Sutherland Shire Council tree rules, in plain English

In Sutherland Shire you need a council tree permit before you prune or remove any tree whose trunk is 100 mm or more across at 500 mm above the ground, any bushland vegetation of any size, or any tree within 4 m of a creek. The exceptions are council's exempt species, minor pruning, the 10/50 bush fire rule and a few specific cases below.

You need a permit to

• Prune or remove any single or multi-trunked tree with a trunk diameter of 100 mm or more, measured 500 mm above the ground.
• Remove or damage any bushland vegetation (remnant native vegetation, including mangroves, shrubs and groundcovers) of any size.
• Prune or remove any tree or vegetation growing within 4 m of a creek or watercourse.
• Prune more than 10% of a tree's canopy in any 12-month period.
• Remove a tree within 3 m of your house or pool. Council says it will permit this, but you must apply and be approved first.
• Prune a heritage-listed tree (a permit plus a Heritage Minor Works Notification). Threatened-species vegetation needs a development application instead.

No permit needed for

• Exempt species (the full list is below), unless the tree is part of a heritage item.
• Minor pruning that removes no more than 10% of the canopy in 12 months, to AS 4373.
• Storm damage: pruning the broken part of a damaged limb.
• Branches directly over a roof, cut back to the nearest branch junction or collar to clear the roofline, with the tree owner's agreement.
• A tree that is an immediate and obvious danger to life or property. You must be able to prove it, so photograph it and have an arborist inspect it first.
• Clearing allowed under the RFS 10/50 Code (see below), or approved by an RFS Hazard Reduction Certificate.

Trees you can remove without approval: the Shire's exempt species

Sutherland Shire DCP 2015, Chapter 39, clause 4.3. No permit is needed to prune or remove these, whatever their size, unless the tree is part of a heritage item. If you're not sure what species you have, send us a photo of the leaves and bark.

Plus the weeds and priority weeds in clause 4.3: lantana, bamboo (Bambusa spp.), willows (Salix spp. except S. babylonica, S. reichardtii and S. calendron), Athel tree (Tamarix aphylla), cassia (Senna pendula var. glabrata), ochna, crested wattle (Paraserianthes lophantha), castor oil plant and rhus tree (Toxicodendron succedaneum).

Source: Sutherland Shire Council, trees on private property. Our main website keeps the exempt species for every Sydney council in one table.

The 10/50 rule (bush fire clearing)

Much of the Shire backs onto the Royal National Park, Heathcote National Park and the Woronora and Georges River bushland, so many homes are on bush fire prone land. The NSW RFS 10/50 Vegetation Clearing Code lets owners in a mapped entitlement area remove trees within 10 m of their home, and clear shrubs and other vegetation (not trees) within 50 m, without council approval, and without telling council.

• It only applies if the RFS online 10/50 tool confirms your exact address on the day you clear. There is no suburb list: it's decided lot by lot, so neighbours can get different answers. Keep a copy of the tool result.
• Distances are measured from the external wall of a qualifying building such as your home, not from sheds, fences or the boundary, and you can only clear on your own land. Relying on a neighbour's building within 10 m needs their written consent.
• Heritage items, steep slopes, waterways and some bushland are excluded, and the Code does not cover clearing around power lines.
• Clearing that complies with the Code overrides the Shire's tree rules, so no permit and no fee. If the tool says no, the normal rules above apply.

Our full guide: The 10/50 rule explained. RFS: 10/50 Vegetation Clearing and the Code of Practice (PDF). We check the tool for you when we quote.

Fees (2026/27)

Fees are paid to council, not to us, and are non-refundable. Council inspects every application with its own arborist. Council usually asks for a replacement tree to be planted when it approves a removal.

Dead or dangerous trees

If a tree is an imminent risk it can be removed without a permit, but the burden of proof is on you. Council recommends engaging an insured arborist with at least AQF level 4 to inspect the tree and photograph it, in context and close up, and council's imminent-risk form must be completed. Get the evidence before the tree is touched: once it's gone, so is your proof.

What we do for you

Tell us about the tree and we'll tell you which rule applies: exempt, minor pruning, or permit. If it needs a permit we'll tell you what to put on the form and what the fee is. If council wants an arborist report, our two AQF Level 5 consulting arborists write it. Then we do the approved work, following any conditions.