From the lake to the bay
Palm removal in Newcastle
A big date palm is a heavy, spiky job and a cocos palm beside the pool is a slow one, so each is quoted on what sits underneath it.
Palm removal
Why a palm is quoted differently
Date palms
Canary Island date palms carry heavy heads of stiff, spiny fronds on a thick trunk, so they come down from the top in short pieces.
Cocos palms
Cocos palms drop seed and dead fronds all year, and many were planted beside pools, which is where most of the slow work is.
Cleaning instead
Dead fronds and seed stalks cut off and the trunk tidied, which is often all a palm needs once a year.
How it works
From the first message to a written quote
The council question is settled before any price, and nothing is booked until you have said yes to a quote in writing.
- 1
Tell us what the tree is doing
Where it stands, what it hangs over and what you would like done about it.

- 2
A contractor comes to see it
A tree contractor who covers your suburb looks at the tree, the access and what is underneath it.

- 3
The council question is answered
Your council, the tree's height and trunk, its distance from the house and the species decide whether a permit or an exemption applies.

- 4
You get it in writing
Scope, timber, stump and date on one page, and nothing is booked until you have said yes.

Palm questions
Fronds, seed and permits
Does a palm need a permit in Newcastle?
Not a listed weed palm. Newcastle's Table C3.01 lists exempt species including privet, African olive and Canary Island date palm, and cocos palm is on the same list, unless the land is a heritage item or the palm is visible from the street in a heritage conservation area.
What happens to the fronds?
They are cut, bundled and taken away with the rest of the palm. Spiny date palm fronds are not something anyone wants left in a pile.
Is cleaning a palm worth it?
If the palm is healthy, usually. Taking off the dead fronds and the seed once a year stops the mess and the weight building up in the head.

