Learn about planting, pruning and removing trees, protecting significant trees.
Trees in the City of PAE
Trees are essential for our neighbourhoods. They cool our streets on hot summer days, clean our air, provide homes for native animals and increase property values by up to 30%.
While the City of Port Adelaide Enfield looks after the nearly 100,000 trees in our streets and parks, you are responsible for trees and plants on your own property. This includes making sure that you keep the area next to public footpaths and roads clear and safe for everyone to use.
To learn how to deal with any problems you are experiencing with a tree growing on someone else’s land, see the Trees and the Law handbook.
Canopy targets
We've set a goal to increase the tree canopy across the City of PAE by 35% by 2050. To reach this target, we’re planting at least 3,000 new trees in our streets and reserves every year. We are also encouraging residents to plant 500 new trees on their properties each year through our Get Shady tree giveaway.
Pruning City of PAE trees
We regularly prune street trees to remove dead branches and clear foliage that’s overhanging footpaths, traffic signs and buildings. If you see a street tree that needs pruning for these reasons, please let us know. However, please note that we don’t prune trees to reduce leaf, seed or flower litter, or to provide better light for solar panels.
SA Power Networks prunes trees around power lines. For more information, call them on 131 261 or visit SA Power Networks.
Removing City of PAE trees
We always try to save a sick tree if we can, but if the tree can’t be saved or if the tree is a risk to people, we will cut it down. We will also remove a tree when a building development affects the tree (if there are no other reasonable development options available). Remember that we only look after trees on council and public land, so we can’t remove trees from your own property.
Significant and Regulated Trees Assistance Scheme
We're also helping property owners to maintain regulated or significant trees on their property by providing a small grant to assist with maintenance. Financial reimbursement for tree maintenance can help cover pruning or pest treatments.
Read more about our Significant and Regulated Tree Maintenance Scheme on the Grants for individuals page.
Tree FAQs
Regulated trees have a trunk circumference of 1m or more. This measurement is taken 1m above the ground. Where a tree has more than one trunk, it is regulated if the total circumference of all trunks is 1m or more and the average circumference of all trunks is 310mm or more.
Significant trees have a trunk circumference of 2m or more, measured 1m above the ground. A significant tree with multiple trunks has a total circumference of all trunks of 2m or more, and an average circumference of 625mm or more.
You need to get approval before you do anything other than maintenance pruning to a regulated tree. This means that you will need to seek approval for:
- Removing the tree
- Killing or destroying the tree
- Lopping branches or limbs
- Ringbarking or topping
- Causing any other substantial damage, including to its root system
Adding or removing soil within a tree protection zone will need approval as well.
See more details information in the FAQs below, or learn more about protecting regulated and significant trees.
If a City of PAE tree falls down or drops a branch, let us know and we’ll clear it up, even if the debris is on your property.
However, we can’t remove fallen debris if it’s tangled in power lines or if there are damaged power lines around. Please contact SA Power Networks on 13 13 66 to find out more information.
We also can’t remove tree debris from State Government land. Please report the debris to the government department that manages the land.
City of PAE residents can get rid of fallen branches and other garden waste and vegetation free of charge at Integrated Waste Service Wingfield (IWS). For more information, call IWS on 8348 5100. Remember to notify them before you attend to drop off your green waste by submitting the online form.
You can request that we replace a tree or plant a new one if it is close to your property. We’ll decide whether to replace a tree based on its health, as well as the requirements of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act and our Tree Management Policy.
To request a new or replacement tree, please call us on 8405 6600 or email service@cityofpae.sa.gov.au.
We regularly check the health of our trees, so let us know if you see a tree that’s:
- Diseased, decaying or unstable
- Has a termite or other infestation
- Has exposed roots
Our Tree Maintenance Team will treat the tree if they can. They only remove trees as a last resort.
If you are worried about the health of a tree on your neighbour’s private property, find out what to do in the Trees and the Law handbook or contact the Legal Services Commission SA on 1300 366 424.
During the hotter months from October to March, we water our newly planted trees to help them get established and grow a healthy, deep root system. We do this from a large water truck for the first three years after planting.
