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Tree removal reports
Council has told you it wants an arborist report before it will consider your application. This is that report, and for most people it is the whole job.
Fixed quote within one business day · agreed in writing before any work starts
What council is actually asking for
Council is not after an opinion that the tree should go. It wants a documented assessment covering the tree's species, dimensions, health and structure, the reason removal is proposed, whether anything short of removal would resolve it, and what replacement planting is proposed. Councils are used to reports that skip the middle step, and they notice.
What you get
- Species, dimensions including Diameter at Standard Height, age class and estimated useful life expectancy
- Health and structural condition, with the defects that matter named rather than glossed over
- The reason for removal, set against the specific test your council applies
- Alternatives considered, and why they do or do not resolve the issue
- Replacement planting recommendation, sized to what your council requires
- Photographs, and a plan where one is needed
Which test applies depends on your council
The thresholds are not the same across Melbourne and neither are the measurement heights. Yarra measures trunk diameter, Darebin measures circumference and adds a height test on top, and Merri-bek takes its measurement 200 mm further down the trunk than Clause 52.37 does. The council pages set out each one, and getting the wrong test is a common reason an application goes back.
When the answer is that the tree stays
Sometimes the tree is healthy, structurally sound, and not causing the damage it is being blamed for. I will tell you that in writing. It costs you one report instead of several thousand dollars on a refused application and a second go at the argument.
Common questions
How much is a tree removal report?
It depends on the tree count and whether council also wants a plan. Send me the address and I will have a fixed number back to you within one business day, agreed in writing before I start.
How long does it take?
Usually about a week from instruction to inspection, then five business days or so for the report. Tell me if you have a lodgement date and I will say whether I can meet it.
Will the report get my permit approved?
It will present the case properly. It cannot guarantee an outcome, because councils decide applications against their own criteria. If the evidence does not support removal I will tell you before I write the report, rather than dress it up. Council arborists read a lot of these and they can tell.
Do I need a report for a dead tree?
Usually not, and Clause 52.37 exempts dead trees outright. Whether a tree is genuinely dead rather than dormant or badly declining is worth having assessed rather than assumed, particularly in winter.
Other services
Arboricultural Impact Assessment
DevelopmentClause 52.37 Canopy Tree Report
Residential · PlanningPreliminary Tree Assessment
Before you designTree Protection Management Plan
DevelopmentRoot & Infrastructure Investigation
InvestigationArboricultural Supervision
On siteConstruction Monitoring
On siteTree Risk Assessment
TRAQ qualifiedTree Protection Zone Advice
Written adviceSend me the plans and I will send you a number.
A fixed fee in writing within one business day, with the scope set out so you know what is included. If it turns out you do not need this report, I will tell you that instead.