Central Coast Tree Services connects the Central Coast and the Central Coast property owners with qualified, insured local arborists for dead tree removal and related tree work. Tell us what the tree is doing and we'll match it to an operator who covers your suburb — free quote, no obligation.
What council actually means by dead
It's a specific test, not a judgement call: biological function has ceased, there are no leaves, and there's visible drying of the trunk, root plate and canopy. A tree in steep decline that still has leaves on it is a living tree as far as the rules go, and removing it needs approval.
The hollow exemption everyone misses
The dead-tree exemption does not apply where the tree provides habitat for native animals — including hollows in the trunk or limbs. A dead spotted gum full of hollows is one of the more valuable things in a suburban backyard ecologically, and it stays protected.
This is the single most common way people get themselves into trouble here. The tree is obviously dead, the exemption obviously applies, and then it turns out there were hollows.
Paperwork, even though you're not applying for anything
Council expects an AQF3 or AQF5 arborist to complete their exempt-works template, with a site map and photographs showing the tree was dead and wasn't habitat. You keep it for at least six months. Nothing gets lodged unless you're asked for it.
Dead trees are harder to climb, not easier
Deadwood is brittle and unpredictable, so a climber often can't work it the way they would a live tree. That's why a dead tree frequently costs more to remove than the same tree would have alive — it may need an EWP or a crane purely for safety.
Areas covered
the Central Coast.