Do you have a tree that needs to be removed? There are some important tree removal regulations that Randwick property owners need to be aware of, which are listed below.

Prices for a tree removal application

When it comes to tree removal in Randwick, you will need to pay a couple of fees to the city of Randwick before you remove them from your property. These fees don’t cover the cost of actually removing the tree. The tree removal company will charge an additional fee for that service.

You will need to pay an inspection fee of $120 for every tree that you want to remove. You will also need to pay an application fee. The application fee is $76 for one tree and $26 for each additional tree.

Protected trees

Some trees are protected under the Randwick Comprehensive Development Control Plan 2013. You are usually prohibited from removing these trees, although there are some exceptions. Alternatively, the city may require you to plant a similar tree on public property to offset the tree that was removed.

Protected trees include:
  • All palm trees
  • All cycad trees
  • All tree ferns
  • All trees with hollows
  • Trees that are at least 6 metres tall
  • Trees with multiple trunks with canopies that are over 4 metres wide
  • Single trunk trees with canopies over 1 metre in circumference
There are some exceptions to the restrictions listed above. You may be approved to remove these trees if they are dead, dying, pose a safety risk or are exempted by other policies.

What you can remove or prune without council approval

There are some instances when you can remove trees without approval. These exceptions include:
  • Trees that are dying or dead and are not protected species
  • Trees that create a safety risk
  • Trees from undesirable species
  • Trees in areas prone to bushfires (the city of Randwick doesn’t currently have any known bushfire areas, but this could change in the future)

Unless your property is designated as an environmental heritage area, then you can remove these trees without council consent.

You can also perform minor maintenance. Some of the examples of maintenance tasks that don’t require approval include thinning the crown by less than 10% of the existing canopy over a two-year period, pruning deadwood that is over 50 mm in diameter and removing live branches that are 2.5 meters over the ground.

Trees that can be removed without permission

You don’t need permission to remove undesirable species of trees, which are listed under appendix B5-2 of the Randwick comprehensive development control plan 2013. These species are:
  • Tree of heaven
  • Cotoneaster
  • Rubber tree
  • Privet
  • Oleander
  • Coral tree
  • African olive
  • Ochna
  • Umbrella tree
  • Cocos palm
  • Hackberry
  • Bamboo
  • Evergreen alder
  • Leyland cypress
  • Norfolk Island hibiscus
  • Poplars
  • Rhus tree
  • Mulberry
  • Willows
You don’t need to submit an application to remove these trees.

Conclusion

There are a lot of regulations that you need to understand before removing trees in Randwick. Make sure that you understand these policies and submit the proper applications before getting started. ???????