Assessment Criteria for Tree Work

When processing your application to carry out work on a tree, Council's Tree Management Officer will consider a number of criteria, based around the tree's health, related safety issues, any damage it may be causing, the degree of shading it provides, its impact on nearby buildings and whether it is a species that is exempt from the Development Control Plan 2011 (DCP2011).

These Criteria Include:

• Whether the tree is dead, dying, diseased or structurally unsound and whether, if not pruned or removed, it could pose a risk to people or property;
• Whether the residents' quality of life is affected by allergies caused by a particular tree;
• Whether the tree is poisonous or a noxious weed;
• Whether the tree will cause damage to buildings, paths, driveways, walls, fences, sewers or other substantial structures or in-ground services;
• Whether the tree will interfere with any approved construction work or building extensions;
• Whether the tree species is unsuitable for domestic planting due to its size or root structure or is a fruit tree that may be affected by fruit fly, as identified by the NSW Department of Agriculture; and
• Whether the tree is blocking sunlight to a building or a portion of the property, giving rise to mould or damp, or is creating a cold place which is unpleasant and unusable.

Council Will Also Consider:

• The aesthetic value of the tree, in terms of its visibility from a public place and its recognition as a landmark;
• The effect pruning will have on the integrity of the tree's shape and appearance;
• The effect the removal of a tree will have on the district in relation to the ecological role that trees perform;
• Whether there is an alternative to the complete removal of the tree, such as pruning branches, severing offending roots or installation of root guards; and
• Other factors as appropriate.