City of South Perth - Request Tree Pruning

Request Tree Pruning

Need a tree or vegetation pruned near your property? Use this form to request tree maintenance or report tree issues to the City of South Perth.

Last updated on: 29 August 2025

In this article

Urgent requests
City managed trees
Street trees vs park trees - what you need to know
Street tree pruning schedule by suburb
Pruning trees on private property
Stay updated on your request
Raise a Request

Urgent requests

If a tree is directly interfering with power lines, street lights or represents a safety hazard, please contact the City on 9474 0777 to report your request. You can call this number 24-hours a day for urgent / high priority assistance.

City managed trees

If a City-managed tree on a verge, park or reserve near your property is causing concern, you can request pruning, trimming or report other tree-related issues.

The City is committed to maintaining safe, healthy and well-managed trees across our suburbs. All requests are assessed by qualified arborists in accordance with our Urban Greening Strategy.

The City does not prune or remove trees solely due to falling leaves or leaf litter.

Requests include:

pruning of overhanging branches
trimming for pedestrian or vehicle clearance
visibility obstruction from signs or intersections
tree damaging property eg fences, roof structures
general tree health concerns.

Street trees vs park trees - what you need to know

Street trees

Maintenance program

Street trees (located on residential verges or road reserves) are pruned twice per year as part of the City's scheduled maintenance program.

To help reduce duplicate reports and ensure efficient service please wait until after your suburb's scheduled pruning month has passed before submitting non-urgent street tree requests. Refer below for the scheduled maintenance program.

Exceptions

If a tree was missed during scheduled maintenance or is causing a hazard eg blocking driveways or footpaths, please report it below.

Park trees

Park trees are inspected and maintained less frequently than street trees. The City relies on community reports to help monitor these trees.

You are encouraged to report if a park tree has:

overhanging branches over pathways or playgrounds
broken or damaged limbs
obstructions that limit park access or visibility.

These reports help the City maintain safety and tree health in public open spaces.

Street tree pruning schedule by suburb

As part of our annual street tree pruning program, all of our street trees are regularly assessed. You can find updated information about street trees by using our online mapping system, Intramaps. If a verge tree requires pruning, please refer to the schedule below in the first instance.

Please refrain from reporting issues unless urgent, or until after the scheduled pruning has been completed.

Stage	Area	Round 1	Round 2
1	Como Beach	July	January
2	Manning, Salter Point, Waterford	August	February
3	Como, Manning, Karawara	September	March
4	Como, Kensington	October	April
5	South Perth	November	May
6	South Perth	December	June

Round 1 includes uplift, off-road and under wires pruning.

Round 2 includes uplift only.

When to request pruning

Please wait until after the scheduled month for your area before reporting street tree issues unless they are urgent or have clearly been missed.

Tree pruning program - what's included

The City inspects and prunes all street trees biannually to support healthy growth, improve safety, and maintain clearance standards.

Standard pruning activities include:

uplift pruning to clear footpaths, driveways, and roads
clearance from power lines (under contract with Western Power)
removal of dead, broken, or hazardous limbs
formative pruning of young trees to establish strong structure
clearance for sightlines near intersections, signage, or bus stops.

Tree pruning program - what's NOT included

Check tree status online

You can use the City's Intramaps - Tree Management Module to:

view scheduled pruning rounds
check pruning history
confirm tree ownership (City vs private property).

Intramaps guidance

FAQs

Can the City prune trees that are dropping leaves into my gutters?

Can I prune a City tree myself?

How do I know if the tree is managed by the City?

Trees on private property

Pruning trees on private property

The City's Local Planning Policy 3.2 - Tree Retention (LPP) applies to all land within the City of South Perth which is zoned under Local Planning Scheme No. 7. This includes all private properties in the City.

Trees which meet the definition of a Regulated Tree in the City's LPP require development approval for any tree-damaging activities which includes pruning of a Regulated tree unless the works meet the definition of maintenance pruning.

What is a Regulated Tree?

What is considered maintenance pruning?

Maintenance pruning includes:

removing dead or diseased wood only or
is the first pruning of the tree in the calendar year and affects less than 10% of the canopy, not altering the overall shape of the canopy or
is of a fruit tree and done for fruit production or
does not include removing limbs with a diameter of 100mm or more or
is otherwise minor maintenance or thinning of the crown that does not adversely affect the health or general appearance of the tree and
is undertaken in accordance with the standard for Pruning Amenity Trees Australian Standard 4373-2007 - Pruning of Amenity Trees.

What is tree-damaging activity?

For works that do not meet the definition of maintenance pruning, an application for development approval is required to be lodged to the City with:

A completed development application form.
A scaled site plan showing the location of the tree on the site.
Necessary supporting information (cover letter, arborist report and/or structural engineering report at the applicant's cost etc.)

