Council tree works

Tree works are prioritised based on risk and consequence with urgent and high priority works being completed first. This may delay low priority works. However, this approach ensures the safety and wellbeing of the community.

Planned Council Works

Trees are one of our most important natural assets.

Inner West Council conducts cyclical maintenance of its street trees. This includes pruning works to improve tree health and structure, remove deadwood, and allow for clearance for buildings, pedestrian and vehicle traffic. 

Removal of trees is seen as the last option - Council will always look for other management options first. Unfortunately, in some cases and due to risk to public and property, removal may be the only option. Any tree that is identified for removal will have a notice affixed to the tree. 

Please note that Council does not prune trees for power line clearance. Ausgrid is responsible for pruning street trees in these circumstances and sets out the required clearance for its power lines. Visit the Ausgrid power line clearance page for more information and planned trimming dates. 

Notifiable Tree Removal

The Urban Forest Policy provides a notification process where trees above size index 750 are being removed. This is graded based on size of tree using a height to diameter calculation.
The purpose of the notification is to inform the residents in the immediate area of the tree’s removal and the reasons. Where a tree has a size index of 1000 (or greater) then a memo is provided to management and attached to the tree record. This ensures that the removal of larger canopy trees has a greater level of documentation and transparency.

Trees on Notification for Removal
Date: 6 November 2025
Location: 22 Wise Street, Rozelle
Tree species: Chinese Tallowwood (Sapium sebiferum)
Reason for removal: The tree is impacting the surrounding infrastructure where the root interaction cannot be mitigated without adversely impacting the tree's stability.
Replacement planting: Council will plant a replacement tree as part of our future tree planting programs.
Date: 6 November 2025
Location: Adjacent 18 Australia Street, Croydon
Tree species: Eucalyptus mannifera
Reason for removal: The tree is over mature with poor health and condition due to trunk decay.
Replacement planting: Council will plant a replacement tree as part of our future tree planting programs.
Date:  14 November 2025
Location: 29 Renwick Street, Marrickville
Tree species: Platanus X acerifolia
Reason for removal: The tree is in poor health, borer damage and significant disruption to vascular cambium of the tree.
Replacement planting: Council will plant a replacement tree as part of our future tree planting programs.
Date: 28 November 2025
Location: 31 Northwood Street, Camperdown
Tree species: Hill's Weeping Fig (Ficus microcarpa 'hillii')
Reason for removal: The tree's root system is impacting adjacent private property, and this issue cannot be resolved without compromising the tree's stability, health and vigour, and increasing the risk of tree failure.
Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs.
 

Date: 28 November 2025
Location: 37-39 Northwood Street, Camperdown
Tree species: Hill's Weeping Fig (Ficus microcarpa 'hillii')
Reason for removal: The tree's root system is impacting adjacent private property, and this issue cannot be resolved without compromising the tree's stability, health and vigour, and increasing the risk of tree failure.
Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs.

Date: 01 December 2025
Location: Canal Road, Leichhardt
Tree species: Eucalyptus 
Reason for removal: Dead condition
Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs.
Date: 07 January 2026
Location: Elswick Street, Leichhardt (3rd tree from corner of Marion Street, side of 117 Day Street)
Tree species:  Wallangarra White Gum (Eucalyptus scoparia) 
Reason for removal: The tree is in poor health and condition due to advanced dieback, high epicormic production and fungal pathogens around the tree's basal flare.

Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs.

Date: 02 February 2026
Location: 4 Jubilee Place, Balmain East
Tree species:  Hills Fig (Ficus microcarpa hillii) 
Reason for removal: A trunk fell across a vehicle and road on Saturday 31 January. An inspection of the other trunks found poor attachments and a large split between the two largest trunks extending to the ground. The tree's structure has been compromised and posed an immediate risk to people and property. As there were no suitable remedial options, the tree height was reduced immediately and the remainder removed the following week.

Date: 02 February 2026
Location: 42 Lamb Street, Lilyfield
Tree species:  Broadleaved Paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) 
Reason for removal: The tree's primary roots are affecting the surrounding infrastructure, and risk mitigation measures to prevent damage cannot be achieved without impacting tree stability.

Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs.

Date: 03 February 2026
Location: 46 Ryan Street, Lilyfield
Tree species:  Sydney Blue Gum (Eucalyptus saligna) 
Reason for removal: The tree exhibits several primary branch defects that cannot be mitigated without altering wind load dynamics and increasing risk to public and property. The tree is impacting the surrounding infrastructure where the root interaction cannot be mitigated without adversely impacting the tree's stability.         Replacement planting: Council will plant a replacement tree as part of our future tree planting program.

 

Date: 09 February 2026
Location: Ibrox Park, 152 Balmain Road, Leichhardt 
Tree species:  Lightwood (Acacia implexa) 
Reason for removal: The tree is dead.                                                                 Replacement planting: Council will plant a replacement tree as part of our future tree planting program.

Date: 09 February 2026
Location: Within O'Dea Reserve, adjacent rear of 126 Salisbury Road, Camperdown
Tree species:  Red Ironbark (Eucalyptus sideroxylon) 
Reason for removal: The tree is in poor health, poor structural condition and presents an unacceptable risk to persons and property.
Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs.
Date: 09 February 2026
Location: 244 Young Street, Annandale
Tree species:  Grey Gum (Eucalyptus punctata) 
Reason for removal: The tree is in poor health with advanced dieback, poor structural condition due to stem decay and presents an unacceptable risk to persons and property.
Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs. 
Date: 24 February 2026
Location: 31 Elliott Street, Balmain
Tree species:  Desert Ash (Fraxinus augustifolia) 
Reason for removal: The tree has demonstrated past and recent branch failures, making it vulnerable to altered wind dynamics and an increased risk of further branch failure. The tree has poor form and poses an unacceptable risk to property in the foreseeable future.
Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs.
Date: 24 February 2026
Location: 34 Victoria Street, Lewisham
Tree species:  Chinese Tallowwood (Sapium sebiferum) 
Reason for removal: The tree has demonstrated past and recent branch failures, making it vulnerable to altered wind dynamics and an increased risk of further branch failure. The tree's primary roots are affecting the surrounding infrastructure, and risk mitigation measures to prevent damage cannot be achieved without impacting tree stability.
Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs. 
Date: 25 February 2026
Location: 34 Park Road, Marrickville
Tree species:  Narrow Leafed Peppermint (Eucalyptus nicholii) 
Reason for removal: The tree is dead and present an unacceptable risk to persons and property.
Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs.

Date: 4 March 2026
Location: Gillies Street, Annandale - adjacent to 238 Annandale Street
Tree species:  Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus) 
Reason for removal: The tree is dead and presents an unacceptable risk to persons and property.
Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs.

Date: 4 March 2026
Location: Ewenton Park, Balmain (southern frontage of 6/138-142 Darling Street)
Tree species:  She Oak (Casuarina species) 
Reason for removal: The tree has poor form and structure due to included stem unions. The adjacent tree has an interdependent canopy and its risk will increase due to poor structure.
Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs.

For further information please send an email to council@innerwest.nsw.gov.au

Inner West Council is committed to increasing our tree canopy with new tree plantings that will improve our urban environment. To find out more visit www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au

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Page last updated: 13 Mar 2026