Trees and Vegetation

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The Southern Highlands has large intact vegetation corridors and patches of bushland on public and private land. Our Shire is celebrated for beautiful trees that line our neighbourhood streets, fill our parks and feature in private gardens providing shade and changing colours throughout the year.

Naturally, the protection of these unique street-scapes is extremely important to us.  This vegetation provides habitat for our local fauna as well as threatened flora and threatened ecological communities.

Council values its trees and looks to maintain its canopy cover so before undertaking any vegetation or tree removal, pruning, planting or general tree management within the Shire, it is important to review the content found on these pages.

Definition of a Tree

The provisions of Wingecarribee's Development Control Plan (WDCP) 2010 define section 6 urban areas and section 4 rural areas as: 

A perennial plant with at least one self-supporting stem which:

  1. Has a height of more than 6 (six) metres; and
  2. Has an outside circumference of at least 500mm at a height of 1 metre above the ground, or;
  3. Has an outside circumference of at least 500mm measured at ground level where the tree has been cut down or removed, or
  4. Has a branch and foliage crown spread of at least 4 metres. 

Where ‘height’ means the distance measured vertically between the horizontal plan at the lowest point at the base of a tree which is immediately above ground and the horizontal plane immediately above the uppermost point of a tree.

DEFINITION OF VEGETATION

Native vegetation  

Native vegetation in NSW is broadly defined as a plant native to New South Wales if it was established in New South Wales before European settlement and includes trees (including any sapling or shrub or any scrub), understorey plants, groundcover (being any type of herbaceous vegetation) and plants occurring in a wetland.  

Vegetation  

The definition of vegetation associated with an Item of Heritage or within a Heritage Conservation Area - means any plant life not defined as a ‘tree’ and includes, but is not restricted to, any sapling, shrub, scrub, understorey plants, groundcover (being any type of herbaceous vegetation) and plants occurring in a wetland.  

The definition of other vegetation – not associated with an Item of Heritage or not within a Heritage Conservation Area – means any plant life not defined as a ‘tree’ which is located:  

(a) in the riparian zone associated with a creek, river, watercourse wetland, stream, or other aquatic habitat as delineated in the Natural Resources Sensitivity Maps of the LEP,  

(b) within a wildlife corridor as delineated in the Natural Resources Sensitivity Maps of the LEP,  

(c) on land owned by Council or under its care, control or management, including road reserves. or performs an environmental role, as described below:  

  • provides habitat or likely habitat for threatened species, populations and endangered ecological communities as defined within the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, or  
  • is koala habitat.  

NOT SURE IF IT IS A COUNCIL OR PRIVATE TREE?

When a tree is located near or adjacent to Council land, the management responsibilities depend on its proximity to the property boundaries. The following rules apply:

  1. If 60% or more of the tree's trunk or root buttress is on your land (as confirmed by a registered survey), you are fully responsible for its management and associated costs.

  2. If the tree is roughly 50/50 across a shared boundary (with up to a 10% variance), the responsibility for its management and costs is shared equally between both landowners.

  3. If you're unsure about the boundary or management responsibilities, feel free to contact Council for clarification. Our team is happy to assist you. Contact us via email or by phone 1300 680 888.

Urban Tree Management Strategy, Plan and Policy

Learn how Council plans, manages and protects urban trees across the shire to support a healthy, resilient and sustainable urban forest for current and future generations.

Urban Tree Management Strategy, Plan and Policy

Want to learn more about how you can help increase our urban canopy? 
Council offers ways for you to make a difference to our Shire.
Click on the links below to find out more:

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