Common Northern Beaches Trees: Which Are Protected or Exempt?

The Short Answer

Trees you will often see on Northern Beaches properties include Sydney red gums (angophoras), spotted gums, coast banksias, paperbarks, Port Jackson figs, brush box, lilly pillies, Norfolk Island pines, jacarandas and several palms. Getting the identification right matters, because it decides how big the tree can get, how it handles pruning and whether Council's exempt species list applies. Many common natives are not exempt, while camphor laurel, coral trees, privet and cocos palms are on the exempt list and are also treated as weeds.

Why the Species Matters

Northern Beaches Council's exempt tree species list names the trees that can be removed without consent, unless the tree is a heritage item or in a heritage area. Trees under 5 metres tall are also exempt. Everything else generally needs a permit before removal, or before pruning beyond 10 per cent of the canopy in 12 months.

Council is blunt about mistakes: its illegal tree works page says work on protected trees "because of incorrect identification is considered a breach", and the Land and Environment Court can impose fines of up to $1.1 million. So identify the tree before you, or anyone you hire, starts cutting. Our tree permit guide covers the rest of the rules.

Quick Reference

Descriptions and sizes draw on the NSW Herbarium's PlantNET flora, which describes trees in their natural habitat. Garden trees are often smaller. Always confirm Council status on the current list before work.

The Local Gums

Sydney red gum (angophora)

Probably the best-known local tree, a large tree with smooth bark in pink, grey or cream that sheds in small scales. PlantNET describes it as locally abundant on deep sandy soils and sandstone, often near the coast. Like any large gum, an established angophora needs pruning or removal decisions that consider the whole canopy and root area, not just the branch over the roof.

Spotted gum

A gum that can reach 45 metres, with smooth, powdery bark that sheds in small flakes and often leaves a spotted pattern. In Pittwater, spotted gums form part of the Pittwater Spotted Gum Forest endangered ecological community, which Council names as an example of high biodiversity value on the NSW Biodiversity Values Map. On mapped land, removing a native tree may need approval from the Native Vegetation Panel rather than Council.

Swamp mahogany

A gum up to 25 metres with thick, spongy, red-brown bark, found naturally on low, swampy sandy sites. It is one of the trees Council recommends for planting in the area.

Other Common Natives

Port Jackson fig

A small to large spreading tree, often with buttressed roots, whose leaves are usually rusty-hairy underneath. Council's fig exemption specifically excludes Port Jackson, Moreton Bay and sandpaper figs. Council also warns that figs pruned by more than 10 per cent are predisposed to sunburn, so heavy cuts can do real harm.

Coast banksia

PlantNET puts it at 5 to 25 metres depending on exposure, which is why banksias on exposed headlands are often much smaller than those in sheltered gardens. Leaves are white underneath, and the pale yellow flower spikes appear mainly from January to June.

Paperbarks

The broad-leaved paperbark has thick, layered papery bark and grows naturally in coastal swamps and around lake margins. It is usually 10 to 15 metres, with white or cream flower spikes in autumn and winter.

Brush box

A common street and garden tree with a distinctive two-tone trunk: rough brown bark low down, smooth pinkish-brown bark above. Leaves cluster at the end of each year's growth. It can become a large to very large tree, which matters near houses and paths.

Cheese tree and lilly pilly

Both are smaller natives that Council recommends for local gardens. The cheese tree ranges from a shrub to a medium-sized tree, and lilly pillies grow as shrubs or trees. The cheese tree's fruit splits open when ripe to show seeds covered in red. Lilly pillies are popular for screening, but note that "lilly pilly" covers several species. One, the magenta lilly pilly (Syzygium paniculatum), is listed as endangered in NSW, which can bring extra controls.

Palms

Council's exempt list includes all palms other than the cabbage tree palm. That covers Bangalow palms, Canary Island date palms and cocos palms.

• Bangalow palm: native to NSW coastal rainforest, with a single trunk, enlarged at the base, up to 20 to 25 metres and feather-shaped fronds 3 to 4 metres long.
• Cabbage tree palm: a native fan palm up to 30 metres with spiny leaf stalks. It is not exempt, so check before any removal.
• Canary Island date palm: a heavy palm with a trunk up to a metre across. PlantNET notes the lower leaflets are extremely sharp-pointed, which is a real hazard during pruning.

