Urban Forest Act 2023 Explained by Arborist in Canberra

As a local property owner or resident, you mightn’t have heard about the ACT Government’s new Urban Forest Act 2023, which replaced the Tree Protection Act 2005 on 1 January 2024. The new Act is relevant if you have large trees or “registered” trees on your property, especially if you want to remove or trim them. In this blog article, Canberra arborist Leon Ciura (owner of Stump’d Tree Services) summarises some of the rules and regulations in the Urban Forest Act 2023.

Regulated Trees

Put simply, a regulated tree on private land in Canberra is defined as one that meets one of the following criteria:-

• Is 8 metres (or taller) in height.
• Has a canopy width of 8 metres (or more).
• Has a trunk circumference of 1 metre (or greater) and is at least 1.4 metres in height.

Under the previous Tree Protection Act 2005, the height and canopy width criteria were 12 metres.

Property owners should be aware that a dead native tree that’s 1.4 metres (or greater) in height “and has a trunk circumference of at least 1.88 metres” is also a protected tree (as it serves as a habitat for some fauna). In addition, protected tree regulations cover trees planted as part of a canopy contribution agreement (see section below).

As a general rule, permission must be sought from the ACT Government to trim or remove a regulated tree. However, an arborist in Canberra has the authority to trim a regulated tree under Australian Standard AS4373 (Pruning of Amenity Trees) – provided the guidelines are followed.

Registered Trees

Registered trees are a key component of the Urban Forest Act 2023, meaning that the ACT tree register continues to operate. A registered tree can exist on public or private land. Registered trees are considered “significant” (culturally, ecologically, scientifically, or aesthetically) by the ACT Government. A resident or arborist in Canberra can check the ACT tree register to determine if a tree is registered.

There are many registered trees in the older suburbs of Canberra, including Ainslie, Braddon, Deakin, Hughes, Griffith, Kingston, Lyneham, O’Connor, Reid, Turner, and Yarralumla. The newer district of Gungahlin in Canberra’s northwest also has many registered trees in Harrison, Jacka, Crace, Forde, Kenny, Bonner, and Amaroo. Going forward, the ACT Government expects to add more trees to the ACT tree register.

All registered trees in the ACT require government permission before being trimmed or pruned. Given the high protection levels afforded to registered trees in the ACT, it’s imperative to consult an arborist in Canberra.

Canopy Contribution Agreements

The Urban Forest Act 2023 introduces a new concept into the ACT called canopy contribution agreements. If a regulated tree is to be removed, the property owner has to enter into a canopy contribution agreement with the ACT government. What this means is that two new trees have to be planted to offset the removed tree. To enhance survivability, these new trees become regulated trees for the first five years of their existence.

If new planting isn’t possible, the property owner is required to pay the ACT Government a fee of $600.00 for every replacement tree that isn’t planted (to subsidise planting elsewhere in the ACT). Canopy contribution agreements are an integral part of the ACT Government’s Urban Forest Strategy 2021-2045, which aims to increase Canberra’s tree canopy to 30 per cent by 2045.

To discuss any practical aspects of the Urban Forest Act 2023 with a qualified arborist in Canberra, please call Leon on 0434 510 767. Leon is also available to provide free quotations on site.