Pruning & Removing Public Trees

Arborist at work

Wellington City Council maintains safe and attractive trees in the city's open spaces.

The Council's arborists:

promote the sustainable management of a healthy and varied tree population
provide professional tree care to the community's trees
plant trees on road reserve.

Pruning

Council arborists prune trees on road reserve and footpaths.

The trees are pruned as part of the Council's ongoing maintenance programme and at residents' request. They are only pruned when necessary, for example, if they:

overhang private property
obstruct footpaths or roads
obscure street lighting
obstruct vehicle access to public areas
obscure traffic signage and visibility at intersections
are growing within clearance requirements around power cables.

Blocking views and casting shade are not adequate grounds for pruning.

Pruning Practices

The Council's arborists prune the trees in a way that:

maintains their health and longevity
keeps their natural shape.

The Council's arborists are approved contactors within the industry and are authorised through the New Zealand Arboriculture Association (NZAA).

Topping

Topping is not a practice carried out on the Council's trees. Trees that are topped are more likely to decay. There are also problems with the regrowth after topping:

the new growth is often weak and can break off as the new stems grow - (creating a safety issue)
often a thick canopy is quickly formed which can then cause too much shading.

Why Topping Hurts Trees - Trees are Good website

Removing Trees

In general, a tree may be removed when it's dead, dying or is a danger to people or property. A tree is removed:

if it is diseased
if it is causing structural damage to streets or utility services
if is causing a traffic safety problem by reducing visibility or obstructing the road or footpath
to preserve other trees
to maintain other Council land
if it is a weed or pest plant that Council is actively controlling as part of a maintenance programme
to manage the risk of ageing trees.

Trees are not removed:

to preserve or create views
to reduce shade or leaf litter
because of roosting birds

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Cost

If you ask for a tree to be pruned or removed, you may have to pay some or all of the cost of the work. This depends on:

how much you or the Council would directly benefit from the work
how urgent the need for the work is
how long you have owned the property.

If the Council allows you to remove vegetation, you may have to either plant replacements or make a payment. More details are available in these guidelines:

Vegetation Removal - Replacement Planting and Payment Guidelines (61Kb PDF) | Text version (12Kb RTF)

Trees & Power Lines

The Council is responsible for maintaining and pruning trees around power lines on Council property.

Where trees grow from private property, it is the property owner's responsibility to maintain clearance from power lines. For further information, visit:

Trees on Private Property

The Council has no jurisdiction over and does not become involved in issues about trees on private property (unless the trees obstruct parts of public footpaths or roadways).

We suggest you contact a professional and qualified arborist for consultation and advice. For more information, visit:

Note:
Refer to the Council's Lateral Policy for information about tree and root blockages of private lateral sewerage and wastewater pipes:

Plans / Policies - Lateral Policy