Urban forests and trees are vital natural assets that enhance biodiversity and liveability across the Gladstone Region. From shady parklands and streetscapes to valued bushland and coastal reserves, trees deliver significant environmental, social and economic benefits that support the health and wellbeing of our community.
Environmental value of trees:
- Provide habitat for native wildlife, including birds, insects, mammals and reptiles
- Improve air quality by filtering pollutants
- Reduce urban heat and provide cooling shade
- Store carbon and help mitigate climate change
- Improve soil health and reduce erosion
- Help manage stormwater by slowing runoff and increasing infiltration.
Social and economic value of trees:
- Provide shade for playgrounds, footpaths and recreation areas
- Improve mental health and wellbeing
- Enhance neighbourhood character and amenity
- Increase property values
- Create more attractive and liveable streets and parks
- Provide an important connection to the country for First Nations peoples.
Council manages thousands of trees on Council-controlled land, including streetscapes, parks, roadsides, natural areas and community spaces. Our goal is to maintain risk managed, resilient, and healthy urban forests for current and future generations.
Management of trees within urban areas is guided by Council’s Urban Forest and Tree Management Corporate Standard. Trees are inspected by qualified staff as part of routine maintenance programs or following a request from the community.
All pruning and maintenance works follow best‑practice Arboriculture standards, and all tree works are undertaken in accordance with AS4373-2007 Pruning of Amenity Trees. Decisions to undertake tree maintenance works or remove trees are based on a professional Arborist assessment and consider:
- Tree health, condition and structural integrity
- Balancing tree risk management with environmental benefits
- Impacts on surrounding infrastructure
- Environmental and erosion risks
- Habitat value and wildlife use
- Heritage or cultural significance
- Regulatory and legislative requirements
- Provision of proportionate tree outcomes.
It is a common misconception that large trees are hazardous and pose a threat to nearby property. Trees will grow to their maximum height range and size in a favourable environment, and the tree has the genetic makeup to sustain its mature size without failure. Mature trees provide significant benefits, including shade, cooling, habitat and improved neighbourhood amenity. In reality:
- Most mature trees present an acceptable risk that is low enough that no intervention is required
- Visible features such as leaf and flower drop, deadwood, bark shedding, or minor angled growth habit are often normal characteristics and generally considered to be seasonal and/or tree species dependent
- Risk is determined by a combination of factors, including tree condition, location, target, consequences, and likelihood of impact.
Council prioritises tree works where there are obvious risk features on the tree and undertakes management of the tree to mitigate against risk, rather than removing trees unnecessarily. Retaining trees where there is an acceptable risk helps preserve the many benefits they provide to the community.
Council will generally not remove trees solely due to amenity concerns, nuisance or inconvenience, including requests to:
- Improve views or the visibility of advertising or signage
- Reduce leaf litter, flowers, fruit or bark shedding
- Limit the presence of wildlife
- Reduce shade affecting solar panels, gardens or lawns
- Prevent unsupported or speculative claims of property damage
- Address allergies without supporting medical evidence – it is important to note that most trees are adapted to be pollinated by insects or animals, meaning their pollen is typically heavier and less likely to become airborne. As a result, trees are generally not a common cause of respiratory allergies, which are more often associated with grasses and wind pollinated plants.
- Remove overhanging branches from environmental reserves.
To lodge a service request for tree maintenance or pruning, head to Council’s Online Services Platform.
Lodge your service request under Customer Service (in the top menu) | New Request and select Compliments, Feedback & Other Requests | Lodge a Request for Service.
Trees are valuable community assets that provide shade, cooling, habitat, cleaner air and attractive streetscapes for everyone. Maintaining a healthy urban canopy is a shared responsibility, and small actions by residents can make a big difference over time.
