By Sergio Olea, owner of Monkeys Roofing and qualified roof plumber (Certificate III in Roof Plumbing). Published 29 October 2026. Last checked 29 October 2026.
A tree in your backyard or next door fills the gutters every few weeks, the downpipe overflows in the first heavy storm and water finds its way under the eaves. The obvious fix looks like a saw. In Randwick and Woollahra that is often the wrong first step: most established trees on private land are protected, and cutting without approval puts you on the wrong side of council. Here is what the rules say, and what to do about the gutters meanwhile.
Do I need council approval to prune a tree near my roof in Randwick?
Usually, yes. Randwick City Council requires consent for work on any private tree that is 5 metres or taller, has a canopy 4 metres or wider, or has a trunk circumference of 1 metre or more measured 1 metre above the ground. Any palm except a Cocos palm, any cycad and any tree fern also needs consent, whatever its size.
Inside a Heritage Conservation Area the bar is higher: you need development consent to prune or remove any tree at all, although minor pruning that does not affect heritage significance can go through a simpler tree permit.
There are exemptions. Consent is not needed for a short list of species, including coral trees, privet, oleander, rubber trees, African olive, bamboo and Cocos palms, or for a tree that is dead, dying or a risk to life or property and is not needed as native animal habitat. Even then council expects evidence: the species, its location and condition, photos, and an arborist’s report for a tree that is dead, dying or dangerous. None of these exemptions apply to heritage-listed properties in conservation areas.
Is leaf drop into gutters a good enough reason to remove a tree?
Not on its own. Randwick states that leaves falling into gutters, downpipes and pools will not generally be considered a justifiable reason to remove a tree on private property. An application that rests on blocked gutters is likely to struggle.
What council suggests instead is canopy thinning by a qualified arborist, which keeps the tree and lets more light through. On larger trees it may need repeating every few years. Thinning will not stop leaves reaching the roof, though. The practical answer to leaf drop sits on the roof side: regular gutter cleaning timed to the trees around your house, and making sure downpipes and outlets are clear before storm season.
How are the rules different in Woollahra?
Woollahra’s thresholds are lower. Under its Tree Management DCP, most species taller than 5 metres, or with a crown spread over 3 metres regardless of height, are covered, and pruning or removing them needs an application to council. In Double Bay, Bellevue Hill, Rose Bay or Woollahra itself, that captures most established garden trees.
All legal owners of the property must sign the application, and tenants need the owner’s written consent; managing agents cannot sign for the owner. Approved work cannot start until the written determination arrives. If you disagree with the result, a review must be lodged within 12 months of the determination, costs 50% of the original fee, and will not be processed without new information, normally an arborist or engineering report.
Can I cut my neighbour’s branches that hang over my roof?
In Woollahra, not without an application. Council says you still need to apply to prune a neighbour’s tree that extends over your boundary, with or without the owner’s consent. Without that consent, it can only approve pruning of the branches over your side, and no approval lets you or a contractor enter the neighbour’s property.
Some overhanging branches cannot be approved at all, because cutting them properly would mean working past the fence line to protect the tree’s health and structure. That is the main reason to talk to the tree owner before you lodge anything. Woollahra does not mediate tree disputes between neighbours.
What if a neighbour’s tree has already damaged my roof?
The Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006 lets you apply to the NSW Land and Environment Court for orders about a tree on adjoining land. Orders can require overhanging limbs to be pruned, and the court lists examples such as paying for roofing work and replacing tiles damaged by fallen limbs. Before a final hearing, the court must be satisfied that you tried to resolve the dispute.
Evidence carries these cases. The court recommends photographs, video and reports from arborists, builders or engineers showing the cause, type, extent and cost of the damage. A dated record of cracked tiles, dented sheets or crushed gutters, taken before anything is fixed, is exactly that kind of material. If the roof needs to be made watertight in the meantime, photograph everything first, then book a roof repair in the Eastern Suburbs and keep the invoice.
The short version
- Randwick: consent is needed for trees 5 m or taller, with a 4 m or wider canopy, or a 1 m or larger trunk circumference. In a Heritage Conservation Area, any tree needs development consent.
- Woollahra: most trees over 5 m tall or with more than 3 m of spread need an application, and work cannot start before the written determination.
- Leaf drop into gutters is not generally accepted as a reason to remove a tree in Randwick. Plan for cleaning, not removal.
- Overhanging branches from next door still need council approval in Woollahra, and approval does not give you access to the neighbour’s land.
- For damage already done, the Land and Environment Court can order pruning and payment for roof repairs. Document the damage before it is repaired.
Sources: Randwick City Council, Removing & pruning trees; Woollahra Municipal Council, Private trees; Land and Environment Court of NSW, Trees and hedges.
If the leaves are the problem rather than the tree itself, gutter guards fitted for Eastern Suburbs homes are one way to keep them out of the gutter between cleans. For a gutter clean, an inspection after storm damage or a quote, call Monkeys Roofing on 0452 223 327.
