The fees to lodge with council are not charged by Above All Tree Services. They are paid directly to Waverley 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
Waverley tree removal rules
Checked against Waverley Council's own documents on · Council: 02 9083 8000
Waverley has one of the lowest triggers in Sydney: you need a Tree Permit to prune or remove any part of a tree on private land that is 3 m or taller or has a canopy spread of 3 m or more, and any tree on the Significant Tree Register or in a heritage conservation area. Pruning a tree under 5 m tall, trimming hedges by up to 20%, and removing dead branches do not need a permit. Listed weed trees can be removed without a permit, but you must email Council photos at least 7 days beforehand.
The checker
Do I need approval to remove my tree?
Waverley'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 the street verge, park or reserve)?
Council's tree — don't touch it
No one may prune or remove public trees, including on the verge outside your home. Lodge a 'Trees' request or call 02 9083 8000.
Is it on the Significant Tree Register, a heritage item, or in a heritage conservation area?
Tree permit first — maybe a DA
Lodge a Tree Permit Application. For major works or removal, Council may tell you to lodge a Development Application.
How to apply on the Waverley website · Need an arborist report?
Is it dead or dying (and not animal habitat), or an urgent safety risk after storm damage?
May be exempt — keep evidence
Keep an arborist or SES report and photos because Council can ask for them, and plant a replacement tree if you remove one.
Is it on Council's exempt weed species list?
No permit, but email Council first
Email photos of the tree, leaves and bark to treemgt@waverley.nsw.gov.au at least 7 days before removal.
Is the tree 3 m or taller, or is its canopy 3 m or wider?
No permit needed
This work falls outside Waverley's permit triggers or within its pruning exemptions. Follow AS 4373 and keep photos.
Are you only pruning a tree that is under 5 m tall, trimming a hedge by 20% or less, or removing dead branches?
No permit needed
This work falls outside Waverley's permit triggers or within its pruning exemptions. Follow AS 4373 and keep photos.
You need a Tree Permit
Lodge a Tree Permit Application ($134.02Council fee first tree, $46Council fee each extra). Allow about four weeks.
How to apply on the Waverley website · Need an arborist report?
Size matters
How big is "protected" in Waverley?
- Height: 3 m or more (removal or pruning); pruning only is exempt for trees under 5 m
- Canopy: canopy spread 3 m or more
You need approval to…
- Any tree with a height of 3 metres or more — for pruning or removal of any part of the tree, above or below ground.
- Any tree with a canopy spread of 3 metres or more.
- Any tree listed on the Waverley Register of Significant Trees.
- Any tree that is a heritage item, forms part of a heritage item, or is in a Heritage Conservation Area (lodge a tree permit first; Council may then ask for a Development Application).
- Any tree covered by a current development consent (a section 4.55 modification is needed instead of a tree permit).
Usually no approval needed for…
- Trees on Council's exempt (weed) species list — but Council must be emailed at treemgt@waverley.nsw.gov.au with photographs of the tree, its leaves and bark at least 7 days before removal.
- Pruning of a hedge by no more than 20 per cent of its height and width in any 12-month period.
- Pruning of a tree with a maximum height below 5 metres.
- Pruning of dead branches, palm fronds or palm fruit.
- Pruning of branches from electricity wires as required by the Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2014.
- Urgent safety work, for example after severe storm damage or sudden branch failure — evidence (such as an arborist or SES report) must be produced if Council asks, and replacement trees are still required.
- Where Council is satisfied the vegetation is dying or dead and is not required as habitat for native animals.
Waverley's exempt species list (12 entries): trees you can usually remove without a permit
- Tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima)
- Hackberry (Celtis sinensis)
- Citrus (Citrus spp.)
- Narrow-leaved privet (Ligustrum sinense)
- Broad-leaved privet (Ligustrum lucidum)
- Oleander (Nerium oleander)
- Wild or African olive (Olea europaea subsp. africana)
- Willows (Salix spp.)
- Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophylla)
- Giant bird of paradise (Strelitzia nicolai)
- Cocos palm (Syagrus romanzoffiana)
- Rhus tree (Toxicodendron 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 Waverley.
From checking the rules to planting the replacement tree.
Check whether your tree needs approval
Measure its height and canopy spread. If it is 3 m or more in either, or on the Significant Tree Register, or in a heritage conservation area, you need a permit.
Check the exemptions
Pruning a tree under 5 m, trimming a hedge by up to 20%, and removing dead branches need no permit. For a listed weed tree, email photos to treemgt@waverley.nsw.gov.au at least 7 days before removal.
