Arborists and tree jobs in Canterbury

Christchurch and the towns around it

Christchurch and St Albans come under Christchurch City Council. Rangiora, Kaiapoi and Oxford are in the Waimakariri district, and Lincoln is in Selwyn, so their trees fall under those councils' plans.

Christchurch's significant trees

Christchurch City Council protects trees through Chapter 9 of the District Plan. Significant trees on private property are listed in Appendix 9.4.7.1 and shown on the Planning Maps, and the council's Duty Planner can help you check.

Any pruning, gardening or felling of a significant protected tree that isn't listed as permitted needs a resource consent. Even a dead or structurally failed significant tree needs a Tree Removal Certificate (P-024) submitted before it's felled, prepared by a council-listed technician arborist. The Christchurch tree rules page has the detail.

Orion, MainPower and the new line rules

Orion says it has already done a first cut of vegetation on all its lines, and it applies the first cut per property, not per owner. So trimming a tree that grows back towards an Orion line is generally the owner's job. When trees encroach its growth limit zone, Orion gives a cut or trim notice asking for the work as soon as possible or within 45 days.

From 17 October 2026, the clear-to-the-sky rule applies to 33 kV and 66 kV lines in urban areas and to all voltages outside them. Treefall hazard notices can't be issued before 23 July 2028. Once they can, MainPower says that in most cases it meets the reasonable cost of removing a treefall hazard tree and the debris.

Shelter belts and big conifers

Got a macrocarpa or pine shelter belt? The NZ Farm Forestry Association says macrocarpa can topple on some sites. Fast-grown radiata pine on fertile ground can have few roots and be subject to windthrow (being blown over, roots and all). Land and shelter belt clearing covers the bigger jobs.