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Brisbane trees

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Learn how we protect and maintain our trees. Request a tree maintenance inspection.

Fig trees bordering a footpath in Sandgate.

About Brisbane trees

We protect, plant and maintain your local street and park trees in Brisbane. 

Urban trees provide important benefits to our city’s liveability, identity and prosperity.

Street and park trees help to: 

  • reduce stormwater runoff, manage erosion and improve water quality
  • improve our health and wellbeing by providing greener pathways to walk, cycle and encourage healthy outdoor lifestyles
  • increase property values and improve economic vitality of business centres
  • give shelter, habitat and food for wildlife 
  • provide beauty, soften our urban environment and form the natural structure of Brisbane’s subtropical landscape character
  • improve air quality and help reduce greenhouse gases.

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Types of street trees

Brisbane's diverse landscape has a rich variety of trees, ranging from eucalypts to jacarandas.

In Brisbane, we plant tree species that are:

  • good performers in the street environment
  • low maintenance
  • climate resilient.

Council carefully selects species and planting locations to ensure the right tree is planted in the right place. We select tree species based on their suitability to Brisbane's 6 unique landscapes:

  • coastal: by the Moreton Bay coast
  • wetlands: flooded lands like Boondall Wetlands
  • riparian: creek side areas along citywide waterways
  • undulating plains: suburban plains and rolling hills
  • higher land: elevated prominent hills
  • arterial roads: high-traffic major roads.

Protecting street and park trees

Street and park trees are protected under the Natural Assets Local Law 2003 (NALL).

You need permission to trim, remove or interfere with Council trees above and below the ground. 

Maintaining street and park trees

Council delivers street and parks trees maintenance programs in Brisbane suburbs throughout the year.

All pruning works are in accordance with best arboricultural practice and Australian Standards.  

Our program also manages tree health against fungal diseases and parasites and clears up damage from severe weather events.

Maintenance inspection requests

If you have concerns about a Council tree, you can request a tree maintenance inspection.

Requests can be submitted for concerns about:

  • accidental damage (e.g. by a passing vehicle, rubbish collection truck)
  • a tree posing an imminent risk to public or property
  • blocking a footpath, road, sight lines to traffic signals or signs
  • diseased, dead or unhealthy trees
  • allergies associated with a tree.

Council does not undertake works for the following concerns.

  • Leaf, fruit, seed or flower drop: This is a natural process of the tree. Certain species of tree will shed all their leaves at the same time and others will shed their leaves throughout the year. This includes leopard trees.
  • Shading of private swimming pools or solar panels: Where trees were planted before pool or solar panel installation.
  • Improvement of views from private property
information outline

Note

For maintenance on street trees that grow through or within one metre of overhead powerlines, contact Energex on 13 12 53.

Request a tree maintenance inspection

Use our online form to request a maintenance inspection on a tree.

What you need
1 Record information

To complete a request, you need to provide:

  • location details for the tree including suburb and postcode
  • a reason for the maintenance or removal
  • your contact details.
2 Submit a request

You can submit your request:

3 After you submit your request

A qualified arborist will assess the tree and determine the best course of action (if any), based on Council’s guidelines.  

A tree inspection will be completed within 30 days. Where the works are urgent, Council will attend within 5 hours.  

Assessment outcomes

The arborist will decide the outcome following the inspection resulting in:  

  • no action
  • pruning works
  • health management (tree rehabilitation)
  • replacement.  

Replacement is the last resort and only if the other options have been exhausted. The tree will be removed, the stump ground and the hole filled with soil to prepare the area for the new tree to be planted.

If the location is suitable, a new suitable tree (not always the same species) will be planted in its place. If the original location is not suitable, a tree will be planted within the local area. Council does not turf areas following a tree replacement.

Under Council guidelines, low-hanging branches may be pruned to achieve:

  • 2.4 metre clearance for pedestrian access on verges and footpaths
  • 4.5 metre clearance on residential and industrial roads, and bikeways
  • 5 metre clearance on arterial roads.

Works timeframes

If works are required, they are prioritised by associated risk.

  • Low-risk works: Council will deliver these works within 90 days from the date of your request.
  • High-risk works: Council will prioritise these works to be delivered within an appropriate timeframe, including undertaking works within 24-hours for urgent work.

Tree planting

We enrich Brisbane's urban landscape by planting a vibrant array of street and park trees throughout the city. 

We carefully select tree species and planting locations to ensure each tree is planted in the right place.

Council chooses trees to:

  • provide shade, amenity, beauty and colour
  • suit site conditions
  • not interfere with underground or overhead services such as powerlines
  • not obstruct visibility for road users and pedestrians
  • complement the character of an area
  • provide habitat for local wildlife. 

We also ensure new trees don’t impact existing infrastructure such as:

  • electricity
  • water supply
  • fire suppression
  • traffic signals
  • footpaths
  • pedestrian crossings. 

Frequently asked questions