You can help protect trees in several ways:
- Report damaged or hazardous trees to Council for assessment
- Avoid unauthorised pruning of trees on Council-controlled land that are managed by Council to ensure that trees present an acceptable risk that is managed for public safety and long term health. Unauthorised pruning can weaken trees, create structural concerns, introduce pests and diseases, initiate unsustainable regrowth, and reduce their lifespan
- Report unauthorised removal or other forms of tree vandalism that bring about the death of a tree on Council-controlled land. Tree vandalism impacts the community, and the dead or declining tree may be retained on site if it is deemed to present an acceptable risk
- Protect soil and root zones - avoid mowing over roots, compacting soil, parking vehicles, storing materials or digging around the bases of trees. Healthy roots are essential for tree stability and long‑term growth
- Support local planting initiatives - participate in or support Council and community tree planting programs such as National Tree Day or volunteer with Friends of Conservation. You can also request new tree plantings in suitable locations, such as on your property frontage or the whole street
- Adopt a street tree that has been planted on your property frontage by providing water, particularly in dry seasons, to ensure that it grows and thrives to deliver long-term benefits to the area
- Protect and retain mature trees – large, established trees are especially valuable because they provide greater shade, store more carbon, and offer complex habitat that cannot be quickly replaced. While planting new trees is essential for long‑term canopy recovery, it can take many decades, or over a century, for young trees to deliver the same environmental benefits as mature trees.
What should I do if I think a tree is hazardous?
Large trees are not automatically hazardous; however, there are a few warning signs to be aware of that can indicate that a tree may have declining health or structural issues. These include:
- Recent lean or sudden change in position
- Canopy dieback
- Dead limbs or hanging branches
- Damaged or decaying roots, heaving or sinking soil at the base
- Cracks or splits in the trunk or branch unions
- Decaying wood, fungal growth, or fruiting bodies on the trunk or roots.
You can report concerns to Council so the tree can be professionally assessed by qualified staff.
To lodge a service request, head to Council’s Online Services Platform.
Lodge your service request under Customer Service (in the top menu) | New Request and select Compliments, Feedback & Other Requests | Lodge a Request for Service.
Please include the following information:
- Tree location – address, pin location, and landmarks so the tree can easily be located
- Description of the concern
- Recent changes such as storm damage or sudden decline
- Photos.
How does Council determine whether a tree is hazardous?
Council uses qualified staff and recognised Arboriculture assessment methods to evaluate tree risk. When assessing a tree, the following factors are considered:
- Overall tree health and structural condition
- Level of public access at the site, to understand potential risk to public, for example proximity to buildings, roads and other high‑use areas, to assess potential risk to property or infrastructure
- Site conditions, including soil type and drainage, particularly where tree removal may increase erosion or land instability
- Habitat value and use by native wildlife
- Heritage or cultural significance
- Relevant regulatory and legislative requirements.
Most trees have an acceptable risk that is low enough that intervention is not required, and they do not require removal. Council does not remove trees solely based on perception of risk; instead, each request is assessed objectively using professional criteria.
If a tree is found to present an unacceptable level of risk, Council will take appropriate action that may include pruning, monitoring or removal if the tree has reached the end of its useful life expectancy.
Will Council remove trees that drop leaves, bark, flowers or fruit?
Leaf, fruit, seed, bark, and flower drop are natural characteristics of trees and are not considered obvious risk features. While this can sometimes create maintenance requirements, these natural processes are part of the environmental benefits trees provide, including soil improvement and habitat support. Council generally does not remove healthy trees solely due to seasonal shedding of tree parts.
Do tree roots damage pipes, driveways, or foundations?
Tree roots usually grow where moisture and oxygen are available, and they will travel the path of least resistance. Roots are more likely to enter pipes that have cracks or faults present. Modern infrastructure is typically designed to minimise root impacts. Each situation is assessed individually, and solutions may include root pruning and infrastructure repair.
Will Council remove trees that block views or solar access?
When planning buildings or installing solar panels, it is important to consider the location and future growth of existing trees. Trees increase in height and canopy spread over time, and their mature form should be factored into design decisions to minimise potential conflicts with structures and solar access.
