Consulting arborist reports. Mortdale based, Sydney wide.
Council-ready arborist reports by an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist: DA impact assessments, removal permits, risk and root reports, tree protection plans. Send the plans and we quote the report the same day.
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True Roots writes arborist reports for Sydney councils, development applications, insurers, strata committees and neighbour disputes. They are prepared by an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist — Diploma of Arboriculture, TAFE NSW, and a registered consulting and practising member of Arboriculture Australia — with roughly fifteen years on the tools behind the assessment. Most reports are $1,500–$2,000 ex GST. Send the address and the plans and we quote it the same day.
The point of a report is that it gets accepted. A cheap report that comes back from council asking for information costs you a month, and often a second report. Each report follows that council’s published report guidelines and thresholds, with the photographs and measurements its assessors ask for.
An Arboricultural Impact Assessment for a DA: every tree on and adjoining the site surveyed, retention values, the impact of the proposed footprint on root zones, and the tree protection measures the consent will require. Written to AS 4970 (the 2025 edition, or the edition your council’s conditions name). How an impact assessment works.
The report that goes with a council tree application: species, dimensions against that council’s protection threshold, condition, the reason for removal and the replacement planting the council will ask for. See our council guides.
A written assessment of a declining, damaged or suspect tree — crown condition, pests and pathogens, structural defects, and whether it can be retained with works or has reached the end of its safe life.
Condition, defects, targets and likelihood of failure documented with a recognised risk method, so an owner, strata committee or insurer has evidence rather than opinion for the decision they have to make.
Tree Protection Zone and Structural Root Zone calculated for each retained tree, fencing and ground-protection specified, and the monitoring and certification a consent condition requires during construction. See tree protection zones.
Where roots are blamed for a crack, a lifted path or a blocked pipe, we expose and map them and report what the tree is and is not responsible for. An AS 4970 assessment with root mapping is quoted as two site days plus the report. See root barriers.
A written assessment of condition, encroachment and risk for owners on either side of a fence, including matters heading to the Land and Environment Court.
Before you buy: what the trees on the block are, what condition they are in, which ones are protected, and what it will cost to deal with them.
What failed, why it failed and what it will take to make the site safe, documented for the claim after storm damage or a tree failure. See emergency tree work.
A single-tree report for a council removal application sits at the lower end. A multi-tree Arboricultural Impact Assessment for a development, or anything needing root mapping or court-standard evidence, sits at the top or is quoted by the day — an AS 4970 assessment with root mapping is two site days plus the report. Every job is quoted individually once we know the number of trees, the access and the deadline.
Most reports are $1,500–$2,000 ex GST. When you compare quotes, ask whether the arborist will inspect the tree in person and what AQF level they hold, because councils such as Georges River, Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby ask for AQF Level 5.
Volume report providers advertise reports from around $400–$800. Some are fine. Many are written from photographs or a five-minute walk-past, with no named author and no risk-assessment accreditation attached — and councils put their expectations in writing. Ku-ring-gai’s report guidelines set a minimum of AQF Level 5 and regard a Certificate 3 holder as “a Tree Worker/Contractor and not a Consulting Arborist” for report writing, and a report must be compiled to the guidelines to be accepted and considered. Inner West requires reports prepared by an arborist with “Australian Qualification Framework level 5 or equivalent”.
A knocked-back application is the expensive version. Georges River’s standard assessment target is eighteen weeks, and a review of a refusal must be lodged within six months with additional information or reports. The City of Sydney assesses in 28 days, and an appeal goes to the Land and Environment Court within three months. Paying for a second report while that clock runs costs more than one consulting report done properly the first time.
If you have been told to get a “certified arborist report”, that normally means exactly this: a consulting arborist report written at AQF Level 5, to your council’s own rules, signed by the author who inspected the tree.
Most reports are delivered within days of the site inspection, and urgent turnarounds can be arranged where a settlement, hearing or lodgement date is fixed. Tell us the deadline when you call.
Species, height, canopy spread, trunk diameter at breast height, age class and position, measured against the protection threshold your council actually applies.
Crown, trunk, root plate and union condition, defects, decay indicators and pathogens, with photographs so the assessor sees what the arborist saw.
Targets, likelihood of failure and consequence, assessed with a recognised method and explained, not just a number in a box.
Retain, prune or remove — and if works are recommended, they are specified to AS 4373 so whoever carries them out has no room to improvise.
TPZ and SRZ figures, fencing, ground protection, permitted works inside the zone and the supervision the consent will require, to AS 4970:2025.
Species, size and location for the replacement trees councils increasingly make a condition of approval, so that condition is answered before it is raised.
