Guides worth reading before you book anyone
These are the questions that come up on almost every North Shore quote. Each article deals with one of them properly.
Permits, councils and protected trees
- Council approval for tree removal on the North Shore — how the permit process actually works across five councils.
- Blue Gum High Forest and why your tree may be protected — the endangered communities on the shale ridge.
- Bushfire-prone land and the 10/50 rule — what clearing is and is not permitted.
Tree health and safety
- How to tell if a tree is actually dangerous — the signs worth ringing about.
- Why eucalypts drop limbs in still summer weather — summer limb drop explained.
- What to do in the first hour after a tree comes down — storm damage, powerlines and insurance.
Doing the work well
- What a good pruning cut looks like — AS 4373 in plain language.
- Why topping a tree makes it more dangerous — the case against cutting a healthy tree to stubs.
- Grinding or removing: what to do with the stump — which one your project needs.
- Identifying the trees on a North Shore block — blackbutt, turpentine, blue gum and the usual planted exotics.
Want something specific answered?
The FAQ covers the short questions and the cost guide covers money. For anything about your own tree, ring (02) 9090 4915 — looking at it is free.
Frequently asked questions
How often is the blog updated?
Irregularly, and deliberately so. These articles are written when there is something genuinely worth saying about tree work on the North Shore rather than to a publishing schedule. Each one is intended to stay useful for years, so they are revised rather than replaced when council rules or good practice change.
Can I get advice on my specific tree from an article?
Only up to a point. The articles explain principles — how permits work, what a good pruning cut looks like, why a lean matters or does not. Your particular tree needs somebody to look at it, which is free. Ring (02) 9090 4915 rather than diagnosing a structural defect from a photograph and an article.