A tree in the way of a Central Coast retaining wall costs A$245 to ask about

By Artigellence · 2 October 2026

Central Coast Council's 2026-27 fees and charges list an application for a Vegetation Works Permit, to prune or remove trees on private land, at A$245 for two trees or fewer plus A$129.50 for each extra tree, excluding GST. Council defines a tree as 3 m or more high, or with a trunk 75 mm or more thick measured 1.4 m above the ground. The drainage page covers the rest of what sits behind a wall, and the Retaining wall costs and rules check lists every line with its source.

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Old timber sleepers stacked in a pile beside an open footing trench at the foot of a bare soil slope, with an orange mini excavator behind — retaining wall replacement, Gosford and the Central Coast. Illustrative example.

What Council charges

Council's 2026-27 schedule lists the application for tree identification, tree pruning and tree removal from private land at A$245 for two trees or fewer, plus A$129.50 for each extra tree, excluding GST.

That is the fee to ask. It is not a quote for the work, and it does not say the permit will be granted.

What counts as a tree

Council's tree chapter defines a tree as a perennial plant with at least one self-supporting woody or fibrous stem which is 3 m or more in height, or has a trunk diameter of 75 mm or more measured at 1.4 m above ground level.

A hedge shrub below that line is not a tree by Council's definition, which is worth knowing before a wall is set out through a garden bed.

Why a wall brings it up

A wall's footing and the cut behind it reach further than the wall's face. The NSW Planning Portal tells owners to check with their council whether they need approval before removing or pruning any existing trees or vegetation.

The practical order is to ask about the tree before the wall is designed, because the answer can move the wall.

What to ask the provider

Ask whether a permit is needed, who applies, and whether the fee is in the quote. Council's page on its current fees is the one to read before you rely on this figure.

What could change

Council's fees are set for the financial year and Council can change any of its pages at any time. This one was read on 27 September 2026.

Artigellence is the marketing business that operates this site and writes its articles. It does not carry out the work described.

Retaining wall drainage