While Council recognises the importance of views and solar access for individual properties, these factors are not considered sufficient justification for removing healthy trees on Council land. Council aims to balance individual preferences with the long term environmental, social, and visual benefits of maintaining a healthy urban tree canopy.
How does Council manage tree replacement and new planting?
Council has an ongoing tree planting and replacement program aimed at increasing urban tree canopy cover across streets, parks and open spaces. This program helps improve shade, cooling, biodiversity and the overall liveability of the region.
When a tree needs to be removed, Council will plant replacement trees, where appropriate, to maintain or improve canopy coverage. Replacement trees may be planted nearby or in another suitable location in accordance with planning guidelines.
Council also undertakes new tree plantings each year to grow our urban forests over time. Community members can request new tree plantings on their property frontage or a whole of street planting, subject to assessment of services and location suitability.
To lodge a service request for tree maintenance or pruning, head to Council’s Online Services Platform.
Lodge your service request under Customer Service (in the top menu) | New Request and select Compliments, Feedback & Other Requests | Lodge a Request for Service.
When selecting trees for replacement or new plantings, Council selects from the plant list within the Capricorn Municipal Development Guidelines with consideration given to:
- Suitability to the local climate and environment
- Available growing space and mature tree size
- Underground and overhead infrastructure constraints
- Biodiversity and habitat value
- Long‑term maintenance and tree health.
Can I prune branches from a Council tree that overhangs my property?
Under Queensland law, residents may prune branches from a Council‑controlled tree only where the branches overhang their property, and only back to the boundary line. You must:
Prune to Australian Standards 4373 – 2007 Pruning of Amenity Trees, including making clean cuts at branch unions (not mid-branch) and ensuring branches do not tear or rip bark
- Prune only on your side of the boundary
- Not undertake tree works from Council land
- Ensure the work does not damage the tree’s health or stability
- Ensure the tree is not protected under a vegetation or heritage order.
If you are unsure, or the branches are large, high or difficult to access safely, contact Council to request an assessment instead.
What can I do if a neighbour’s tree overhangs my property?
In Queensland, you are generally allowed to prune branches from a neighbour’s tree that overhangs your property, but only back to the boundary line and only from within your own land. This is known as the right of abatement under the Neighbourhood Disputes (Dividing Fences and Trees) Act 2011.
You must not:
- Enter your neighbour’s property without permission
- Prune beyond the boundary line
- Damage or interfere with the health or structural stability of the tree.
If the matter cannot be resolved informally, a formal notice process or an application to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) may be available. Refer to QCAT for further information.
What happens if someone damages or prunes a tree on Council land?
Trees on Council-controlled land are public assets and are managed by Council. Damaging, interfering with, or removing these trees without approval is prohibited under Council Local Laws and may result in enforcement action, including fines.
Tree vandalism is the intentional damage or unauthorised removal of trees on Council land. This includes actions such as:
- Poisoning trees
- Cutting roots or major branches in an inappropriate manner
- Drilling holes into trunks to inject harmful chemicals to bring about tree decline and death
- Ringbarking
- Unauthorised pruning or lopping of branches with the intent of harm
- Damaging soil or root zones with the drenching of chemicals or other substances to cause harm
- Undertaking excavation that causes the loss of more than 20 per cent of the root plate of the tree.
Unauthorised tree damage can have serious impacts on the environment and the community. It can reduce shade and cooling, destroy wildlife habitat, weaken tree structure, create public safety risks, and increase long-term maintenance and replacement costs.
Council will not necessarily remove a vandalised tree. The tree will be risk assessed, and if deemed to be an acceptable risk, then the declining or dead tree will be retained on site for its habitat value. Regular monitoring will be undertaken for targeted risks.
Council may investigate suspected tree vandalism and take protective measures such as monitoring, signage or enforcement action. Penalties help ensure public trees are protected for the benefit of everyone. If you have concerns about a tree on Council land or would like to request pruning or maintenance, submit a request to Council for assessment by a qualified Arborist.