Each Sydney council sets its own rules for which trees are protected, which trees near a house are exempt, and when an arborist report has to go with the application. The differences are bigger than most people expect: a tree 2 m from a house can be exempt in Canterbury-Bankstown and need consent in Georges River.
| Council | Which trees are protected | Trees close to the house | Arborist report level asked for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georges River | 3 m or taller, or a 100 mm trunk at ground level, or a 3 m branch spread | No distance exemption | AQF Level 5 for development sites; an imminently dangerous tree can be removed without approval if assessed by an AQF Level 5 arborist, with the Exempt Tree Works form lodged within 72 hours of removal |
| Sutherland Shire | 100 mm trunk measured 500 mm above ground (any height); bushland; trees within 4 m of a creek | Council will permit removal within 3 m of a dwelling or pool, but you still apply | Optional; Council asks for a TRAQ-licensed arborist with a minimum AQF Level 4 (diploma) qualification, independent of any tree contracting company |
| Ku-ring-gai | 5 m or taller, or a 150 mm trunk at ground level | Within 3 m of an existing dwelling (Ku-ring-gai DCP Part 13, 2022 amendment; confirm with Council) | AQF Level 5 where a report is required |
| Canterbury-Bankstown | Trees under 5 m are exempt | Within 3 m of the trunk to a wall of the main dwelling (not a verandah, garage, shed or granny flat) | AQF Level 5 for inspections more than 2 m above or below ground |
| Inner West | See Council’s tree FAQs | Within 1 m of a dwelling on the same lot (not heritage items or areas) | Not mandatory for a private tree application; AQF Level 5 for development reports |
| Hornsby | See Council’s private trees page | Within 3 m of the foundation of an approved building (not garages or carports) | AQF Level 5 consulting arborist only |
| City of Sydney | See Council’s exemptions guide | No removal exemption; pruning for up to 1 m clearance from an approved building | AQF Level 3 for a dead or dangerous tree report; exempt pruning by AQF Level 2. $98 application fee, 28-day assessment, Land and Environment Court appeal within 3 months |
From each council’s own pages, checked October 2026. Rules change, heritage and bushland overlays add more, and dead or dangerous trees have their own rules.
We check the rule that applies to your address before quoting, and if the honest answer is that you do not need a report, we tell you that instead of writing one. Send a photo and the address and we will say which it is. Our council tree removal guides set out the thresholds and forms for Georges River, Sutherland Shire, Bayside, Canterbury-Bankstown, Inner West and City of Sydney.
Council application, DA, insurance, dispute or peace of mind — and the deadline. Send the address, photos and any plans or council correspondence.
An AQF Level 5 arborist attends, measures and photographs every tree in scope, and checks the constraints the council will care about.
Written to the council’s format with findings, risk rating, recommendation and the protection or planting detail the consent will need. Delivered as a PDF you can lodge.
We answer the assessing officer’s questions, and if the work is approved the same company can carry it out — no second contractor to brief.
True Roots was the consulting arborist on a commercial development in Minto. We supplied the initial Arboricultural Impact Assessment, acted as the consulting arborist through construction, and provided the final certification on completion — managing the Tree Protection Zone from start to finish across a two-year period. That is the full arc a DA consent condition actually asks for: the assessment, the supervision, and the sign-off at the end.
Every report is researched, written and signed by the same AQF Level 5 consulting arborist who inspects your tree — approximately fifteen years in arboriculture, a Registered Consulting and Practising Member of Arboriculture Australia and a member of the International Society of Arboriculture, backed by $20 million public liability insurance and ISO 9001 certification, in an Aboriginal-owned business. No outsourced template: the person whose name is on the report is the person who stood under the tree.
Diploma of Arboriculture (AHC50524), TAFE NSW — the qualification Georges River (impact assessments), Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby and North Sydney require of report authors.
Arboriculture Australia registered consulting and practising member, and a member of the International Society of Arboriculture.
The assessment is written by someone who has spent fifteen years removing, pruning and rigging these species in these suburbs — not only reading about them.
True Roots can write the report and, once it is approved, carry out the work. Where a council requires an independent consultant (Sutherland Shire), we say so and refer you on. True Roots does both, so the recommendation and the job that follows come from the same people.
True Roots reports are $1,500–$2,000 ex GST for most jobs. A single-tree council removal report is at the lower end. More trees, an impact assessment for a development, root mapping or court-standard evidence put it at the top of the range or above, quoted by the day.
It depends on the council and the reason. Inner West says a report is not mandatory for a private tree application, Ku-ring-gai treats one as optional supporting information (but it must be by an AQF Level 5 arborist), and Georges River and Hornsby ask for an AQF Level 5 report on development sites. Send us the address and a photo and we will tell you honestly whether you need one.
Only in some councils, and the distance differs. Canterbury-Bankstown and Hornsby exempt trees within 3 m of the house, Inner West only within 1 m, Sutherland Shire will permit removal within 3 m but you still apply, and Georges River has no distance exemption. Check before you cut.
AQF Level 5 is the Diploma of Arboriculture. Councils including Georges River, Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby, Canterbury-Bankstown and North Sydney ask for AQF Level 5 for development and detailed tree reports. Sutherland Shire sets a minimum of AQF Level 4 with TRAQ for reports supporting a tree permit.
