Tree Removal Permits

Clearing of native vegetation in rural areas may need approval under the Local Land Services Act 2013

Rural areas include:

• RU1 – Primary Production
• RU2 Rural Landscapes 
• DM – Deferred Matter areas (where not associated with an activity that requires development consent).

Contact Local Land Services on 1300 795 299 or see Local Land Services for more information.

Under SEPP (Vegetation in Non-Rural Areas) 2017 and Council’s DCP2014-F1 you may be required to lodge a Tree Removal Permit if you are in one of the following common land use zones:

• Residential Zones (R1, R2, R3, R5 large lot residential, RU5 Village)
• Business Zones (B1-B7) and Industrial Zones (IN1, IN4)
• Recreation Zones (RE1, RE2)

See NSW legislation for a full list of non-rural zones.

To check your land use zone, see Online Mapping Tool or NSW Planning Portal Spatial Viewer.

You may require a permit if you want to remove the following types of declared vegetation under Section 1.2 of DCP 2014 Chapter F1 Tree and Vegetation Management(PDF, 482KB) (DCP14-F1). Some exemptions may apply.

• Vegetation shown as High Environmental Value (HEV) on Council’s online map.
• Trees listed as “red flags” in Appendix 2 of DCP14-F1.
• Koala habitat trees listed in Schedule 2 of the Koala SEPP for the North Coast (see Appendix 2 in DCP14-F1)
• Vegetation in zones C2 to C4
• Native plants within 50m of a major stream or river, or 20m of smaller streams
• Native trees over 3m tall or with a trunk over 100mm wide in urban areas
• Any tree with a hollow, even if non-native
• Large non-native trees with cultural or community value (e.g. Norfolk Pines)
• Native plants supporting threatened species or habitat, like urban koala corridors
• All native vegetation on public land, including road verges
• Native vegetation that is a heritage item or in a heritage area under the Byron Local Environmental Plan (BLEP)

Some vegetation can be removed or pruned without a Council permit—but only if it's not:

• On a heritage site, Aboriginal place or object, or in a heritage conservation area (as per the Byron LEP 2014), or
• Protected under a development consent or legal restriction.

You don’t need a permit if the vegetation fits one of these exemption categories:

1. Removal is allowed under the Local Land Services Act 2013 (Section 60O)
2. The vegetation is dead and not needed as wildlife habitat (See Dead or Dangerous)
3. The vegetation poses a serious safety risk to people or property (See Dead or Dangerous)
4. The work is allowed as exempt development under the State SEPP (Transport & Infrastructure)
5. The tree is within 3 metres of your home (if it’s not a threatened species or in koala habitat)
6. The tree is a non-native or invasive species listed in Appendix 3 of DCP2014-F1.
7. Camphor laurel trees with a Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) of less than 1 metre.
8. Removal is approved under a Vegetation or Biodiversity Management Plan
9. It’s part of a best-practice restoration project, such as camphor conversion work

Non-native and/or invasive tree species

Depending on the location and potential impact on native vegetation and threatened species, other approvals may be required for vegetation clearing.

Visit Environment NSW for information on when the Biodiversity Offsets Scheme applies and the Biodiversity Values Map and Threshold tool.  

If the proposed clearing is on land marked on the Biodiversity Values Map or exceeds the threshold for clearing in the Biodiversity Offset Scheme (BOS), you will need to hire an accredited assessor to prepare a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report.