Collect evidence and owner consent
Gather photos and any arborist, engineer or plumber reports. If you are not the owner, get written owner consent; strata needs body-corporate or managing-agent approval with minutes.
Lodge the Tree Permit Application
Complete the PDF form and email it to treemgt@waverley.nsw.gov.au, post it to PO Box 9, Bondi Junction 1355, or hand it in at a customer service centre.
Inspection and neighbour notice
Council contacts you within two weeks to inspect; you don't need to be there. For removals, neighbours are notified for 14 days.
Pay, do the work and replant
Pay the emailed invoice ($134.02Council fee first tree). Once approved, use an arborist of at least AQF Level 3, email Council once the tree is removed, and plant the replacement within one month.
Council fees paid to Waverley Council, not to Above All Tree Services
| Council fee for | Council fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tree permit application — first tree | $134.02Council fee | Form last updated 30 June 2026. Each additional tree $46.00Council fee. Concession card or health benefit card holders get a 75% discount. Invoice is emailed after the application is processed; 0.8% surcharge on credit cards. |
| Offset tree planting fee | Varies | Charged if replacement trees can't fit on your land — generally at least three off-site trees per tree removed, priced under Council's Pricing Policy and fees schedule. |
Processing: About four weeks; Council contacts you within two weeks to arrange an inspection. If neighbour notification (14 days) or more information is needed, it can take six to eight weeks. Approvals are valid for one year.
The details
Everything else you should know.
The situations that trip people up, from Waverley council's own rules.
Pruning
You can prune a tree whose maximum height is below 5 m without a permit, prune a hedge by up to 20% of its height and width in any 12 months, and remove dead branches, palm fronds and palm fruit. Pruning of anything else on a tree 3 m or taller (or 3 m canopy) needs a Tree Permit. All approved tree work must be done by an arborist qualified to at least AQF Level 3, in line with AS 4373-2007 Pruning of Amenity Trees.
Dead or dangerous trees
Council does not require a permit where it is satisfied the tree is dying or dead and is not habitat for native animals, or where pruning or removal is urgent for safety (for example severe storm damage or sudden branch failure). Keep evidence of the tree's condition, such as an arborist or SES report, because Council can ask for it, and you must still plant a replacement tree if you remove one.
Arborist reports
Council's own arborist inspects every application. A consulting arborist's report (AQF Level 5) may be required for major work on or removal of heritage-listed, significant or prominent heritage-area trees, where there is not enough evidence to support removal, or for complex assessments (aerial inspection, root mapping, fungal or pest problems). A review of a refusal must include an AQF Level 5 report. Council advises not to pay for extra reports before discussing them with Council.
Replacement planting
Every tree removed must be replaced with an equal number of trees of equivalent or larger canopy size when mature, in a minimum 45-litre pot, planted in the ground on the property within one month of removal. Council audits replacement planting. If there is no room, you contribute to offset planting on public land, generally a minimum of three off-site trees for each tree removed.
Bushfire and the 10/50 rule
Council's tree pages do not mention the 10/50 vegetation clearing entitlement. Check your address with the NSW RFS 10/50 online tool before relying on it.
Heritage properties
Trees that are heritage items, part of a heritage item, in a Heritage Conservation Area, or on the Significant Tree Register always need a Tree Permit regardless of size. Lodge the permit first; if major works or removal of a significant tree or a prominent tree in a heritage area are proposed, Council's Tree Management Officer may tell you to lodge a Development Application instead.
Your neighbour's tree
An application to prune overhanging branches or remove a neighbour's tree must have the written consent of the tree owner. Council cannot compel a neighbour to prune or remove a tree and does not mediate. See LawAccess NSW, then the Land and Environment Court under the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006. Owners are not obliged to prune trees for a neighbour's view. You can contact Council to check whether a permit exists for work you see happening.
Street and park trees
Residents cannot prune or remove any tree or plant on public land, including the verge in front of their own property, regardless of size. Request street tree pruning or removal through Council's online request system using the 'Trees' option, or call 02 9083 8000.
Penalties
Work on trees without approval, or not in line with an approval, may result in a formal warning, penalty infringement notices, or legal action in the Local Court or Land and Environment Court. A court can also order the person to remedially prune damaged trees and plant and maintain new trees to maturity or at least 5 m tall. Council says there are heavy penalties for pruning or removing public trees. No dollar amounts are published on the pages reviewed.
What's different about Waverley
- Waverley's 3 m height and 3 m canopy triggers are lower than most Sydney councils, and they apply to pruning as well as removal (only pruning of trees under 5 m is exempt).
