Salamander Bay
Tree removal in Salamander Bay
Tree pruning, removal and stump grinding in Salamander Bay, near Stoney Ridge Reserve and Mambo Wetlands.
Tree work in Salamander Bay
Koala habitat around Stoney Ridge
A Port Stephens councillor described the land in and around Stoney Ridge Reserve as key koala habitat and one of the most important release sites for the Port Stephens Koala Hospital. Eucalypt work on nearby blocks starts with a look for koalas in the tree on the day.
Council land near the reserve is subject to constraints including koala habitat, flooding and endangered ecological communities. Where those overlap, taking out a native tree on a neighbouring block is more likely to need council assessment first.
Port Stephens has said its koala habitat map was prepared over 20 years ago, and an update has been announced. Until then the habitat question is best asked of the council directly rather than read off an old map.
Services in Salamander Bay
Wet ground and koala gums
Tree pruning
Selective pruning on eucalypts near the reserve, with the tree checked for koalas first.
Stump grinding
Stumps on soft ground near the wetlands ground out once the machine can stand without sinking.
Tree removal permits
Koala habitat and wetland rules checked against the block before any native tree is quoted.
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.
Salamander Bay questions
Mambo Wetlands and the soft edge
What grows in Mambo Wetlands?
The wetlands beside the town centre hold endangered communities of swamp sclerophyll forest and coastal saltmarsh, and are home to koalas and gliders. Swamp forest trees in wet ground keep shallow roots, so trees nearby can fail in a wet storm.
Is the ground near the wetlands wet?
Often. A conservation group said the buffer between houses and the wetlands was prone to flooding. Trucks and grinders may need ground protection or a dry spell before they go in.
Does building near the wetlands change tree removal?
It can. The council's town centre plan says development applications near Mambo Wetlands need assessment for coastal wetlands proximity under state planning policies. Tree removal tied to building work there can carry that extra step.
