Apply to work on or around a council tree

​How to check if a tree is growing on public land

Use GeoMaps to check if the property or land is owned by council.

Approval to prune, remove or work around a public tree

You need to get permission to remove or work around any public tree.

For standard maintenance requests, like pruning, see Report a problem at our facilities, venues, parks or beaches.

Tree Owner Approval is required for private developments, infrastructure work or projects that might involve:

• tree pruning
• tree removal
• transplanting
• root disturbance
• activities near the tree that might cause tree damage.

The purpose of getting approval is to protect public trees from unnecessary and unsupported damage / loss and to ensure appropriate methodology, mitigation and value is applied to trees as an asset.

To apply, read the Tree Owner Approval Guide then complete the Tree Owner Approval application form below.  

We will review your request and get back to you within 3 to 10 working days with a response. There is no fee to apply.

Tree owner approval guide

​Apply for tree owner approval 

Send the completed form to treemanager@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz with 'Tree request for [Local board]' in the email subject line.

To confirm the relevant local board for the area, enter a nearby address into the Find your local board search.

​How we assess your request

Applying for approval does not guarantee that it will be approved.

We will weigh up our responsibilities as kaitiaki (guardians) of public trees to consider the best interests of the public and the applicant in line with the urban forest objectives in the Auckland Urban Ngahere (Forest) Strategy.

When making a decision we will consider:

• visual tree assessment
• risk
• arboriculture and ecological evaluation
• tikanga (customary practices)
• engagement of interest groups
• management and or remediation of effects
• our Urban Ngahere (Forest) Strategy
• our climate action and carbon reduction commitments
• Arbor Day Foundation Tree Cities of the World
• New Zealand's Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act (2019).

This process also allows for development planners to engage early with our Urban Forest Specialist during the design process.