Palm work is different from tree pruning. See our palm tree services and palm removal and trimming cost guide.

Introduced Trees

Norfolk Island pine

The tall, tiered pines along beachfronts are native to Norfolk Island, where they reach 70 metres. Council's exempt list includes pines and bunya pines but specifically leaves out Norfolk Island pines, so these generally need a permit.

Jacaranda

Native to Argentina and Bolivia, growing to 15 metres and sometimes 20, deciduous in early spring and in flower mainly in November. Jacarandas are on the exempt list, so one can usually be removed without a permit unless heritage or other controls apply to the property.

Other Exempt Species

Council's exempt list also includes tuckeroo, pittosporum up to 8 metres and the umbrella tree. Being on the list means Council does not require a permit for that species, unless heritage or other controls apply. It does not make every exempt tree a weed.

Exempt Species That Are Also Weeds

These trees are on Council's exempt list and are treated as weeds. Council's Local Priority Weed Management Plan 2021–2026 names camphor laurel, coral trees and privet for management across the whole local government area.

• Camphor laurel: a large tree whose leaves smell of camphor when crushed. PlantNET notes it often hinders regeneration of native rainforest species.
• Coral tree (Erythrina): deciduous, up to 15 metres, with prickles on the trunk and scarlet flowers in winter and early spring. It regrows readily from cuttings, broken branchlets and old stumps, so prunings need careful handling.
• Privet: large-leaf and small-leaf privet are bushland invaders spread by birds. Council warns the flowers can trigger serious allergic reactions.
• Cocos palm: NSW WeedWise says it invades bushland and is harmful to flying-foxes, which can be caught in the fronds or made sick by the fruit. A cocos palm cut below its lowest leaf does not regrow.

Under the Biosecurity Act 2015, anyone dealing with the weeds above who knows, or ought to know, the risk they pose has a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise it.

How to Identify a Tree Yourself

One leaf or a quick photo is rarely enough. For a reliable identification, collect:

• A photo of the whole tree from far enough back to show its shape
• Close-ups of the bark low on the trunk and higher up, since some species change
• Both sides of a mature leaf, next to a ruler or coin for scale
• Any flowers, fruit, seed pods or gum nuts, including ones on the ground
• How the leaf smells when crushed (camphor laurel leaves smell of camphor)
• A rough height estimate, because the 5-metre exemption depends on it

Send these with your enquiry and we can usually tell you what the tree is likely to be, and whether Council status is worth checking more closely.

What the Species Means for Your Property

Identification is only the start. A few practical points to weigh:

• Mature size against the space. Council's tree guide suggests planting large trees at least 4 metres from buildings and in-ground pools. Many established trees were planted much closer than that.
• Roots and leaf drop are rarely enough on their own. Council says it will not approve removal for leaf, fruit or sap drop, or for damage to sewer pipes or built structures, although it may consider a tree shown to conflict with built structures after engineering alternatives have been considered.
• Palms and weeds create ongoing work. Fronds, seed pods and fruit drop return every year, which is why owners of exempt palms often compare regular cleaning with removal.
• Big natives are worth a proper look. Size alone does not decide the work. Condition, branch structure, recent changes and what sits underneath all matter.

Exempt Does Not Always Mean No Rules

Before you rely on the exempt list, check that:

• The property is not a heritage item or in a heritage conservation area
• The tree is not protected by a development consent condition
• The property is not on the Biodiversity Values Map, if the tree is a native species
• You have photos of the tree, its leaves, bark and fruit, in case the identification is later questioned

If in doubt, Council's Tree Management Team is on 1300 434 434.

How We Can Help

We can help you work out what the tree is, how it is likely to behave and what Council's current rules may mean for the work, before anything is cut. The property owner remains responsible for any Council application. We provide a free on-site assessment and written quote, with no travel surcharge across the 47 suburbs we cover. Whether you need pruning or removal, our team includes AQF Level 3 and AQF Level 5 qualified arborists.