Talk to your neighbour first, and check with your council before cutting back to the boundary, because protected trees still need approval (Legal Aid NSW). If it cannot be settled, the Land and Environment Court hears Class 2 applications under the Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006, with orders to remedy, restrain or prevent damage or injury from the tree — a hedge severely blocking sunlight to a window or a view from the house is covered too. The Court recommends expert evidence from an arborist, and a written report on condition, damage and risk is that evidence.
No, and be wary of anyone who says otherwise: the decision is the council’s. A properly written report makes sure the decision is made on the evidence, at the first attempt, rather than delayed because information is missing. If the tree does not warrant removal we will tell you before you pay for a report.
Inspections are usually available the same week. Most reports are delivered within days of the inspection, and urgent turnarounds can be arranged where a settlement, hearing or lodgement date is fixed. Tell us the deadline up front.
Yes, in most councils. Once the council signs off, the same company carries out the removal, pruning or protection works with our own machinery, $20M public liability and the site left clean. The exception is a Sutherland Shire tree permit: Council requires that report to come from an independent consultant with no affiliation with a tree contracting company, so we do not write those.
It depends on the council, and the gap matters. Ku-ring-gai’s guidelines set a minimum of AQF Level 5 for report authors and class a Certificate 3 arborist as a tree worker or contractor rather than a consulting arborist. Inner West requires AQF Level 5 or equivalent. Sutherland Shire asks for a TRAQ-licensed arborist with at least an AQF Level 4 diploma, writing as an independent consultant with no affiliation with a tree contracting company. The City of Sydney requires works by a minimum AQF Level 3 arborist and a consultant arborist where further analysis is needed. We write to the guideline that applies to your address.
Because of what is left out. The cheapest reports are often written from photographs, with no named author, no risk-assessment accreditation and no site plan — the things council guidelines ask for. Ku-ring-gai only accepts and considers reports compiled to its guidelines — including, where a risk assessment is undertaken, a copy of the arborist’s TRAQ or QTRA accreditation, and a disclosure of any pecuniary interest. A report the council sets aside is not cheap, because you pay for a second one and lose the assessment time with it.
Real reviews from Sydney clients, quoted from our Google profile. Long reviews are shortened; tap Read more for the full review on Google.
Reviews …Really great service, professional, safe and accommodating. Difficulties of access easily overcome, good people to deal withRead more
David G.October 2026Jimmy and the guys were excellent at their job—very fast and very tidy. I highly recommend them, and I certainly wouldn't hesitate to use them again in the future. "True Roots" are the best.
Nomikos R.October 2026Removed 4 bunches of palm nuts and tidied everything up. Great job.
Matthew K.October 2026Jimmy and his crew were fast, efficient and professional! He was so helpful in removing a tree in our yard that was a safety hazard. I highly recommend True Roots and would not hesitate to use them again if needed.
Liz B.June 2026Jimmy and his team were excellent. Fast, reliable, well-priced and impressive work. Great to see such a good, local tree removal business and arborist in Mortdale and operating in the St George area. You will not be disappointed using these guys.
Jamie D.April 2026Great service! I liked how they cleaned up after they chopped down our tree. Efficient and very competitive pricing. I would happily book them again in the future.
Celia L.April 2026Jimmy and the two men working with him were professional, hard working and efficient with their time. They removed a large bougainvillea adjacent to the pool. I was very impressed with how well they did this, especially given how thorny it…Read more
Jan B.March 2026I recently hired True Roots to remove a large gum tree from my property, and I couldn’t be more impressed with their service. From the initial consultation to the final clean-up, the team of arborists were professional, efficient, and…Read more
Joseph2025Jimmy was amazing; right from the beginning, he was informative, professional and willing to work within our budget. We could not be happier with what he has delivered for us. We removed all our side trees and replaced them with hedges and…Read more
JJ2025Highly recommend the Team from True Roots, the boys came in and removed a Black Butt that was overhanging our house. Very competitive pricing and managed to squeeze us in. The stump was ground back and all waste was removed. Very professional and skilled workers. Will definitely use them again in the future.
Ben G.2024Highly recommend! James and the boys did an amazing job cutting down a large tree in my yard. Super professional, efficient, and left everything clean and tidy. Great service, and I’m really happy with the results. Will definitely call again for any future tree work! Thanks Andrew
Andrew M.2024
An AQF Level 5 consulting arborist tells you whether you need a report at all, quotes it the same day, and can carry out the work once it is approved.
Tell us what you need done and we will call you back to arrange a look. Every job is assessed individually - no two trees are the same.
Urgent or unsafe tree? Call 0422 023 242 - we answer 24 hours.
Enter your details below and we will call you back to arrange a look. Urgent or storm-damaged tree? Call 0422 023 242. You can also text photos to that number. Your details are only used to quote and book your job (privacy policy).
