Arborist is one of those words people hear without being quite sure what it covers. It is not the same as a general gardener or a bloke with a chainsaw. An arborist is a trained tree specialist, and when a council or a buyer asks for an arborist report, they are asking for that specialist's written assessment of a tree.
Here is what an arborist does, what a report actually contains, and the common situations where you will be asked for one around Newcastle and the Hunter.
What is an arborist?
An arborist is a professional trained in the care of individual trees. Where a landscaper thinks about a garden as a whole, an arborist focuses on the tree itself: its health, its structure, how safe it is, and how to keep it that way or safely remove it. That covers assessing tree condition, diagnosing problems, pruning to standard, and advising on whether a tree can stay or should go.
Qualifications and what they mean
In Australia, arborists hold formal qualifications, commonly measured by the Australian Qualifications Framework. As a general guide:
- Certificate level (around AQF Level 3) covers the practical side, the climbing, pruning and removal work.
- Diploma level (around AQF Level 5) covers the deeper assessment and consulting side, including writing reports.
For a report that a council will accept, the assessment is usually expected to come from an arborist qualified at the higher, consulting level. It is worth checking qualifications before you commission a report, so you do not pay for something the council later will not accept.
What is an arborist report?
An arborist report is a written, professional assessment of one or more trees. It sets out the facts about the tree and the arborist's findings and recommendations in a form that a council, insurer, developer or buyer can rely on. It turns an expert opinion into a document.
An arborist report is what turns "I reckon that tree is dangerous" into something a council or insurer will actually act on.
When you need one
You will most often be asked for an arborist report in these situations:
- Removing a protected tree. Councils commonly require a report to support an application to remove or heavily prune a protected tree.
- Development and building work. A report may be needed to show how trees will be protected during construction, often referencing the Australian Standard AS 4970, Protection of trees on development sites.
- Buying or selling a property. A buyer may want a tree near the house assessed for risk before settling.
- Insurance and disputes. A report can support an insurance claim or a boundary or safety dispute with a neighbour.
- Safety concerns. If you are worried a tree is unstable, a report gives you a professional read on the risk.
What is inside a report
The detail varies with the purpose, but a typical report covers:
- Identification of the tree, including species and size.
- An assessment of its health and structural condition.
- Any defects, disease or risk factors found.
- A view on the level of risk the tree presents.
- Clear recommendations, whether that is retention, pruning or removal.
- Supporting photos and, where relevant, a site plan.
Getting a report done
If a council, buyer or insurer has asked you for an arborist report, or you simply want a professional opinion on a tree you are worried about, we can help. See our arborist and reports service for what is involved, or the areas we serve across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the greater Hunter.
Get in touch for a free quote and let us know what the report is for, so we can make sure it is fit for purpose.