Please help out as well, if you can, by watering new trees near your property. Just give them a regular bucket or two of water over the hotter months.
We’ll prioritise your request for tree maintenance based on the condition of the tree and how dangerous it is for people nearby. We’ll either schedule it in the next maintenance round or check it out immediately if it’s really urgent.
Remember that we can’t inspect trees on your own property, which you need to maintain yourself.
When we plant new trees in an area, we create more shade to cools our neighbourhoods. Trees also provide habitat for native species and increase the value of our properties by as much as 30%.
We'll consider the view from your property when we select locations for new street trees, but we won't cut down an established tree to give you a better view.
We choose our trees from more than 50 indigenous and non-indigenous species that are more resistant to pests and disease. We also select trees to fit our changing climate.
If you see a vandalised City of PAE tree, let us know and our team will check it out.
You can apply for an Expressions of Interest (EOI) to commemorate the contribution a local person has made to the social, cultural or political life of the City of PAE, such as years of service at local community groups or clubs, volunteer work or artistic contribution and endeavours within the City of PAE.
Applications are considered in accordance with Council’s Memorial Policy and Memorials Guidelines. Please ensure you have read and understood these guidelines and the criteria for a memorial seat or tree plaque, prior to submitting your EOI.
Applications for memorials should relate to a person who has died a minimum of one year ago, unless there are exceptional circumstances. Due to limited, appropriate spaces for memorials within our City, applications will be considered on a case by case basis.
Please note particular locations within our City, such as along the foreshore from Semaphore to Taperoo, are at maximum capacity for bench seats. Unless a specific seat, currently without a memorial plaque, can be identified a memorial tree will need to be considered.
Significant and Regulated Trees
The law protects large trees from being damaged or removed without legal approval. These trees are known as significant or regulated trees.
In general, if a tree (measured 1 metre above the ground) has a trunk circumference of:
- 1 metre or more – it is likely to be a regulated tree
- 2 metres or more – it is likely to be a significant tree
With some exceptions, this means you must seek approval from Council before you can either remove or fell a tree. You must also seek approval before doing maintenance pruning that would remove over 30% of the crown (i.e. living branches), or if undertaking maintenance pruning more than once within a 5-year period.
Trees under 1 metre circumference, tree species legally declared as pest plants, or trees within 3 metres of an existing house or in-ground swimming pool are exempt. In these cases, approval is not required. The Minister for Planning also publishes a list of exempt species, which can be found here.
The requirement to obtain approval does not apply if (1) the activity being carried out is maintenance pruning that is not likely to adversely affect the general health and appearance of the tree, and (2) the activity being carried out does not remove more than 30% of the crown of the tree and does not occur more than every 5 years.
Development approval is not required for the removal of dead trees, regardless of their size, species, or location (except in rare cases where a dead tree is heritage‑listed). To help prevent delays or disputes, we recommend obtaining a written statement or report from a qualified arborist or tree removal expert verifying that the tree is dead before beginning any removal work. This documentation is helpful if we receive a notification or inquiry regarding the removal. Most reputable tree removal companies that you engage to remove a dead tree will send us an email to confirm that the tree is dead. Email notifications from tree removalists should be sent to service@cityofpae.sa.gov.au before removal commences.
Please note that we do not attend private properties to assess tree health. It is the property owner’s responsibility to engage a suitably qualified expert to undertake this assessment.
Unauthorised tree removal is an offence and is against the law. We have successfully prosecuted offending parties in the courts, and the law sets fines of up to $120,000 for illegal works.
Pruning back a neighbour’s tree (or tree roots if necessary) that encroaches onto your property can occur without seeking approval, if it falls under the maintenance pruning thresholds set by the legislation – but if it goes over the thresholds, approval will be required.
We recognise the many benefits that mature trees bring to our community in terms of scenic amenity, habitat provision, streetscape appeal, shading, and cooling effects. We are helping residents maintain eligible trees through our Significant and Regulated Trees Assistance Scheme.
A reimbursement of up to $1,000 for tree maintenance on private land is available to eligible applicants. An additional $1,000 (making a total of $2,000) is available to eligible applicants that receive a Centrelink benefit or hold a Low Income Health Care Card (evidence required).
