There are six important questions any resident should ask themselves before making changes to trees on their property.
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Whether planning to approach the lop themselves, or employing an organisation to carry out the work, the responsibility is on the resident to carry out the proper checks.
The first step, prior to starting any tree work, should be to contact council on 4868 0888 for advice on which works require written approval and which works are exempt under the council tree management controls.
It is important to seek the proper approvals, as those who employ a person or company to perform illegal tree works will be held responsible for those works and may receive a substantial fine ($3000 for an individual & $6000 for a company) or be taken to court.
Tree work check list
- Have I applied for written Council approval for these tree works?
- Have I got two or three written quotations on the tree company’s letterhead with their ABN number?
- Have I asked the tree company for a copy of their Public Liability & Workers’ Compensation Insurances required to perform this type of work?
- Have I asked the Arborist about his/her qualifications? (eg. TAFE trained; Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Levels 2 – 5)
- Does the Arborist follow WorkCover’s Code of Practice 2007 Standards for Tree Work?
- Does the Arborist perform pruning works to the Australia Standard 4373 – 2007 ‘Pruning of Amenity Trees’?
Qualified arborists are available at the following links:
- Arboriculture Australia at www.arboriculture.org.au or call 1300 664 374
- Tree Contractors Association at www.tcaa.com.au or call 1300 660 379
For further information on tree management in the shire, visit council’s website at www.wsc.nsw.gov.au or customer service 4868 0888 for an application form or to discuss a tree query with council’s tree and vegetation assessment officer.