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Do you need council consent to remove a tree in New Zealand?

It depends on your council's district plan (in Auckland, the Unitary Plan): if it lists the tree or covers where it grows, removing it needs a resource consent, so check before anything is cut.

A worker in a helmet and earmuffs standing on a lawn, pruning a branch overhead with a long pole saw
A flowering pōhutukawa beside the waterfront path at Akaroa

Who decides whether a tree is protected?

Your council, through its district plan (the rulebook for how land in its area is used). Each council writes its own, so the rules can change at the boundary.

On urban sections, the Resource Management Act has only let a plan protect a tree it schedules (lists by name and place) since 1 January 2012. Plans can add rules for where trees grow: in Auckland, removing vegetation within 10 m of an urban stream needs consent, listed or not.

Notable trees and resource consents

A notable tree (some councils say scheduled, listed or significant) is one the plan names. Auckland's are in Schedule 10, and in Auckland protection also covers the protected root zone (the ground the roots rely on).

A resource consent is council's permission for work the plan doesn't allow as of right, such as removing a protected tree, pruning past the plan's limits, or digging near it. A dead tree can still need council's sign-off: Christchurch wants a Tree Removal Certificate before a dead significant tree is felled.

Has the new planning law changed the rules?

Not on your section yet. The Planning Act and Natural Environment Act passed in September 2026, but existing district plans and consenting processes stay in place through the transition that began in October 2026. Councils keep enforcing the current rules meanwhile.

Hamilton City Council notes one change: consent applications lodged from 30 October 2026 are assessed under the amended RMA's transitional framework.

How do I check my property?

  1. Search the district plan

    Find your address on the plan maps, look for a tree symbol, then check the tree schedule.

  2. Look at where it stands

    Near a stream, the coast, a park, the road or a kauri, other rules can apply.

  3. Read the LIM and title

    As Tauranga City Council points out, a covenant, consent notice or old consent condition can protect a tree too.

  4. Ask council in writing

    Send the address and photos to the planning team, and keep the reply before any work starts.

Street trees, power lines and neighbours

A tree with its trunk in the road or a park is usually council's. Trees near power lines have their own regulations: see trees near power lines. A neighbour's tree falls under the Property Law Act 2007: see our neighbour's tree guide.

Pick your council

Our council pages below cover Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Tauranga and Dunedin. Wellington's is a list of questions for now, because its pages wouldn't load for us.

Do you need council consent to remove a tree in New Zealand: what to do next

We'd treat any big or old tree as possibly protected until the plan and council say otherwise. A map search and an email usually settle it.

Pick your council

Auckland Council tree rules and resource consentsNotable trees, stream and coastal rules, park and road trees, and how to check an Auckland address.Wellington City Council tree rules and resource consentsThe questions to put to Wellington City Council, what to have ready, and the 2026 consent changes.Christchurch City Council tree rules and consentsSignificant trees, the permitted pruning list, P-024 certificates and council street trees.Hamilton City Council tree rules and resource consentsHeritage trees in the District Plan, council's no-removal line, street trees and the October 2026 consent changes.Tauranga City Council tree rules and resource consentsNotable trees, covenants and consent notices, council trees and Tauranga's kauri hygiene zone.Dunedin City Council tree rules and resource consentsDunedin's scheduled trees, the STEM score, the secateurs line and the drip-line rules.

Common questions

Do I need consent to prune a protected tree?

Often, past a small amount. Auckland permits trimming a notable tree only if no branch over 50 mm is cut and no more than 10 per cent of live growth goes in a calendar year.

Can council stop me removing a tree on my own section?

Yes, if the district plan protects it and you don't hold the consent it requires.

Will the new law bring new tree rules?

Not straight away. New land use plans take legal effect in 2030, and the Government may set requirements for protecting trees with significant historic heritage values.

More on do you need council consent to remove a tree in New Zealand

Notable trees: what the listing means for youWhat a notable or scheduled tree is, how to check your section, and when a resource consent is needed.Arborist reportsReports for resource consents, building near trees and tree risk, and who writes them.Tree removal and tree fellingFelling or taking it down in sections, district plan consent, notable trees, stumps and what a quote covers.Dead and dangerous treesWarning signs, what to do now, and why dead trees can still need consent.Your neighbour's tree: branches, roots, sun and viewsOverhanging branches, roots, leaves and lost views: what you can do, and how the Property Law Act works.Trees near power lines: who trims, who pays, what notices meanWho can trim near lines, what cut or trim notices mean, the first cut, and which lines company covers each area.

Where this information comes from

Tree rules change, so check with your council before anything is cut. How we write and check these pages.