Council Owned Trees - Street and Reserve

We operate a year round tree maintenance program to ensure all our street trees are maintained to the highest possible standard. 

The Council's tree maintenance program includes: 

• inspection and monitoring of trees by a qualified arborist to assess tree condition and identify faults, dead trees or fallen branches 
• pruning by a qualified arborist as part of an ongoing schedule or as required
• recording and cataloguing of Council trees across the City
• replacing and planting trees.

New trees are watered for the first two to three years during hotter months and dry periods to help them establish a healthy deep-root system.

Please note: the public are not permitted to prune street trees on public property.

How you can help

We encourage residents to support the Council’s watering program by providing street trees with a bucket or two of additional water during hotter months and drier periods. 

Keeping grass and other plants away from the planting hole will also assists the tree to retain water.

Tree selection

To ensure our street trees continue to thrive and not just survive in a changing climate, arborists from Resilient East member councils, including the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, have developed the Street Tree Species Guideline. 

The Guideline assists in choosing a diversity of tree species suitable to our changing climate. It lists over 100 species and considers attributes like, useful life expectancy, watering needs, and resilience to drought, pests and severe weather events. Council arborists then use their local knowledge to assess attributes to select a suitable tree.

The Guideline is used in conjunction with other resources, including

• South Australian Power Networks (SAPN) lists
• Botanic Gardens Plant Selector Tool
• Council’s Tree Strategy (to be endorsed 2022)

Download Street Tree Species Guideline

For further information regarding Council tree species selection, contact the Council Depot on 08 8360 9001.

Planting

Our annual street tree planting program sees us planting trees on streets, parks and reserves across the City.

Tree planting occurs between April and October each year which is the best time to avoid heat stress.

Street tree requests are assessed on an individual basis and all planting is subject to: 

• space
• underground infrastructure such as stormwater pipes
• suitability of location
• budget. 

To request a street tree, contact the Council on 08 8366 4555 or email townhall@npsp.sa.gov.au

Any request for a pruning of a Council tree takes the following into consideration:

• tree species
• structure and size
• overall health and condition
• proximity to infrastructure and dwellings

There are some common reasons why the Council will not prune a tree, including:

• unsubstantiated fear of large tree(s)
• pruning healthy trees to improve access to solar energy or for aesthetic purposes
• reducing the amount of bark, fruit, sticks, animal droppings falling on gardens, cars or dwellings.

To request a tree pruning, contact the Council on 08 8366 4555 or email townhall@npsp.sa.gov.au

If you are concerned about the health or safety of a council tree in your neighbourhood or local park, contact the Council on 08 8366 4555 or email townhall@npsp.sa.gov.au

For pruning of trees through powerlines contact SA Power Networks on 131 261

Even if trees in public areas are owned by Council, SA Power Networks (SAPN) is required by legislation to inspect and clear vegetation from around some powerlines. 

It is the responsibility of SAPN to implement regular cyclic pruning by appropriate skilled and qualified personnel in a timely manner of no more than every three years.

For pruning of trees through power lines contact SA Power Networks on 131 261

Our Street and Footpath Cleaning Program is designed to effectively manage the tidying of tree-lined streets in a coordinated manner.

The Council provides a number of street cleaning programs throughout the year in an effort to keep our streets tidy and prevent waste from entering the storm water network.

The frequency of cleaning cycles is determined by seasonal and weather related factors.

For more information, visit: Street & Footpath Cleaning