Trees on Public Land

Council looks after thousands of trees in public spaces across Wollongong. This includes trees on streets, in parks and in natural areas.

We work to keep our public trees healthy, and increase the number of plants in our city through the Urban Greening Strategy.

Volunteer Bushcare groups also work at more than 60 sites in the area to protect and restore natural vegetation.

We often do maintenance, like pruning, on public trees. Pruning is always done by qualified staff in line with Australian standards.

If you’ve notice a tree in a public space that you think needs attention, please report it to us.

Damaging trees and plants on public land is a serious criminal offence.

Tree vandalism can include poisoning, pruning, ringbarking, burning, removing or destroying plants.

Our Tree Management Policy PDF, 188.49 KB explains how we work to reduce tree vandalism, and how we respond when trees are vandalised.

If you’ve seen anyone vandalising a tree, you can report it to Council , or contact the Police on 131 444.

Endeavour Energy is our local electricity company. They keep trees clear of powerlines and can prune trees near powerlines without Council’s approval.

If you have a question or want to report a problem about trees near powerlines, visit Endeavour Energy’s website or call them on 131 003.

If you notice a bee swarm in a tree that’s on public land, let us know. We’ll look into it and if needed arrange experts to remove it.

If a bee swarm is on private land, the owner will need to make arrangements to deal with it. Don’t try to remove a bee swarm yourself! Visit the Illawarra Beekeepers website to find someone who can safely remove it for you.

We ask that you don’t plant trees in public spaces, even if it's just on the footpath outside your own house.

You can ask us to plant a tree in a public space, including the footpath in front of your home. Use the button below or call us on (02) 4227 7111 to make a request.

Request a tree on public land

Caring for your new tree

Download our Tree Care Tips flyer PDF, 3868.09 KB to learn how to care for your new street tree.

You can create verge gardens with no trees on the footpath or nature strip in front of your property as long as you follow our Verge Garden Guidelines PDF, 1798.16 KB

See our Verge Gardens page for more information, including some examples of local verge gardens.

Visit our Tree Removal Register page for information about trees we've removed from public land.