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The Planning Stages in Development Sites and the Tree Management Process

Writer's picture: Phillip MatthewsPhillip Matthews

Updated: Aug 5, 2020

Trees can significantly improve a property’s environmental, aesthetic and economic values. When a future development site has existing trees that can be incorporated in the planning and design, they should be protected during development. Yet construction damage is one of the most common causes of tree death and decline in urban areas. Buildings are erected in the middle of trees to take advantage of the aesthetic value they provide. Regrettably, if proper steps are not taken to ensure their survival, lots of trees will be lost in years to come.

Involvement of an Independent Arboricultural Consultant early in the planning process is essential if trees are to be successfully preserved. Unfortunately, I am asked too often to inspect a tree on a development site at the end because the housing project application was rejected by the local authority for not providing an arboricultural report.

As professionally experienced builders and property developers, you are well aware that councils protect many trees, and these councils will require the submission of Arboricultural Reports, which includes Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Recommendations for Construction Methodology, for all proposals to retain trees, their specific care, regular maintenance or removal. I always adhere to these requirements as specified in AS 4970-2009 “Protection of Trees on Development Sites”.


According to the AS 4970-2009 “Protection of Trees on Development Sites”, the planning stages in development sites and the tree management process are as follows:

PLANNING

  1. Site Survey- This is done “by a registered surveyor”. Survey plans includes the “location of all individual trees” (AS 4970-2009, 2.3.1). Note: The surveyor’s tree survey is not a tree hazard/risk assessment, trees to be retained and it does not display the TPZ’s to guide development layout. One finds this information on the “Preliminary Tree Assessment Survey”.

  2. Preliminary Tree Assessment Survey- This “should take place at the beginning of the project, once the surveyor’s site survey has been completed” (AS 4970-2009, 1.4.4). The purpose of this report is to “list all the trees, providing a detailed tree assessment”, including the trees “for retention” (AS 4970-2009, 2.3.3). All the trees are to be “assessed by the project arborist” (AS 4970-2009, 2.3.2), who has a “minimum Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) Level 5 Diploma of Horticulture (Arboriculture)” (AS 4970-2009, 1.4.4).

  3. Preliminary Arboricultural Report- This report should guide the development layout. “Tree protection is most effective when considered at the earliest stage of development planning” (AS 4970-2009, 2.3.3). This report looks at the tree hazard/risk assessment, what trees to be retained and displays the TPZ’s to guide development layout.

  4. Developer’s preliminary design and review of the housing development and or roads, services and landscape design. The Preliminary Arboricultural Report should guide the development layout. When the project arborist is involved in the ongoing review of plans and drawings, it will help determine the potential impacts on the tree/s (AS 4970-2009, 2.3.4).

  5. Arboricultural Impact Assessment- This assessment will recommend measures necessary to protect the tree/s throughout all demolition and construction stages. The Arboricultural Impact Assessment will be prepared once the final layout is complete. It will identify trees to be removed, retained or transplanted. It will identify any impacts on trees to be retained and construction methods to minimise the impacts on these trees where there are encroachments into the TPZ (AS 4970-2009, 2.3.5).

The Preliminary Tree Assessment Survey, Preliminary Arboricultural Report can all be on the one report. Then after the design review, the Arboricultural Impact Assessment and Construction Methodology are written.

It is necessary for best practice to do these Arboricultural reports before the construction stage or removal of any buildings or trees.

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