Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Trees

With over 620,000 trees in the urban landscape of Canberra, a large number of enquiries are received annually regarding the maintenance of trees. However, many of these enquiries refer to similar matters or matters that can be resolved by the resident alone. Below is a list of the most frequently asked questions regarding the management of trees in the urban landscape.

Question	Answer
What is a naturestrip?	The naturestrip is a strip of government land outside all properties that contains underground and over head services and street trees.  Naturestrips are of variable width.
How can I tell if the tree in front of my house is on the naturestrip?	A rough guideline is if the tree is between the water meter and the kerb of the street.
Who is responsible for the maintenance of trees on naturestrips?	Parks, Conservation and Lands (PCL) is responsible for the maintenance of all trees that are planted on the nature strip whether they are formal government plantings or private plantings.
Who is responsible for the maintenance of trees located in urban parks	Parks, Conservation and Lands is responsible for the maintenance of all trees that are planted in urban parkland whether they are formal government plantings or private plantings.
Who do I call to have a  street or parkland tree assessed?	Canberra Connect on 13 22 81
How long will it take for tree maintenance work to be carried out after reporting a tree maintenance issue?	Tree maintenance issues are usually assessed within two weeks and work is then programmed according to the priority.  Urgent work will be carried out as soon as possible while minor maintenance work will be placed on long term work programs.
How will I know if someone has assessed the tree outside my home?	PCL tree maintenance personnel will leave a calling card if they inspect public trees and don’t carrying out work at the time and the resident is not home.
How long will it take to have my stump removed?	Four to eight weeks.
Am I allowed to prune the street or parkland tree(s) outside my home?	No.  Residents must not prune, remove or interfere with public trees.
Can I get approval to remove a public tree?	At times formal approval will be given for residents to remove trees that are not part of the formal street or parkland plantings.  Approval in writing under such circumstances is generally restricted to undesirable tree species such as; Pines, Poplars and Willows if they are not part of the formal government plantings within an area.  Residents must not remove public trees unless they have written approval.
Am I allowed to water the street or parkland tree(s) outside my home?	Yes.  Residents are encouraged to water street and parkland trees using non-potable water such as bath water.  A bucket of water once a week during summer should guarantee the survival of young trees.
Who should I call in the case of an emergency relating to an urban tree?	Canberra Connect on 13 22 81
Who is responsible for removing leaf litter and sticks that fall from Government trees?	The property owner is encouraged to remove leaf litter and sticks from their nature strip as a contribution to maintaining the neat appearance of their neighbourhood.
Will I get a replacement tree if the tree on my naturestrip dies?	Yes, subject to seasonal and site factors (see also: request for planting).
My tree is on leased land but the branches are overhanging onto the footpath, who is responsible for trimming the branches?	The property owner must prune branches from trees that overhang from leased land onto the naturestrip causing an obstruction.  Environment Protection  must be contacted first before tree damaging activities are carried out.
Can I change the species of tree on my naturestrip?	No.  The only time when the species of a street tree within a street will change is when PCL carry out a formal street tree replacement program where there has been a specific reason for a change in species.
There are a number of nature strip trees outside my home and my neighbour has only one, why is that?	The number of trees on each naturestrip will differ depending on a number of factors including the length of the naturestrip, the spacing of the trees, whether previous residents have planted trees on the naturestrip and whether trees have been removed and not replaced.
What do I do if I have a wattle tree on my naturestrip that is dead?	Contact Canberra Connect on 13 22 81
Can I develop/landscape the naturestrip in front of my house?	Not without approval.  You will need to fill in an ‘Application to use Unleased Territory Land’
Can I dig under the naturestrip tree in front of my home?	Not without approval.  Excavation under a trees’ crown may result in root damage and a subsequent decline in tree health.  Strip trenching for the installation of irrigation systems or cabling can have serious effects on trees.
Will root damage cause branches to fall from a tree?	Sometimes the loss of tree roots can cause branches to be shed by a tree.
Do I need approval to construct new driveway entrances to my property?	Yes.  There is a formal process for driveway approvals.  You will need to contact the ACT Planning and Land Authority (ACTPLA)
If I am in a newly developed suburb who is responsible for the care of my street tree?	In new suburbs (or Greenfield developments) there is a period of time where the developers of the area are responsible for tree care.  After this period PCLM takes over this responsibility.  ACTPLA should be able to inform you of who is responsible for the tree.
What if the tree on the naturestrip is planted in an inappropriate place?	Contact Canberra Connect on 13 22 81