Our work on the North Shore
Recent North Shore work
From Mosman and Cremorne to St Ives and Wahroonga. Five councils, five different sets of tree rules, and some of the biggest trees in Sydney. Alex quotes every job himself, checks whether your tree is protected before anything is cut, and tells you honestly whether it can stay.
The North Shore is split between North Sydney Council, Mosman Council, Willoughby City Council, Lane Cove Council and Ku-ring-gai Council, with Hornsby Shire Council taking the western side of Wahroonga. Each one draws the line for a protected tree in a different place. Height alone triggers a permit at 4 metres in Lane Cove and Willoughby, but at 5 metres in North Sydney, Mosman and Ku-ring-gai, and Hornsby has no size trigger at all. Mosman wants consent for almost any pruning. Lane Cove wants a permit even for a dead tree.
Getting this wrong is expensive. North Sydney Council states fines can reach $1.1 million, and they can fall on the person who ordered the work as well as the person who did it. So the first thing we do on any North Shore quote is work out which council you're in, whether the tree is protected, and what you need before anyone picks up a saw.
The trees are different too. The ridge along the Pacific Highway carries remnant Eucalyptus saligna (Sydney Blue Gum) forest, the eastern suburbs drop into sandstone gullies of Angophora costata (Sydney Red Gum), and older streets are lined with established Lophostemon confertus (Brushbox) and Jacaranda mimosifolia (Jacaranda). Big trees, close to houses, on tight blocks. That's rigging work, done carefully.
We start from the view that a healthy tree is worth keeping. Ku-ring-gai Council's own guidelines say "tree too large or high" and "unsubstantiated fear of tree failure" are not reasons to remove a tree, and we agree. If pruning, deadwooding or a reduction will solve the problem, that's what we'll quote. Where removal is genuinely needed, we'll say so and explain why.
Pick your suburb to see the page for it. The summary under each council is what makes a tree protected there. Every figure links to the council's own page, checked October 2026.
Permit needed for a tree over 5 m high, a crown over 5 m wide, or a trunk circumference over 500 mm at ground level. A dead tree can come out without a permit if an arborist (minimum AQF 3) confirms in writing that it's dead and it isn't needed as habitat. $90 lodgement fee from 1 July 2026; assessed within 12 business days.
Protected at 5 m or more in height, or 450 mm circumference measured 300 mm above ground. In heritage conservation areas the trigger drops to 2 m, and tree ferns of 2 m or more are covered. There's no general pruning exemption: unless the species is exempt, pruning needs consent too. Assessment usually takes up to 10 working days.
Protected if over 4 m high, a trunk girth over 600 mm at 1.4 m, or a crown spread over 3 m. Locally native, habitat and visually prominent trees can be covered regardless. You can prune up to 10% of a crown over five years without a permit. Approved removals must be displayed on the front boundary for 72 hours before work, with 3:1 replacement planting.
The strictest on the North Shore. Protected if over 4 m high, a canopy over 5 m, or a trunk over 150 mm diameter at 1 m. There are no true exemptions: dead trees and exempt species still need a fee-free permit. Fees are $160 for 1–3 trees, and assessment can take 8–10 weeks. Council must be told 48 hours before work starts, with the arborist's details.
Protected at 5 m or more in height, or a trunk of 150 mm or more at ground level. Trees within 3 m of the house's external wall are exempt (not decks, verandahs or garages), but none of the exemptions apply in heritage conservation areas or in mapped Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest. Dead trees need written confirmation from council first. $88 to remove one tree, $44 to prune.
Covers the western side of Wahroonga. There's no size trigger: any tree that isn't an exempt species and can grow past 3 m is protected. Trees within 3 m of an approved building's foundation are exempt, and you can prune up to 10% once a year. Those exemptions don't apply in heritage conservation areas or endangered ecological communities, including a 50 m buffer around them.
Roseville is mostly Ku-ring-gai with a strip in Willoughby, Wahroonga is split between Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby, and St Leonards touches three councils. If your suburb straddles a boundary, check your rates notice or ask us at the quote. Rules and fees change; always confirm with your council before work starts.
Alex looks at the tree, the access and what's around it. We work out which council you're in and whether the tree is protected, and tell you if it can be kept.
If the tree is protected, we help you with the council application. Where council asks for a consulting arborist's report (usually AQF Level 5), we can point you to an independent consultant.
Pruning to AS 4373, sectional dismantling on ropes where there's no room to drop, and any council notice or boundary display sorted before we start. We own our stump grinder, so the stump can go on the same visit. We leave the site clean.
Blue Gum High Forest, dominated by Eucalyptus saligna (Sydney Blue Gum) and Eucalyptus pilularis (Blackbutt), once covered the shale ridges of Ku-ring-gai. Less than 5% of it is left. Ku-ring-gai Council records the largest surviving remnant around Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve and Browns Forest in St Ives, with more along the Pacific Highway between Pymble and Wahroonga. Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest, also critically endangered, survives in pockets such as Sheldon Forest and along Mona Vale Road. If your property sits in one of these communities, the normal exemptions fall away and any work needs proper assessment.
Further east the ground turns to sandstone. Mosman, Cremorne, Lane Cove and the Willoughby bushland reserves sit over gullies of Angophora costata (Sydney Red Gum), where shallow soil over rock affects how trees anchor and how deep a stump can be ground. North Sydney Council notes Sydney Red Gums on Cremorne Point dying from Phytophthora root rot. A slow decline in an established red gum is worth getting looked at early.
As well as the suburbs above, we cover Lindfield, Killara, Gordon, Pymble, Turramurra, Wahroonga, Artarmon, Castlecrag, Northbridge, Cammeray and Kirribilli from our North Narrabeen base. Call 0452 030 077 and we'll tell you which council rules apply to your street.
Real Google reviews from our customers.
"I can't recommend Alex and his team enough! They came out to my backyard and did an excellent job cutting down some large trees. Alex was friendly and approachable right from the start. He showed up on time, was extremely reliable throughout the process.…"
"Alex and his team at The Living Canopy are highly professional and reliable arborists in Sydney. They are friendly easy to work with and consistently deliver high quality work at a competitive price.…"
"Alex and Nick were great. Alex had very good knowledge of the trees and performed all work really well. They came when they said and cleaned up all cuttings. I highly recommend them"
How do I know which council my property is in?
Your rates notice names it. Most suburbs sit in one council, but Roseville is split between Ku-ring-gai and Willoughby, Wahroonga between Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby, and St Leonards between North Sydney, Willoughby and Lane Cove. We check this at every quote, because the permit rules change at the boundary.
Can I remove a dead tree without a permit on the North Shore?
It depends on the council. North Sydney lets a dead tree come out if an arborist confirms in writing that it's dead and it isn't habitat. Ku-ring-gai needs council's written confirmation first. Lane Cove still needs a permit, though it's fee-free. Hornsby exempts dead trees once council agrees in writing. Don't assume; ask us or your council first.
Will council ask for an arborist report?
Sometimes. Most North Shore councils don't need a report for a simple application, but they can ask for one, and where they do it must come from a consulting arborist qualified to AQF Level 5. Willoughby also requires that the consultant isn't tied to a removal business. If you need one, we can point you to an independent consultant and then carry out the approved work.
You're on the Northern Beaches. Do you really come to the North Shore?
Yes. We're based in North Narrabeen, with Mona Vale Road straight up to St Ives and the Wakehurst Parkway into Chatswood and the lower North Shore. Alex quotes every job in person, and the quote is free with no obligation.
Tell us your suburb and what's going on with the tree. Alex will come out, check the council rules for your property and give you a straight, honest price.
0452 030 077