- Even exempt weed trees need a 7-day email notice with photos to treemgt@waverley.nsw.gov.au before they are removed.
- Every removed tree must be replaced within one month with a tree in at least a 45-litre pot; if there is no room, Council generally requires three off-site offset trees per tree removed.
- Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub, a critically endangered community, is one of Waverley's remnant vegetation communities, and the North Bondi / Rose Bay street tree zone is where it once grew in large stands.
- Council's Street and Park Trees map shows the species of any public tree in the LGA.
Trees common in Waverley
- Coastal banksia (Banksia integrifolia)
- Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla)
- Broad-leaved paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia)
- Tuckeroo (Cupaniopsis anacardioides)
- Bracelet honey myrtle (Melaleuca armillaris)
- New Zealand Christmas bush (Metrosideros excelsa)
- Sydney red gum (Angophora costata)
- Cabbage tree palm (Livistona australis)
Suburbs
9 Waverley suburbs we cover.
Each suburb page has local notes, jobs nearby and a link back here.
Questions
Waverley tree rules: questions.
Do I need council approval to remove a tree in Waverley?
Waverley has one of the lowest triggers in Sydney: you need a Tree Permit to prune or remove any part of a tree on private land that is 3 m or taller or has a canopy spread of 3 m or more, and any tree on the Significant Tree Register or in a heritage conservation area. Pruning a tree under 5 m tall, trimming hedges by up to 20%, and removing dead branches do not need a permit. Listed weed trees can be removed without a permit, but you must email Council photos at least 7 days beforehand.
Can I prune a tree without a permit in Waverley?
You can prune a tree whose maximum height is below 5 m without a permit, prune a hedge by up to 20% of its height and width in any 12 months, and remove dead branches, palm fronds and palm fruit. Pruning of anything else on a tree 3 m or taller (or 3 m canopy) needs a Tree Permit. All approved tree work must be done by an arborist qualified to at least AQF Level 3, in line with AS 4373-2007 Pruning of Amenity Trees.
How much does a tree permit cost in Waverley?
This is a council fee, paid to Waverley Council, not to us. Tree permit application — first tree: $134.02Council fee (Form last updated 30 June 2026. Each additional tree $46.00Council fee. Concession card or health benefit card holders get a 75% discount. Invoice is emailed after the application is processed; 0.8% surcharge on credit cards.). Other council fees are listed on this page.
How long does Waverley council take to decide?
About four weeks; Council contacts you within two weeks to arrange an inspection. If neighbour notification (14 days) or more information is needed, it can take six to eight weeks. Approvals are valid for one year.
Can I remove a dead or dangerous tree in Waverley?
Council does not require a permit where it is satisfied the tree is dying or dead and is not habitat for native animals, or where pruning or removal is urgent for safety (for example severe storm damage or sudden branch failure). Keep evidence of the tree's condition, such as an arborist or SES report, because Council can ask for it, and you must still plant a replacement tree if you remove one.
Can I prune or remove the street tree outside my house?
Residents cannot prune or remove any tree or plant on public land, including the verge in front of their own property, regardless of size. Request street tree pruning or removal through Council's online request system using the 'Trees' option, or call 02 9083 8000.
Sources: what Waverley council actually says
“the tree has a height of three (3) metres or more and/or the tree has a canopy spread of three (3) metres or more”
“Pruning of a tree with a maximum height of below five (5) metres”
“All approved tree work must be carried out by minimum AQF Level 3 arborist.”
“First Tree: $134.02 Each additional tree: $46.00”
Rules come from: Waverley Development Control Plan, Part B3 (Tree Preservation / Landscaping, Biodiversity and Vegetation Preservation), applied through the Waverley Tree Management Guidelines (December 2022) and State Environmental Planning Policy (Biodiversity and Conservation) 2021.
- Tree pruning and removal — Waverley Council
- Application for Tree Permit (last updated 30 June 2026)
- Waverley Tree Management Guidelines (December 2022)
- Significant Tree Register — Waverley Council
- Tree disputes between neighbours — Waverley Council
- Street tree pruning or removal — Waverley Council
- Public tree management & urban greening — Waverley Council
- Report tree vandalism — Waverley Council
- Street Tree Masterplan — Waverley Council
- Waverley's plants & vegetation communities — Waverley Council
Checked against Waverley Council's own pages and documents on 30 September 2026. Councils change their rules and fees, usually on 1 July, so confirm with Waverley Council (02 9083 8000) before any work. This page is a plain-English guide, not legal advice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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