The recent storm caused havoc for us! A couple of trees in our garden were damaged, and they even caused damage to our roof—more money to fork out and just before we were going on our hols. So I decided to cut the trees down myself. However, a friend told me that he read on a website that tree removal in Lake Macquarie could be illegal.
I checked the Lake Macquarie council website and found a section on Tree pruning and removal. It stated, "An application must be lodged with Council before pruning or removing an NSW native tree or Norfolk Island Pine from any private property in Lake Macquarie."
I knew we didn't have Norfolk Island Pines, but for the life of me, I didn't know if the others were native or not. To be honest, I didn't even know what two of them were! So I had to put the tree cutting on hold and do some research.
Tree Cutting and Removal Research
I found a site called newcastletreeandstumpremoval.com.au that had loads of information about tree cutting and tree removal in Lake Macquarie. I was able to determine that the trees in question were an Angophora, a Sheoak and a Eucalyptus. I actually felt embarrassed at not knowing the eucalyptus, as it is an iconic Australian tree.
So, armed with my new tree knowledge, I checked the council site to see what I had to do. I found out that consent was required for tree removal when it existed in NSW before the European settlement.
Guess what? You got it – all my trees were native to Australia! Of course, there were some clauses where consent wasn't required, but it seemed confusing. Fortunately, the council site had a tree removal assessment tool. Unfortunately, I discovered that two of my trees were on the significant tree register. This meant I had to submit an application to the Council to remove the trees. Fortunately, I could apply for tree removal online. I started the application and realised halfway through that I was in way over my head.
Searching for a Tree Removal Company in Lake Macquarie
After realising that tree removal was beyond my level of skills, I decided to bite the bullet and hire an arborist. What's an arborist? I hear you cry. Yeah, I didn't know what one was either until I started to look into tree cutting. An arborist is basically a tree surgeon - someone who cultivates, manages and studies trees for a living.
I found lots of arborists and websites of tree removal experts in Lake Macquarie. I wasn't sure which one to choose. I realised that the one I had found the information on earlier, Cutting Edge Tree Maintenance, had lots of Google reviews and a 4.9 Google score. Pretty impressive! I read the reviews and what stood out was that many people commented on good communication, honesty, efficiency and friendliness.
Another thing that drew me was that some people said that the Cutting Edge team managed to salvage their trees by pruning and lopping rather than full tree removal. This appealed to me because we love our trees. Not only do they provide shade on those hot days but also they are the main feature of our garden.
Tree Cutting in Lake Macquarie
I decided to give Cutting Edge Tree Maintenance a call and see how much they would charge. The first thing that impressed me was their knowledge of tree cutting and tree removal. I talked with Johnny on the phone, and you could tell he truly cared about trees. We organised a visit, and he turned up exactly on time. I could see he was passionate about tree preservation, and he talked me out of removing the trees.
After a thorough consultation, Johnny convinced me they could lop and prune my trees and remove the deadwood. He guaranteed they could cut the trees in a way that would pose no further threat to my house. We talked about cash, and I was happy with their quoted price. We arranged for the tree cutting to be carried out in a week's time. I knew these guys were busy because since contacting them, I'd heard a few of the neighbours mention they were going to use their services as well.
Highly Recommended Arborists
Johnny and his colleague turned up exactly when they said they would, fully prepared for the tree cutting. They dealt with my trees expertly and efficiently. When I saw the amount of work involved and the tools needed for the job, I knew I had made the right decision in choosing a professional arborist company. Another reason I would recommend Cutting Edge Tree Maintenance is that they submitted the tree pruning application for me. Due to them having close working relationships with the local Council, it was fast-tracked.
After Johnny had finished, he even gave me some advice about some rare palms that I had in my garden as well. I did my research (as always) and found his recommendations to be honest and accurate. So I booked another appointment with him to come and take care of my palms. Did I mention that they left the work area spotless? They tidied up all the mess they had made, and to be honest, some of mine! 😂.
Lessons Learned
In general, I think I'm an excellent DIY man. I think I can put my hand to pretty much anything I want, especially nowadays with so many DIY YouTube vids. For example, I was ready to do the tree removal myself but in hindsight, thank God I didn't. Not only would I have made a mess of it, but looking at how those guys were hanging from the tree probably killed myself too!
My wife did nag – I mean 'advise' me to hire a professional arborist from the get-go, but me being me, thought I knew better. So I'm glad I hired Cutting Edge tree cutting services. There were many companies offering tree removal in Lake Macquarie, but they were definitely worth the money.
So, if you are looking for tree lopping, tree cutting, or tree removal in Lake Macquarie, then head to the Cutting Edge Tree Maintenance website; I highly recommend them.
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