal with an AQF Level 5 arborist's report within six months ($691Council fee review fee).
Council fees paid to Strathfield Municipal Council, not to Above All Tree Services
| Council fee for | Council fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tree Management Application — remove/prune 1–5 trees | $149Council fee | Per tree (2026/27). Example: 3 trees = 3 x the per-tree fee. Payable at lodgement, non-refundable. |
| Tree Management Application — remove/prune 6–10 trees | $219.50Council fee | Per tree (2026/27) |
| Tree Management Application — remove/prune 11–20 trees | $287.50Council fee | Per tree (2026/27) |
| Tree Management Application — remove/prune more than 20 trees | $426Council fee | Per tree (2026/27) |
| Request for review of tree permit determination — private tree | $691Council fee | Per application (2026/27) |
| Extension of approved tree work | $64.50Council fee | Permits expire after one year |
Processing: Not stated. Council notes delays if site access needs to be arranged; neighbour-tree applications include a 14-day neighbour comment period, and tree DAs are notified to adjoining properties for at least 14 days.
The details
Everything else you should know.
The situations that trip people up, from Strathfield council's own rules.
Pruning
Only deadwood removal, small-scale hedge trimming, and clearance pruning within council's table of heights and branch sizes (for example 2 m above the roofline and 1 m from walls and gutters, branches under 50 mm) can be done without consent, all to AS 4373-2007. Council warns that "no such 10% or distance from trunk to building exemption rule applies" in Strathfield, and that contractors claiming otherwise put owners at risk of prosecution. Approved pruning is generally limited to 15% of the live canopy unless an AQF Level 5 arborist provides a detailed pruning specification.
Dead or dangerous trees
Dead or dying trees still need council assessment for habitat value — council also checks deciduous trees are not simply dormant. If an AQF Level 5 arborist has identified a tree as an imminent risk to human life, contact council on 02 9748 9999. The application form says heritage properties should lodge a DA unless the application is for removal of a tree posing an imminent risk to human life. Emergency work by the SES, Fire and Rescue NSW or council is exempt.
Arborist reports
Not mandatory for most applications, but council may ask for one. It is required for trees on the Significant Tree Register or on heritage properties, for appeals, and for applications to remove more than 15% of a tree's live canopy. Council only accepts reports from arborists with at least AQF Level 5 (or equivalent), prepared to Appendix 4 of Part O. Council may also ask for structural engineer, licensed plumber or landscape reports. Approved work must be done by workers with at least Certificate II (ground work) and supervised by Certificate III (climbing) in arboriculture.
Replacement planting
Tree removal consent includes a replacement planting condition, generally two new trees for each tree removed (fewer if larger species are used), sized to NATSPEC. Replacements must be planted within one month of the removal, with photos sent to council, and are then protected. Where replanting isn't appropriate, a Voluntary Planning Agreement with a cash contribution may be considered.
Bushfire and the 10/50 rule
The NSW Planning Portal bush fire prone land map shows no bush fire prone land in Strathfield, so the 10/50 clearing rule is not expected to apply. Confirm your address with the NSW RFS 10/50 online tool before relying on it.
Heritage properties
A Development Application, lodged through the NSW Planning Portal, is required to prune or remove a tree that is part of a heritage item, in a Heritage Conservation Area (Strathfield LEP 2012 Schedule 5) or listed on council's Significant Tree Register (established 1995). Exempt species are not exempt on these properties. An AQF Level 5 arborist's report is required.
Your neighbour's tree
You can apply to prune branches overhanging from a neighbour's tree without the owner's consent, though council recommends talking to them first; council will notify the owner, who has 14 days to comment. Exempt works such as deadwood removal and gutter clearances don't need an application. You cannot enter their property without consent, and council will not accept an application to remove a neighbour's tree without the owner's consent. Council does not mediate and cannot order a neighbour to prune or remove a tree; disputes can go to the Land and Environment Court.
Street and park trees
Nature strips are public land — only council or its contractors may prune, plant or remove nature strip trees, and cutting or damaging them may lead to legal action. For street tree issues (pruning, broken limbs, roots, dead trees) call council on 02 9748 9999. Council generally only prunes or removes nature strip trees if they are unsafe or diseased.
Penalties
Council says its general policy is to prosecute breaches, and that substantial penalties and legal costs have been awarded to council. The maximum penalty in the Land and Environment Court is $1.1 million plus orders, for each tree or offence. Site managers, contractors, property managers and strata committee members who allow illegal work can also be penalised.
