People or property in immediate danger
Call 000 when there is an immediate threat to life or a serious emergency. Do not stand beneath damaged canopy, cross a barricaded area or attempt to move a suspended limb to improve access for photographs.
Immediate safety first, commercial follow-up second
Emergency Tree Work Across Canberra
Keep people away from a fallen, split or shifting tree and do not approach fallen or low electrical lines. Use emergency or government channels for immediate danger, then send site details only when a commercial follow-up is appropriate.
Clarify the work
Use the right route before requesting tree work
Emergency tree work begins with exclusion, not inspection by phone. Move people and pets away from the area without entering the potential fall zone. Treat every fallen or low line as dangerous and do not touch the tree, a branch, a fence or other object that may be in contact with it. Call emergency services for immediate danger. A public tree or an urgent protected private-tree matter can also require the current Access Canberra or City Services route rather than a commercial form.
Once immediate danger is controlled, the remaining job may involve temporary make-safe work, removal of a failed section, full dismantling, access restoration or a later assessment. First contact should show the whole scene from a safe position, ownership if known, nearby lines and structures, blocked access and what has already occurred. No responsible response should promise attendance time, declare a tree safe from photographs or assume storm damage cancels approval requirements.
Decision points
Tree services Canberra after immediate danger is controlled
The correct next action depends on people, electricity, ownership and whether the site can be kept clear. A written enquiry is not a substitute for emergency dispatch.
Fallen or low electrical lines
Stay well clear and follow the electricity network or emergency-services direction. Tree work near overhead or underground electrical infrastructure requires specific controls and may require authorised people. Do not assume ordinary tree credentials cover every line interface.
Public or protected-tree issue
Residents must not work on public trees. City Services directs urgent protected private-tree matters through Access Canberra on 13 22 81. Record the advice or incident reference so later commercial work can be scoped against the correct status.
Written inclusions
What's included in emergency tree work
Urgent work needs a boundary between official response, temporary make-safe activity and the later removal, pruning, assessment or clean-up that completes the job.
Storm-damage triage
Triage identifies what happened, the occupied target area, electrical or public-tree involvement and whether the area can remain isolated. It is a decision about the route and inspection need, not a promise that the entire problem can be diagnosed remotely.
Fallen tree clearance
Clearance may restore a driveway, path or building access after hazards are controlled. The scope should identify what material can be moved, where logs and branches go and whether stump, root-plate or structural damage remains for later work.
Dangerous limb removal
A cracked, hung or partly failed limb can require controlled access and lowering. Show its relation to the trunk and targets from a safe distance. The provider should inspect attachment, working position and exclusion requirements before choosing a method.
Site make-safe planning
Make-safe work can be deliberately limited to removing immediate exposure or stabilising access. Put the temporary outcome and remaining tree work in writing so an urgent intervention is not mistaken for a complete pruning, removal or clean-up job.
From concern to scope
A four-step emergency tree work process
Exclude and call
Keep people clear and use 000, the electricity network, Access Canberra or another official route when the situation falls within their role.
Record from a safe place
Only if it can be done without approaching the hazard, note the address, ownership, visible failure, blocked access, lines and structures involved.
Separate make-safe from final work
Ask the actual provider to state what urgent action addresses and what assessment, removal, pruning, stump or clean-up remains afterwards.
Confirm the later scope
Once conditions permit inspection, obtain a written method, approvals position, site controls, provider proof, material handling and completion criteria.
Questions that improve the brief
Protected tree ACT urgency without false promises
Use the official route first
For immediate danger, call 000. Keep clear of electrical lines and contact the electricity network. Report public-tree hazards to Access Canberra, and use the ACT protected-tree route when urgent private-tree work needs approval.
Make-safe and final work stay separate
A limited urgent intervention can leave assessment, pruning, full removal, stump work or waste for later. Naming that boundary prevents an incomplete emergency action being mistaken for finished work.
Confirm attendance directly
Ask the actual provider whether the site, hazard class, electrical interface and timing are within its capability before relying on an attendance plan.
