Service
Arborist reports and tree permit help
Need an arborist report for a council tree application? Our consulting arborist Joshua Baber (AQF Level 5) assesses the tree and writes the report your council or development application asks for, and our crews can carry out the approved work. Each report is quoted individually; Josh is usually on site within a week, and the report follows within about another week, depending on complexity.
- Written by
- Joshua Baber, AQF Level 5 consulting arborist
- Accepted by
- Councils across Sydney
- Price
- Quoted per report
- Turnaround
- On site within ~1 week; report ~1 week after
When a council asks for a report
Every council across Sydney decides tree applications a little differently, but they ask for the same kind of evidence: is the tree healthy, is it structurally sound, is it a risk to people or property, and can the problem be fixed without removing it? A report from a consulting arborist answers those questions in a form the council’s own tree officer can check.
We’re often asked to write a report for removal. We write what we find. If a tree can be kept with some pruning, we’ll say so, and that saves you an application that was going to be refused.
What’s in our report
- The tree: species, height, trunk diameter, canopy spread, age class and location, with photos.
- Its health and structure, including any defects, decay, cracks, root damage or lean.
- A risk assessment of what could fail, what it would hit and how likely that is.
- The options: retain, prune, or remove and replace.
- Our recommendation, and the reasoning behind it.
- For development sites: tree protection zones and measures under AS 4970.
Who writes it
Our reports are written by Joshua Baber, a consulting arborist with the AQF Level 5 qualification councils ask for. Wayne Back, the director, also holds the Diploma of Horticulture (Arboriculture) at AQF Level 5 and teaches chainsaw operations part-time at TAFE NSW.
How it works
What happens, step by step.
No surprises on the day. You'll know what we're doing and why before we start.
Check whether you need a report
Not every application needs one. Many councils ask for an arborist report only for larger trees, dead or dangerous trees, trees on development sites, or when they are unsure. Your council's page tells you when it applies.
Site inspection
Josh inspects the tree: species, size, health, structure, defects, decay, root zone and what's around it, usually within a week of your call. He photographs and measures everything.
The report
A written report to the standard the council expects, covering the tree's condition, the risk it poses, the options (retain, prune or remove), our recommendation and, for development sites, tree protection zones under AS 4970.
Lodge with your application
You attach the report to your tree permit or development application. If the council has questions, we answer them.
Do the work
If the work is approved, we can do it, following any conditions on the approval.
Our work
Photos of our work.
Sectional removal over the water
A gum taken down piece by piece from the top, each section lowered on ropes so nothing hits the house or the water.
Chipping on site
Dismantling a trunk above the bay
Questions
Arborist reports & permits: common questions.
What does AQF Level 5 mean?
It's the Diploma level in the Australian Qualifications Framework, the level most councils ask for when they want a 'consulting arborist'. It covers tree assessment, risk and report writing, not just tree work. Several councils across Sydney only accept reports from AQF Level 5 arborists.
Does a report guarantee the council will approve removal?
No. The council decides. A report gives the council an independent, evidence-based assessment. If the tree is healthy and safe, we'll tell you that honestly before you spend money on an application.
Will every council accept your report?
Not every one. A few councils only accept arborist reports from consultants who have no financial link to a tree-removal business. Woollahra and Lane Cove say so in their tree rules, Sutherland Shire does for TRAQ risk reports, and Willoughby, Mosman and Northern Beaches ask for an independent arborist for some applications. Where that applies, we'll tell you up front and suggest an independent consulting arborist, and we can still quote the approved work afterwards. Each council's page notes the rule where it exists.
Do you do reports for development applications?
Yes. Josh handles development-site reports too: tree protection zones and protection measures under AS 4970 for development applications and complying development.
Can you write a report for a dispute with my neighbour?
Yes. Reports are often used in Land and Environment Court applications under the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act. See our guide to neighbour tree disputes.
Arborist reports & permits near you
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