Permits, protected trees and shire rules
Whether you need approval depends on where the tree is and what it is. Trees on a council verge are the shire's, not yours, even if you planted and watered them. Some newer subdivisions around Margaret River, Dunsborough and Vasse carry vegetation retention conditions from the original approval. Native vegetation clearing on rural land in Western Australia is regulated separately again and generally requires a permit unless a specific exemption applies.
The practical order is: ring your shire's planning counter, describe the tree and its position, and ask whether approval is needed. City of Bunbury, Shire of Capel, Shire of Busselton and Shire of Augusta-Margaret River all handle this at the front desk. Then book the work. Doing it the other way around is how people end up with a fine and a stump.
Firebreaks and the annual notice
Every South West shire issues a firebreak and fuel-load notice each year, usually published in spring with a compliance date around the start of November and running into autumn. What it requires varies with lot size — typically a mineral-earth break of a set width inside the boundary, fuel reduced across the block, and clear access for an appliance.
Overhanging limbs and ladder fuels are the part people forget. A grass fire that reaches low branches becomes a canopy fire, and in marri and peppermint country that is how embers get into a roof cavity. See the firebreak and hazard reduction page for what that work involves.
Stumps: grind or remove?
Grinding chews the stump to below ground level and leaves the root system in place to rot down. It is quicker and cheaper, and it is enough for turf, garden beds and paving. Full stump removal takes out the root plate as well, and that is what you need if a slab, footing, retaining wall or trenched service is going in over the top. Grinding covers the difference in detail.
Storms, power lines and after-hours
If a tree is touching a power line, call Western Power on 13 13 51 and stay away from it. If a limb is hung up in the canopy or a trunk has split, keep people and cars out from under it and ring us — see emergency storm work. Winter fronts across Geographe Bay and summer thunderstorms inland are the two peaks, and a tree that has already dropped one limb will usually drop another.
Still unanswered?
The cost guide covers pricing in detail, the services list explains each job, and the service areas page shows where crews run. Otherwise ring (08) 9785 0207 or send the details through.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if I think my tree is diseased?
Take a photo of the trunk base, the canopy and any affected limbs, then ring and describe what you are seeing. Fungal brackets at the base, sudden dieback in the upper canopy, bleeding wounds on a marri or fine sawdust at the collar all mean different things. A site visit settles whether the tree needs treatment, a reduction, or removal.
Should I cut down a tree I am worried about?
Not automatically. Plenty of trees that look alarming are structurally sound, and plenty of tidy-looking ones are not. Weight reduction, deadwooding, crown thinning or a cable can resolve the risk while keeping the tree, its shade and its value to the block. Removal is the right call when the defect cannot be managed.
Why hire an arborist instead of a general handyman?
Tree work is the job where the difference between competent and confident is a hospital visit. An arborist reads structure, plans the drop zone, rigs the weight and knows what a cut does to the tree afterwards. Ask for qualifications and a current certificate of currency for public liability insurance before anyone starts.
Do you deliver mulch?
Sometimes. Chip from a job is often available and can be left on site for you at no cost while the crew is there. Standalone mulch delivery depends on what has been chipped that week and where the truck is going, so ask when you book rather than assuming.
Is the green waste removed?
Yes, unless the quote says otherwise. Limbs get chipped, timber is cut down and carted, and the site gets raked. Get it in writing either way, because leaving the debris is a legitimate way to reduce a price and it should be a decision you made, not a surprise.