Choose the next action
What to ask after the site is stable
Ask what changed during the incident, which parts were made safe and which hazards or defects remain. The later written scope should distinguish debris clearance, selective pruning, assessment and whole-tree removal. If a root plate moved, a main stem split or an adjacent tree was struck, photographs from before the event and a daylight inspection may affect the final recommendation.
Do not compare urgent work only on the promise of speed. Confirm the proposed method, exclusion area, electrical and public-tree route, machinery, traffic or neighbour access, waste handling, qualifications, insurance and limits. A provider who cannot safely handle a particular line or access interface should say so and direct the correct escalation.
Plan storm-damaged removal
Define the later dismantling, stump and waste scope after immediate hazards and ownership questions are controlled.
Open guideRequest a condition assessment
Use evidence and stated limitations when the remaining tree condition or management decision is uncertain.
Open guideEmergency Tree Work questions
Read the immediate safety, electrical-line, public-tree and urgent protected-tree answers first, then prepare a commercial follow-up only when that route is appropriate.
How can I tell whether a tree is on public or private land?
City Services recommends checking ACTmapi using the address and aerial imagery. Boundary uncertainty should be resolved before a contractor scopes the work.
Can tree work be done near power lines?
Tree work near overhead or underground electrical lines must comply with current WorkSafe ACT and network requirements. Disclose every nearby line and service before attendance; do not attempt the work yourself.
What happens with storm-damaged or urgently dangerous trees?
Keep people away from the area, avoid fallen or low lines, and contact emergency services for immediate danger. For an urgent protected private tree, City Services directs owners to Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
What should I include in a tree removal enquiry?
Include the suburb, clear photographs of the whole tree and trunk, approximate height or trunk measurement, access width, nearby roofs, fences and services, visible defects, ownership and whether stump work and waste removal are required.
Do I need approval to remove a tree in Canberra?
Approval is required before removing or carrying out major pruning on a protected private tree under the Urban Forest Act 2023. Check the tree in ACTmapi and use current City Services guidance before authorising work.
Emergency Tree Work across Canberra
Choose the suburb only for non-emergency local access prompts. Immediate danger, lines and public-tree matters use official channels first.
Emergency Tree Work in Ainslie Mount Ainslie-edge gardens where protected status, mature canopy and side access need checking. Emergency Tree Work in O'Connor Ridge-edge O'Connor blocks where mature trees, services and the gate-to-street route shape scope. Emergency Tree Work in Dickson Older canopy and infill sites where drop zones, neighbours and vehicle access must be recorded. Emergency Tree Work in Deakin Established Deakin blocks where boundaries, access and public-versus-private ownership come first. Emergency Tree Work in Red Hill Red Hill slopes where mature canopy, structures and a workable lowering zone need early evidence. Emergency Tree Work in Griffith Older Griffith gardens where compact streets and neighbouring assets affect waste and equipment access. Emergency Tree Work in Narrabundah Narrabundah enquiries should show fences, overhead services and the full path from tree to street. Emergency Tree Work in Yarralumla Large Yarralumla trees where protected status, neighbours and public-land boundaries need checking. Emergency Tree Work in Belconnen Courtyards and established yards where machinery width, shared access and stump scope differ. Emergency Tree Work in Bruce Bruce sites where land ownership, access windows and busy approaches can shape the work plan. Emergency Tree Work in Gungahlin Planned Gungahlin sites where narrow access, services and neighbouring fences need clear photos. Emergency Tree Work in Ngunnawal Ngunnawal backyards where retaining walls, service lines and pruning alternatives affect scope. Emergency Tree Work in Weston Weston ridge-edge gardens where slope, drop zone and protected-tree screening come first. Emergency Tree Work in Kambah Large Kambah blocks where rear access, sheds, fences and waste handling need exact detail. Emergency Tree Work in Greenway Greenway's lakeside and apartment edges make tree ownership and the permitted work area decisive.
Plan the next step
Send urgent details only after safety routing
When the area can be kept clear and a commercial follow-up is appropriate, describe ownership, access and what happened, and note any safe-distance photos available to provide later.