How we work
Big trees, taken down in controlled sections
Tall blue gums, big blocks and some of the strictest tree rules in Sydney. We're straight up Mona Vale Road from our base in North Narrabeen, and Alex quotes every St Ives job himself.
St Ives is in Ku-ring-gai Council. A tree is protected if it is 5 metres or more tall, or has a trunk 150 mm or more across measured at ground level. That catches almost every established tree in a St Ives garden, so assume you need a permit until you've checked.
There are a few exemptions. A tree whose trunk is within 3 metres of the external wall of your house is exempt, measured from the centre of the trunk at ground level. Decks, verandahs, carports and detached garages don't count, and the owner of the land the tree stands on has to agree. You can also prune branches hanging directly over the roof back to the nearest junction, and small branches and roots up to 50 mm. A dead tree is not automatically exempt: council has to confirm in writing that it's dead before any work starts, which usually means emailing them photos.
None of those exemptions apply on a heritage item or in a heritage conservation area, or where the tree is part of a mapped threatened ecological community such as Blue Gum High Forest or Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest. Both are found in St Ives.
Applications cost $88 to remove one tree or $44 to prune, plus $13 for each extra tree, and council allows 6–8 weeks to decide. An arborist report is optional, but if you supply one it must be written by a consulting arborist qualified to AQF Level 5. We check all of this at the free quote and help you with the application if you need one.
Source: Ku-ring-gai Council, trees on your property and DCP Part 13. Checked October 2026.
St Ives sits on the ridge where Ku-ring-gai's Blue Gum High Forest was once continuous. Less than 5% of it survives, and Ku-ring-gai Council records the largest remnant here, around Dalrymple-Hay Nature Reserve and Browns Forest. The forest is dominated by Eucalyptus saligna (Sydney Blue Gum) and Eucalyptus pilularis (Blackbutt), and plenty of St Ives gardens still carry trees from it: straight, pale trunks running far above the roofline.
Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest, also critically endangered, is found along Mona Vale Road. To the north the suburb runs into bushland at the Ku-ring-gai Wildflower Garden and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, and to the east towards Garigal National Park and the Northern Beaches.
Trees that size, close to houses, mean most St Ives tree work is done on ropes. We climb, cut a section, and lower it under control so nothing lands on the roof, the pool fence or the neighbour's garden. Where there's no room to lower and a crane can get in, we lift sections out over the house instead.
We'd rather keep a good tree than take it down. Ku-ring-gai Council feels the same way. Its guidelines list reasons it won't accept for removing a healthy tree, including leaf, sap or fruit fall, wanting more light or a better view, possums jumping onto the roof, and "tree too large or high". If your tree is sound, we'll tell you, and quote the deadwooding or clearance pruning that actually fixes the problem.
Deadwood out of tall gums. Blue gums and blackbutts drop dead limbs, often over roofs and driveways. Taking out deadwood makes the tree safer without changing its shape. Tree pruning
Roofline and clearance pruning. Branches directly over the roof can be pruned back to the nearest junction without a permit, which keeps gutters clear without touching the rest of the tree.
Dead and failing trees. Once council has confirmed in writing that a tree is dead, or approved the removal, we take it down in sections. Tree removal
Stump grinding, same visit. We own our stump grinder, so when a tree comes out the stump can be ground on the same visit rather than waiting for a hire machine. It's 74 cm across the tracks, fits a standard side gate and handles sloping St Ives blocks. Single stumps are worth doing too. Stump grinding
After a storm. Big trees on the ridge catch the wind. For a limb on the house or a tree across the driveway, call 0452 030 077. Emergency tree work
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"
The tree is right next to my house. Do I still need a permit in St Ives?
Possibly not. Ku-ring-gai exempts trees whose trunk is within 3 metres of the external wall of the house, measured from the centre of the trunk at ground level. The 3 metres is to the house itself, not to a deck, verandah, carport or detached garage. The exemption doesn't apply on heritage properties or in mapped Blue Gum High Forest or Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest. We'll measure it with you at the quote.
Can I remove a gum because of the leaves, bark or possums?
Not in Ku-ring-gai. Council's guidelines specifically list leaf, sap and fruit fall, animals jumping from the tree to the roof, and a tree being "too large or high" as reasons it won't accept for removing a healthy tree. What usually works is clearing branches back from the roofline and taking out deadwood, which we can often do without a permit.
Does the 10/50 bushfire rule let me clear trees near my house?
If your property is in a 10/50 vegetation clearing entitlement area, the NSW Rural Fire Service code can allow clearing near your home without council consent. It doesn't apply in critically endangered ecological communities, which in St Ives includes Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney Turpentine-Ironbark Forest. Check your address on the RFS website first, and talk to us before anything is cut.
There's a dead tree in my garden. Can you just take it down?
Not straight away. In Ku-ring-gai, dead trees aren't automatically exempt: council must confirm in writing that the tree is dead before any work is done. Email council photos and your address, and once you have the confirmation we can book the removal. If the dead tree looks like it could fall, call us on 0452 030 077 and we'll tell you what can be done straight away.
Send us a photo of the tree and tell us what's worrying you. Alex will come out, check whether it's protected, and give you an honest answer on whether it needs to go.
0452 030 077