Need trees cleared near powerlines? We’re Evoenergy accredited.

Request a Quote
1800 873 343

Arborist Reports Canberra

Independent tree assessments and reports for development applications, construction, and tree management across Canberra and the Southern Tablelands.
request a report
  • Level 8 & 5 arborists
  • 2–3 day turnaround
  • QTRA certified

Report details

Tell us about your site and reporting requirements.

This field is required.
This field is required.
This field is required.
This field is required.

Prefer to talk? Call 1800 873 343

Level 8 & Level 5

Qualified arborists

2–3 day turnaround
Most development reports
$10M PI / $20M PL
Fully insured
ISA, TRAQ & QTRA
Certified credentials

Arborist Reports & Development Assessments

TreeWorks’ consulting arborists provide the tree assessment and reporting services that development approvals, building projects, and ongoing tree management depend on — from single-tree risk assessments to full arboricultural impact reports for development applications.

Our reports are prepared by certified arborists and are accepted by the ACT Government, National Capital Authority, and local councils across the region.

Request an arborist report

When do you need an Arborist Report?

Removing or heavily pruning a protected tree

Your tree is dead, dropping limbs, damaging a structure, or in the way of renovation plans, and it is big enough to require a tree removal or heavy pruning approval. Trees in the ACT on private land are protected if they are 8 metres or taller, have a canopy of 8m or more, or a trunk circumference of 1m or more at 1.4m above ground. Every tree on public land in the ACT is protected. In NSW, individual councils set their own thresholds in their development control plans. The authority usually wants an arborist's evidence before it will approve removal.

Lodging a development, building or driveway application

In the ACT it is compulsory to lodge a Tree Management Plan with every development application, and any building and driveway application that could impact a protected tree. This includes trees on the neighbour’s block or the verge. In NSW, the council will request an arborist report or Arboriculture Impact Assessment where a DA impacts trees.

Building, extending, trenching or landscaping near a tree

If you are installing a driveway or doing renovations, extensions, building a pool or retaining wall inside a tree’s root zone you are required to comply with protection measures outlined in AS 4970:2025 and may require an arborist on site during construction. At the completion of work a compliance report is usually required to satisfy the approval conditions or to have an ACT tree bond refunded.

Worried a tree is unsafe

For peace of mind homeowners, strata managers, schools, businesses and property managers want an independent risk assessment after storm damage, a limb failure, visible decay or a change in how the area is used, so they can make a defensible decision and meet their duty of care.

Being asked by an authority for more information

You have received a request by the ACT Government, a council or the National Capital Authority for further documentation, refused an application, or set conditions that need an arborist to respond (for example a request for information, a reconsideration of a refused tree application, or evidence for tree bond release).

Neighbour disputes, insurance claims and property purchases

A neighbour's tree is damaging your property or threatening to; or a neighbour is complaining your tree is threatening their property and wants it removed. An insurer or lawyer needs an independent opinion on a tree failure; or a home buyer wants to better understand the health of trees, constraints and risks before purchasing a property or planning a build.

Request an arborist report

Our Consulting Arborists

Steve Griffith

Level 5 Arborist

Diploma of Arboriculture

Steve has 25 years’ experience and was one of Canberra’s leading climbing arborists. For the past 20 years he has been assessing and caring for trees across the ACT and surrounding region, and is a registered Quantified Tree Risk Assessment (QTRA) system user.

Steve leads TreeWorks’ tree health, risk, and diagnostic work — including aerial and invasive inspections, decay testing, and disease diagnosis.

Brendan Murphy

Level 8 Arborist

Graduate Certificate in Arboriculture, University of Melbourne

Brendan joined TreeWorks bringing 35 years’ experience in horticulture and 16 years as a qualified arborist, including senior project management roles overseeing heritage and urban tree assets. He holds QTRA and Master Arborist certifications, and is qualified to assess and report on development sites in line with ACT Government regulations.

Brendan leads TreeWorks’ development-related reporting — arborist reports for DA approval, tree protection planning, and construction-phase supervision — with most reports delivered within 2–3 business days of the site visit.

Types of Arborist Reports

Arborist reports for development applications (Tree Management Plans)

ACT: Relevant to anyone lodging a development, building or driveway application where protected trees are on or near the site. In the ACT this is the Tree Management Plan the Government requires with every DA;

NSW: Councils require an arborist report for anyone submitting a development application where a tree(s) is impacted. This includes tree identification and condition, protection status, tree protection zones, which trees can be retained, and the protection measures and conditions the approval will rely on.

