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.
Council works
Inner West Council conducts maintenance of its 78,000 park and street trees. This includes activities to improve tree health and pruning works, such as deadwood removal and clearance for buildings, pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Removal of trees is the last option - Council will always consider practical management options first. In some cases, removal may be the only viable option to manage the circumstance and risk.
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 Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs. |
Date: 02 February 2026
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Date: 02 February 2026 Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs. |
Date: 03 February 2026 Replacement planting: Council will plant a replacement tree as part of our future tree planting program. |
Date: 09 February 2026 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. |
| Date: 28 April 2026 Location: Elkington Park opposite 16 White Street, Balmain Tree species: Phoenix Palm (Phoenix canariensis) Reason for removal: The tree is in very poor health and terminal decline. Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs. |
| Date: 28 April 2026 Location: Foster Street, Leichhardt (side of 209 Marion Street) Tree species: Narrow Leafed Peppermint (Eucalyptus Nicholii) Reason for removal: The tree is in poor condition with canopy dieback, fungal fruiting bodies and epicormic production (stress growth). Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs. |
| Date: 28 April 2026 Location: 74 Renwick Street, Marrickville Tree species: Brittle Gum (Eucalyptus mannifera) Reason for removal: The tree is in poor condition with large wound in main trunk and wound defects in scaffold branches with several fungal fruiting bodies. The tree presents an unacceptable risk to the public and property. Replacement planting: Council will plant replacement trees as part of our future tree planting programs. |
| Date: 29 April 2026 Location: 36 Allen Street, Leichhardt Tree species: Chinese Hackberry (Celtis sinensis) Reason for removal: Emergency Tree Removal. The tree has a significant structural defect in the form of an active crack through the main trunk. The tree poses an imminent risk to the public and property. Replacement planting: Council will plant a replacement tree as part of our future tree planting programs. |