Arboricultural Impact Assessment

Should You Invest in an Arboricultural Impact Assessment?

With all that in mind, should you be investing in an assessment report before you start building? The answer is almost certainly yes. If you want to be able to build without worrying about fines for violating tree protection standards or causing irreversible damage to the nature of the area you’re building in, you need to invest in a report. If there is any doubt in your mind that you know enough about trees and tree protection laws to perform the assessment yourself on an informal basis, or you don’t want to take the risk of violating the law, then an assessment is always worth the money. It might save you more work and money in the long run as well.

If you have any further questions or would like to get in touch with us here at Assurance Trees you can do so via phone, email or directly through our contact us page.

Navigating Tree Management with Arboricultural Impact Assessments

An arboricultural impact assessment report is the cornerstone of responsible tree management, providing invaluable insights into the impact of development and construction on trees and the surrounding environment. An arboricultural conservation report can guide property owners and developers in making informed decisions about which trees can be retained and protected during construction projects.

It will also ensure compliance with local tree ordinances and environmental regulations, which can be essential if you’re not familiar with it yourself. Not only that, but an arboricultural impact assessment will also identify potential risks associated with trees near construction zones, enabling the implementation of protective measures to prevent potential accidents, injuries, and property damage.

Why an Arboricultural Retention Report is Essential

A tree protection evaluation plan can be conducted as a standalone report or incorporated within an arboricultural impact assessment; it offers specific information to make sure the trees onsite are protected. It is typically included as part of an arboricultural impact assessment once the trees meant for retention have been determined. The arboricultural retention assessment will determine the retention value of the trees and indicate which trees have no retention value and should be removed, which trees are moderate retention value and could be retained, and which have high retention vale and should be incorporated into the proposed development. An arboricultural removal assessment will outline how to remove the trees in a safe and sustainable manner.

Development and construction around a tree can directly or indirectly have repercussions on the trees’ wellbeing and lifespan. A tree protection evaluation plan will propose measures to address any identified impacts and minimise potential harm. When in doubt, it is always best to consult an experienced arborist to determine if an arboricultural conservation report is required for your situation.

Why You May Need an Arboricultural Impact Assessment Report

It is a measure of Australia’s respect for trees that when a development is planned, if there are trees on the site many councils in the Hunter Valley and Central Coast regions require an Arboricultural Impact Assessment report to be carried out. Developers can’t just barge in and clear the area anymore, and there are several valid reasons for this.

Trees contribute to the environment, not just in aesthetic terms but practical ones too. Most people would agree that, in general, trees are attractive. They have a sort of calming quality in much the same way that water does. Perhaps this harks back to our primaeval days when trees could provide shelter from the rain, shade from the sun and even an escape from marauding animals. The shade and shelter aspects still apply nowadays, in fact, even if most of us are not often going to be chased by a lion and need to shin up a trunk to safety.

An Arboricultural Impact Assessment Report takes into account all aspects. The world doesn’t automatically bow to the developer’s overwhelming need to have a big, unencumbered expanse to be covered in concrete or tarmac. We hear of modern concepts such as having a “lung” in a built-up area, where nature can go some way towards redressing the balance as regards air quality. We hear of people planting trees on their own initiative to counteract their carbon imprint because they pump exhaust fumes into the air from their car or they’re aware they travel on planes a lot and are passively responsible for pollution in that way.

Another sign of how we must give and take in our enlightened age is when we see a new development, perhaps a hotel, where the buildings are obviously brand new but there is a big, beautiful old tree in the middle of a roundabout outside the front door. It might be a very attractive feature now, but, left to their own devices, would the developers have bulldozed the thing for the sake of simplicity? We don’t know, but we’re grateful this lovely natural feature has been retained. And the reason it was left unharmed was probably because an Arboricultural Impact Assessment Report from a consulting arborist said it should be preserved. Put the front door a little further back, that’s probably all they had to do.

On the other hand, sometimes the removal of trees on a proposed development site will have no significant impact, and if that is so, the developer can plough ahead.

How Much Does an Arboricultural Impact Assessment Report Cost?

That depends largely on who you go to, but before you go looking for the cheapest cost of an Arboricultural impact assessment report out there, consider this: a poorly conducted arborist report could hold up your planning application, and time is money, so you wouldn’t be doing yourself any favours getting a quick, cheap one. And another thing you can be sure of: it’s a lot cheaper to get one and make it a good one than if you just go ahead with flattening the area, build whatever it is you’re so keen to build and get found out later that you need to go down the route of getting a tree risk assessment. That would cost not only money but your reputation too. Read Less