Preliminary tree reports

For owners, buyers, architects and developers at the very start of a project, before designs are drawn or a block is bought. We survey and assess the trees, rate their retention value and map their root and protection zones, so the design can work around the trees that matter and avoid redesigns or refusals later. AS 4970:2025 now expects arborists to be involved at this concept stage.

Arboricultural Impact Assessment (AIA) reports

For when a design is drawn and the authority needs to know what it will do to the trees. We overlay the plans on the tree data, quantify encroachment into each tree’s root zones, identify trees to be removed or retained, and recommend design changes and construction methods (such as root-sensitive footings or hand digging) that keep the impact acceptable.

Tree risk assessments (TRAQ & QTRA certified)

For homeowners, schools, strata, businesses and land managers who are worried a tree may fail, or who need to show they have met their duty of care. Using the internationally recognised TRAQ and QTRA methods, we assess the tree, what it could hit and how likely failure is, then set out practical options to reduce risk, from pruning to removal. Reports can support a removal application or an insurance claim.

Tree protection and construction-phase supervision (including compliance reports)

For builders and owners once an approval with tree conditions is issued. We set out tree protection fencing and ground protection, supervise works inside the protection zone, record what was done, and provide the compliance certification that authorities and certifiers need, including the evidence required to have an ACT tree bond returned.

Tree reports for removal and pruning applications

For owners who want to remove or significantly prune a protected tree because it is dead, dying, dangerous, damaging property or blocking solar access. We assess the tree against the relevant criteria (ACT Urban Forest Act or council DCP), carry out decay testing where needed, and prepare the evidence to support the application, request for further information or reconsideration.

All Services

Tree Assessment & Reporting

  • Tree risk assessments (TRAQ & QTRA certified)
  • Arborist reports for development applications and approvals
  • Preliminary tree reports
  • Arboricultural Impact Assessment Reports
  • Arboricultural Compliance Reports
  • Heritage tree assessment and management
  • Tree and vegetation management reports for development applications

Construction & Development Support

  • Tree protection planning and construction-phase supervision
  • On-site superintendence of works impacting the Tree Protection Zone
  • Contract management and coordination of tree works
  • Landscape plan review and permit assessment
  • Liaison with regulatory authorities (National Capital Authority, ACT Government)

Diagnostics & Ongoing Vegetation Management

  • Visual, aerial, and invasive inspections (including resistograph drill)
  • Decay testing: ultrasound / resistograph / tomograph
  • Disease and pest diagnosis and management advice
  • Soil analysis and tree identification
  • Bushfire and powerline vegetation management
  • Urban forest and vegetation master planning
  • Tree inventory and GIS mapping (ArcGIS / Survey123)
  • School risk assessments
  • Tree maintenance schedule.

Relevant authorities and approvals

The authority involved depends on your property’s location and the work proposed. TreeWorks can advise which requirements apply and prepare the supporting reports.

ACT authorities

ACT Government – Tree protection (City and Environment Directorate)
Administers the Urban Forest Act 2023, tree activity applications, Tree Management Plans, tree bonds and canopy contributions.

 

ACT Planning – development applications
Trees and landscaping in development assessment

National Capital Authority
Works approval is needed for works, including landscaping and tree works, in Designated Areas, such as the Parliamentary Zone, lake foreshores, main avenues and approach routes.

 

NSW councils

 

Other NSW authorities

NSW Local Land Services
Native vegetation clearing on rural-zoned land (RU1–RU4) in all three NSW council areas.
Visit NSW Local Land Services

NSW Rural Fire Service
10/50 and boundary clearing rules in bush fire prone areas.

NSW Land and Environment Court
Tree disputes between neighbours under the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006.

Servicing Canberra and the Southern Tablelands

TreeWorks provides arborist reports and development assessments for government, commercial and domestic clients across the region.

  • Canberra
  • Queanbeyan
  • Bungendore
  • Braidwood
  • Yass
  • Goulburn
  • Southern Tablelands

Trusted by leading organisations

Government departments, developers, builders, architects and property managers rely on TreeWorks.

