In Canberra, development involving trees is assessed under the Urban Forest Act 2023 (ACT) and associated planning processes.
Where development may impact protected trees or occur near them, a Tree Management Plan (TMP) and supporting arborist documentation are typically required to support approval.
These documents outline how construction can proceed while protecting trees across private land, neighbouring land and public land.
If you're planning a development project and already know you require an arborist report, our Level 5 Arborists can provide fast, Council-ready documentation for Development Applications, Tree Management Plans and construction near protected trees.
Learn More About Development Arborist Reports →
This guide is prepared by Arbor Express, a team of AQF Level 5 Consulting Arborists with over 32 years of experience working in Canberra and surrounding areas.
We don't just prepare reports. We guide property owners, builders and designers through development tree compliance, helping identify constraints early and avoid delays.
Canberra-grown experience means we understand how local projects are assessed and what is required to gain approval.
You may need an arborist report if your development impacts or is located near protected trees.
Approval is generally required for tree damaging activity, including development that:
Arborist reports prepared by Arbor Express assess impacts and support approval.
Tree compliance for development in Canberra operates across several key layers that must be addressed together.
Development involving trees may require consideration of:
Failure to address these elements properly can result in RFIs, redesign, delays or refusal of approval.
Before planning development, it's important to confirm whether trees are protected.
This can be done using ACT Government mapping tools such as ACTmapi, which help identify:
Trees on public land are always protected and require approval before any work.
Our Level 5 Arborists help identify protected trees early in the planning process to avoid approval issues later.
Trees located on verges or nature strips are on public land and are always protected.
These trees are not part of your lease and cannot be pruned, removed or modified without approval.
Development works affecting these trees must be assessed and approved as part of the planning process.
We prepare Tree Management Plans (TMPs) that outline how trees will be managed and protected during development.
A TMP is typically required where development may impact a protected tree or its surrounding area.
This may include:
TMP requirements are assessed as part of development, building or tree activity applications.
A TMP may address:
It defines how development can proceed while minimising damage to trees.
When planning development in Canberra, trees must be considered as part of the overall site design, not as a separate issue.
This includes:
Development approval often depends on how well tree constraints are addressed during design.
Many development delays occur when tree constraints are identified too late in the design process.
Arbor Express works with property owners, builders and designers to identify constraints early and guide projects through the approval process.
For developments requiring approval, a landscape plan may be required alongside arborist documentation.
This considers:
Tree Management Plans and landscape plans are often assessed together as part of development applications.
The tree protection zone is the area around a tree where activities may cause damage.
In Canberra, the protection area around a tree is generally based on:
Development assessments may also use:
Works within this area may require approval.
ACT authorities typically consider:
Arborist reports provide the technical basis for this assessment.
Tree removal in Canberra is subject to specific protection requirements and approval pathways. Learn when approval may be required and how a Level 5 Arborist can assist.
Read Our Canberra Tree Removal Guide →
Typical process for development involving trees:
Early arborist involvement helps streamline this process and avoid delays.
A development arborist report typically includes:
Where a protected tree is approved for removal, canopy contribution requirements may apply.
This may involve:
These requirements are determined as part of the approval process.
A tree bond is a financial security used to help ensure protected trees are not damaged during development.
If trees are damaged, part or all of the bond may be withheld.
Unauthorised work on protected trees may result in:
Always confirm tree protection status before commencing work.
Use a suitably qualified arborist experienced in development reporting and tree risk assessment.
Development-related tree assessment requires experience in:
Our reports are prepared by AQF Level 5 Consulting Arborists at Arbor Express with over 32 years of experience working on development projects in Canberra and surrounding areas.
Our Level 5 Arborists provide arborist reports and development tree assessments throughout Canberra, servicing properties across all major Canberra districts.
We service all suburbs located within the following districts and surrounding areas across the ACT:
Get clear, practical advice and fast-track Level 5 arborist reports for development across Canberra. Contact us today.
