Mortdale based. Sydney wide. 15 years on the tools.
Moreton Bay Fig Removal & Pruning Sydney
AQF Level 5 arborists, $20M public liability and council paperwork handled. Tell us about the job and we call you back the same day.
★ 5.0 from 71 Google reviewsAQF Level 5 arboristsISO 9001 certified$20M public liability
Protected in every Sydney council we work in. Here is how a fig job actually gets approved, and what the alternatives are.
Moreton Bay figs (Ficus macrophylla) are the trees with the buttress roots: magnificent in a park, a problem in a 600 m² block. They are not on any council’s exempt list — only the rubber tree (Ficus elastica) is — and the big old ones are often on a Register of Significant Trees or inside a heritage area, which turns a permit into a development application. Most fig enquiries we get are strata or large-lot owners with lifted paving, blocked drains or a wall on the move. The honest answer is sometimes removal, more often root work, a root barrier and a crown reduction that keeps the tree and stops the damage.
Can you remove a Moreton Bay fig in Sydney?
Only with approval. No Sydney council exempts Moreton Bay fig; each one’s size threshold makes a mature fig a protected tree many times over. Three routes:
- Standard tree permit — for a fig that is not heritage-listed or on a significant tree register. The council wants a reason it accepts: structural damage with evidence, a failure risk, or a tree in irreversible decline. “It is too big” is refused everywhere.
- Development application — where the tree is on a Register of Significant Trees or part of a heritage item. The City of Sydney, for example, requires consent for any tree listed in its Register of Significant Trees regardless of size, and Randwick and Woollahra take significant-register trees through a DA.
- Keep the tree, fix the problem — root pruning to AS 4970 outside the structural root zone, a root barrier, and a crown reduction to AS 4373. Councils approve this readily, and it is usually cheaper than a removal that gets refused.
Whichever route, the application stands or falls on the arborist report. Ours are written by an AQF Level 5 consulting arborist to the council’s own guidelines, with AS 4970 root mapping where the issue is damage — see arborist reports.
Roots: what a fig does to paving, pipes and walls
The species is known for an “aggressive root system” that makes it “unsuitable for all but the largest private gardens”: surface roots that heave paths, driveways and pool coping, and feeder roots that find any crack in a sewer. Roots do not break sound pipes; they enter damaged ones and then enlarge the damage. The fix order is: find the source tree, cut the offending roots cleanly outside the structural root zone, fit a root barrier between tree and structure, have a plumber reline the pipe, relay the paving. We do the tree side and the paving; see tree root removal.
Photos from our own jobs. Client addresses are never published.
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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.
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What fig work costs
Crown reduction, thinning and deadwood to AS 4373: $800–$4,000 ex GST. AQF Level 5 arborist report for the council: $1,500–$2,000; an AS 4970 impact assessment with root mapping is quoted per site. Removal of a large fig (10 m+): $5,000–$25,000+ — a crane over the building, two to three days, traffic control, and a stump the size of a car to grind. Root pruning and barrier work is quoted per job. More than one tree, a development impact assessment or a council application add to the total. One fixed price after we have seen the tree.
Wildlife and the fig
Figs feed birds and flying-foxes. The Grey-headed Flying-fox is listed as Vulnerable in NSW and nationally, and councils will not approve work that destroys occupied habitat. Before any fig job we check for nests, hollows and roosting, and we time the work around them. A permit from council does not override wildlife law — Canterbury-Bankstown says as much on its own tree page — so we treat the habitat check as part of the job, not an optional extra.
Moreton Bay fig questions
Are Moreton Bay figs protected in NSW?
In every Sydney council we have checked, yes: the species is on no exempt list, and a mature fig exceeds every council’s size threshold. Figs on a Register of Significant Trees or in a heritage item need a development application rather than a tree permit.
Can I prune a Moreton Bay fig instead of removing it?
Usually, and councils prefer it. A crown reduction to AS 4373, deadwood and a clearance prune over the roof or car park keeps the tree and removes the risk. Figs tolerate reduction well when the cuts are made properly.
How far do Moreton Bay fig roots spread?
Well beyond the canopy on an old tree — the buttress roots alone can run many metres, and feeder roots follow water. Root mapping to AS 4970 shows exactly where they are before any decision about paving, footings or a barrier.
Will council let me remove a fig that is damaging my house?
With evidence, often. The application needs an arborist report showing the damage, the roots responsible, and why pruning or a barrier will not fix it. Where a barrier would work, expect the council to ask for that instead.
Do fig trees attract bats?
Yes. Fruiting figs are a food source for flying-foxes, and the Grey-headed Flying-fox is a Vulnerable species. That affects timing and sometimes the approval itself, so we assess habitat before quoting.
How much does it cost to remove a large Moreton Bay fig?
Large and hazardous removals over 10 m are $5,000–$25,000+ depending on the crane, the access and what is underneath. The report and permit come first; we price the whole path.
Can you remove a fig from a strata car park or courtyard?
Yes — we do this for strata committees with the report, the DA or permit, the crane logistics and the paving reinstatement handled as one job, with certificates of currency supplied up front.
What our clients say
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.2024Qualified, insured and accountable
- AQF Level 5 arboristDiploma of Arboriculture (AHC50524), TAFE NSW, 2024. About 15 years in arboriculture.
- ISO 9001 certifiedQuality management system certified to ISO 9001.
- $20M public liabilityPlus icare workers compensation. Certificates of currency sent with every quote.
- Australian StandardsTree pruning and trimming to AS 4373, tree protection on building sites to AS 4970.
- Indigenous-ownedOwned and operated by an Indigenous director. Registered NSW Government supplier on buy.nsw.
- 5.0 on Google71 reviews, every one from a real job. Read them.
Got a fig doing damage?
Send photos of the tree and the damage. We tell you whether it is a pruning, a barrier, a permit or a DA, and what each path costs.