  • ACT Dept of Education
  • National Capital Authority
  • ACT Dept of Housing
  • Defence Housing Australia
  • Geocon
  • Construction Control
  • Lend Lease
  • ChinCivil
  • SMI Group
  • Rapid Constructions
  • Amalgamated Property Group
  • Multiple other leading Canberra residential builders and architects

TreeWorks has been the sole provider of safety audits to more than 160 ACT Government schools for the past three years, with eight years of work for the ACT Department of Education overall.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Quantified Tree Risk Assessment (QTRA)?
QTRA is a licensed tree risk assessment method that puts a number on risk. It combines how often a target (people, vehicles, buildings) is present, the likely consequence of a failure and the probability of that failure, and expresses the result as a ‘Risk of Harm’ (for example 1 in 10,000). That lets owners compare trees across a property and prioritise spending on the ones that matter, rather than treating every defect as urgent.
Often, yes. In the ACT you need approval for any work on a protected tree (generally 8 m or taller, an 8 m wide canopy or a trunk 1 m around at 1.4 m high) and for any tree on public land, including the verge. In NSW each council sets its own rules: Queanbeyan-Palerang, Yass Valley and Goulburn Mulwaree all require permits for larger trees in towns, and heritage-listed properties have extra controls. Rural land is regulated by Local Land Services. We can tell you which rules apply before you spend money on an application.
In the ACT, measure the height, canopy spread and trunk circumference at 1.4 m, and check the ACT Tree Register map. In NSW, check your council’s development control plan for its size thresholds, and whether your property is heritage-listed or in a conservation area. If you are unsure, an arborist can confirm it on site.
If your neighbour agrees to the tree removal or pruning you will still require a tree report if it relates to a protected tree. ACT Tree Management Plans cover protected trees on adjoining land and public land where works could reach their root zones, and verge trees cannot be pruned, removed or damaged without approval.
You cannot remove or prune trees on the nature strip. Only the government can do this. We can prepare a report on your behalf and submit it to the government.
Depending on the report type: tree species, size, health and structure; protection status; photographs and a site plan; tree protection and root zones calculated under AS 4970:2025; an assessment of how proposed works affect each tree; risk ratings where relevant; and clear recommendations and protection measures. Reports are written to meet the requirements of the authority they are going to.
Consulting reports are normally prepared by an arborist with at least an AQF Level 5 Diploma of Arboriculture, and risk assessments by someone trained in a recognised method such as TRAQ or QTRA. TreeWorks’ consulting arborists hold AQF Level 5 and AQF Level 8, and are TRAQ and QTRA certified.
TreeWorks typical turn around time is 1-5 days following our site visit. Also allow time for the authority’s decision: the ACT Government takes up to 35 working days on a tree activity application and suggests applying at least 2 months before you plan to do the work.
Cost depends on the number of trees, the type of report, whether decay testing or construction supervision is needed, and the size and complexity of the development. We give a fixed quote before starting. Our starting price is $600 plus GST for a very basic report.
No. The ACT Government or council makes the decision. A report is an independent professional assessment, so it has to be honest about what it finds, even when that isn’t the answer you hoped for. What a good report does is give the authority the information it needs to decide quickly, reduce requests for more information, and set out the strongest case the facts support.
In the ACT you can ask for a reconsideration within 14 days of receiving the decision, and further evidence from an arborist often helps. In NSW you can ask council to review the decision or discuss changes to the proposal. We can review the reasons for refusal and advise whether more information, a design change or replacement planting would help.
The penalties can be serious. Under the ACT Urban Forest Act 2023 fines reach up to $80,000 for individuals and $405,000 for corporations, and work can be stopped and remediation required. NSW councils can also fine and prosecute. If you think a tree needs urgent work because it is dangerous, contact us and the relevant authority first.
On rural-zoned land in NSW (RU1–RU4), native vegetation clearing is regulated by Local Land Services, not council, and some clearing is allowed without approval. In bush fire prone areas the NSW Rural Fire Service’s 10/50 and boundary clearing rules may also apply. Larger clearing can trigger biodiversity assessment. Check before you clear, because the rules depend on your zone and mapping.
The property address, what you are planning (and any plans you have: site plan, survey, architectural or landscape drawings), any letters or requests from the ACT Government or council, and access to the trees. For risk assessments, tell us about any recent limb drops, storm damage or changes to how the area is used.

Request an arborist report

Contact our consulting arborists to discuss your site, reporting requirements and project timeframe.

request an arborist report