FAQs

Which trees are affected by the Policy

What is a Regulated Tree?

What is tree-damaging activity?

Where does the LPP apply?

How was the criteria for a Regulated Tree determined?

Is development approval required for pruning of a Regulated Tree?

Development approval is required for pruning of a Regulated Tree unless the works meet the definition of maintenance pruning which includes:

removing dead or diseased wood only or
is the first pruning of the tree in the calendar year and affects less than 10% of the canopy, not altering the overall shape of the canopy or
is a fruit tree and done for fruit production or
does not include removing limbs with a diameter of 100mm or more or
is otherwise minor maintenance or thinning of the crown that does not adversely affect the health or general appearance of the tree and
is undertaken in accordance with the standard for Pruning Amenity Trees Australian Standard 4373-2007 - Pruning of Amenity Trees.

What if my neighbour’s tree is encroaching/overhanging on my land?

Pruning of a Regulated Tree is different to pruning other trees:

General pruning advice

If a branch or root of a neighbour's tree encroaches onto your property, you are entitled to cut or remove it up to the boundary of your land. You must not cut the branch or root on your neighbour's side of the boundary without their permission.

It is best to discuss any pruning with your neighbour, especially if you are cutting any roots, as this may weaken the tree. If in doubt, please engage the services of a reputable consulting arborist.

Any root, branch, flower or fruit on a branch that is removed remains the property of the tree's owner.

Pruning of a Regulated Tree

Where a Regulated Tree is located on your neighbour's property and is encroaching/overhanging onto your land, development approval is required to prune the portion of the tree on your land, unless the works are maintenance pruning as defined by the LPP.

If you need to prune a Regulated Tree on your neighbour's property, the City recommends you liaise with your neighbour and discuss whether a development application is required to ensure compliance with the LPP.

The person undertaking the pruning would be required to submit a Development Application if the tree is a Regulated Tree as per information above.

How do I apply for development approval to remove a tree covered by the LPP?

An application for development approval is required to be lodged to the City with:

A completed development application form.
A scaled site plan showing the location of the tree on the site.
Necessary supporting information (cover letter, arborist report and/or structural engineering report at the applicant's cost etc.)

To submit an application, refer to our Development Application lodgement page for more information.

How are applications assessed?

Development applications for Regulated Tree removal are assessed against the LPP. The LPP outlines that there is to be a presumption against tree removal unless either of the following is demonstrated by the applicant, to the satisfaction of the City:

An arborist report and/or Structural Engineering Report demonstrates that the tree should be removed due to its health, structural stability or risk to life or property.
Redesign of the development to support tree retention is not feasible.

How much is the application fee?

What happens if an application for removal is not supported?

What happens if I remove a Regulated Tree without approval?

A person must not commence or carry out development to which development approval is required unless approval has been obtained. Failure to obtain development approval constitutes an offence under the Planning and Development Act 2005.

The maximum penalties for breaching an offence provision under the Planning and Development Act 2005 are significant and are currently $200,000 in the case of a natural person and $1,000,000 in the case of a body corporate, with the potential for additional daily penalties in the case of ongoing non-compliance.

Enquiries

To enquire about requirements relating to pruning trees on private property, raise a request below.

Submit a development application

To submit an application, refer to our Development Application lodgement page for more information.

Report a breach

To report a tree removal breach for trees on private property, refer to our Development Compliance Matters page.

Stay updated on your request

When you submit a tree or vegetation request, you can opt in to receive email updates, including:

a confirmation with your reference number
a follow-up notification when works are scheduled or completed
a brief summary of actions taken.

Raise a Request

Public trees

To request pruning of a park or street tree or vegetation, raise the correct request type below.
A City officer will inspect the site within 10 business days
Approved works are usually completed within 4 to 6 weeks, unless urgent.

Private trees

To enquire on private tree pruning requirements, raise a request below.
An officer will investigate and respond within 10 business days.

Private Tree Pruning Enquiry

Was this page helpful?

Request Tree Pruning

Request Tree Pruning

Urgent requests

City managed trees

Street trees vs park trees - what you need to know

Street trees

Maintenance program

Exceptions

Park trees

Street tree pruning schedule by suburb

When to request pruning

Tree pruning program - what's included

Tree pruning program - what's NOT included

Check tree status online

FAQs

Pruning trees on private property

What is a Regulated Tree?

What is considered maintenance pruning?

What is tree-damaging activity?

FAQs

Enquiries

Submit a development application

Report a breach

Stay updated on your request

Raise a Request

Public trees

Street tree/vegetation pruning

Sir James Mitchell Park tree/vegetation pruning

Other park or reserve tree/vegetation pruning

Private trees