What's different about Strathfield
- Strathfield measures trunk girth (circumference, over 0.5 m at 1 m high), not diameter.
- Council explicitly warns there is no '10%' pruning rule and no distance-from-house exemption, and that door-knocking contractors claiming otherwise expose owners to prosecution.
- Works within 5 m of a tree's base — such as root cutting or changing soil levels — also need council's consent.
- About half of Strathfield's 12,000 street trees are brush box, and 90% of street trees are Australian natives; the street tree program dates from the 1880s.
- Fees are charged per tree, and council keeps a Significant Tree Register (since 1995) whose trees need a DA.
Trees common in Strathfield
- Brush box (Lophostemon confertus)
- Water gum (Tristaniopsis laurina)
- Paperbark (Melaleuca spp.)
- Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera)
- Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.)
Suburbs
4 Strathfield suburbs we cover.
Each suburb page has local notes, jobs nearby and a link back here.
Questions
Strathfield tree rules: questions.
Do I need council approval to remove a tree in Strathfield?
In Strathfield you need council's written consent to prune or remove any tree 4 m or taller, or with a girth (trunk circumference) over 0.5 m measured 1 m above the ground — and even to do works within 5 m of a tree's base. Most private trees go through a Tree Management Application, but heritage items, Heritage Conservation Areas and trees on the Significant Tree Register need a Development Application. Council says plainly that there is no "10% rule" or distance-from-house exemption in Strathfield.
Can I prune a tree without a permit in Strathfield?
Only deadwood removal, small-scale hedge trimming, and clearance pruning within council's table of heights and branch sizes (for example 2 m above the roofline and 1 m from walls and gutters, branches under 50 mm) can be done without consent, all to AS 4373-2007. Council warns that "no such 10% or distance from trunk to building exemption rule applies" in Strathfield, and that contractors claiming otherwise put owners at risk of prosecution. Approved pruning is generally limited to 15% of the live canopy unless an AQF Level 5 arborist provides a detailed pruning specification.
How much does a tree permit cost in Strathfield?
This is a council fee, paid to Strathfield Municipal Council, not to us. Tree Management Application — remove/prune 1–5 trees: $149Council fee (Per tree (2026/27). Example: 3 trees = 3 x the per-tree fee. Payable at lodgement, non-refundable.). Other council fees are listed on this page.
Can I remove a dead or dangerous tree in Strathfield?
Dead or dying trees still need council assessment for habitat value — council also checks deciduous trees are not simply dormant. If an AQF Level 5 arborist has identified a tree as an imminent risk to human life, contact council on 02 9748 9999. The application form says heritage properties should lodge a DA unless the application is for removal of a tree posing an imminent risk to human life. Emergency work by the SES, Fire and Rescue NSW or council is exempt.
Can I prune or remove the street tree outside my house?
Nature strips are public land — only council or its contractors may prune, plant or remove nature strip trees, and cutting or damaging them may lead to legal action. For street tree issues (pruning, broken limbs, roots, dead trees) call council on 02 9748 9999. Council generally only prunes or removes nature strip trees if they are unsafe or diseased.
Sources: what Strathfield council actually says
“Cutting down, removing, injuring or poisoning any part of a tree above or below ground, having a height greater than four (4.0) metres or a girth greater than half (0.5) metre measured at point one (1.0) metres above ground level.”
“Please note that within the Strathfield Council Municipality no such 10% or distance from trunk to building exemption rule applies.”
“The maximum penalty in the Land and Environment Court of NSW is $1.1 million plus orders, for each tree or offence.”
“Dead or dying trees will need to be assessed by Council staff for retention value as suitable habitat trees.”
Rules come from: Strathfield Consolidated DCP 2005, Part O – Tree Management (in force 10 March 2015, reviewed August 2022); Strathfield LEP 2012 Schedule 5 for heritage.
- Tree Pruning and Removal — Strathfield Council
- Trees FAQs — Strathfield Council
- Part O – Tree Management, Strathfield Consolidated DCP 2005 (PDF)
- Exempt species — Appendix 2 (PDF)
- Tree Management Application form (PDF)
- Fees and Charges 2026–27 (Tree Removal/Pruning, p. 29)
- Street Trees — Strathfield Council
- Significant Tree Register — Strathfield Council
- NSW Planning Portal bush fire prone land layer (queried against LGA boundary)
Checked against Strathfield Municipal Council's own pages and documents on 30 September 2026. Councils change their rules and fees, usually on 1 July, so confirm with Strathfield Municipal Council (02 9748 9999) before any work. This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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