Removing or damaging private trees
In the City of Belmont, removing or damaging a private tree may require development approval. In some situations, you may be exempt from needing development approval. This is determined on a case-by-case basis, guided by our Tree Development Exemption and Assessment Policy.
Before you begin
If you are considering removing or damaging a tree on your property, you should:
More information on this process is in the Policy and Frequently Asked Questions sections of this page.
Raising concern or making a complaint about the inappropriate removal or damaging of a tree
If you are concerned about or would like to report the removal of or damage to a private tree, you can complete a Tree Removal and Damage Concern form and return it to the City of Belmont.
Tree Development Exemption and Assessment Policy
In Western Australia, removing or damaging a private tree may require development approval. To make the local rules around this clear, we've created a Tree Development Exemption and Assessment Policy.
The policy provides guidance on:
The policy aims to retain larger and more valuable trees, while ensuring a practical and consistent approach for residents.
How does the Policy work?
- Check whether the proposed work is exempt - Review the exemption criteria in section 5.1 of the Policy. The City recommends using the Tree Exemption Self-Assessment Form to help determine whether an exemption applies and to document the reasons for relying on the exemption. If the proposed work is exempt, development approval is not required.
- If the work is not exempt, submit an application - An application will need to include details of the tree and its location, written justification against the assessment criteria and, where required, a Certified Arborist Report.
- The City will assess the application - The City will consider factors including the tree’s health, condition and significance, the reasons for the proposed work and whether the tree could reasonably be retained. Each application is assessed on its merits.
Useful Documents
Frequently Asked Questions
Activities that include, but not limited to:
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the killing of a tree; and/or
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the removal of a tree; and/or
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the ringbarking, poisoning, topping or lopping of a tree.
Tree damaging activity does not capture minor maintenance or pruning of the tree.
In many cases, no approval is required. Section 5.1 of the policy contains a list of exemption criteria. As an example, a tree would be exempt if it meets all three of the following criteria:
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Is less than 8 metres high; and
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has a canopy less than 6 metres wide; and
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has a trunk circumference less than 1.5 metres (measured at 1.4 metres above ground).
If a tree is larger than this, development approval may be required.
For the full list of exemption criteria, please refer to Section 5.1 of the Policy. To assist in determining whether tree damaging activity is exempt from requiring development approval, please complete the Self Assessment Form.
Works urgently necessary for any of the following are exempt from the need to obtain approval:
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public safety;
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the safety or security of plant or equipment;
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the maintenance of essential services;
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the protection of the environment.
Please document the reasons for removal in the Self Assessment Form. It is recommend retaining the Self-Assessment Form, photographs, arborist advice or other information demonstrating why the work was urgently necessary.
The policy applies to all zoned and reserved land within the City of Belmont. It does not apply to street trees. Concerns or requests relating to street trees should be submitted to the City.
To apply for development approval, you need to:
You can lodge your application:
To notify the City of Belmont of a concern about tree damaging activity, please complete the Tree Removal and Damage Concern Form and return it to the City of Belmont.
Please note, where the activity is exempt under Local Planning Policy No. 21, development approval is not required and the City cannot take compliance action on the basis that approval was not obtained, and cannot require approval for works that are lawfully exempt.