Wollongong tree management changes set up 5m-tall trees for the chop

The move would almost double the long-standing 3m height limit, allowing landowners significantly more freedom to remove established trees on their property.

The council has cast the new policy as part of its "urban greening strategy" and says it is "committed to growing and protecting our urban tree canopy so that our community benefits from trees".

Read more: BlueScope feeding plastics into its coke ovens

It says the intent of the policy is to "increase tree canopy cover in urban areas using effective tree management practices" and "engage the community to plant, value and protect trees in Wollongong using a customer focused approach".

Trees removed from public land will also be compensated, the council said. Landowners who remove trees will be given a voucher to plant a new tree, or they can "pay into an urban greening fund" for a tree to be planted on public land.

Under the new regime trees more than 5m high, or more than 30cm wide at their base, would need a permit unless they are on the list of exempt species.

The Mercury asked Wollongong City Council to explain why it planned to increase the limit to 5m but was told no response could come before Monday.

A spokeswoman deferred to the "FAQ" section of the council website, which says residents were fed up with "red tape" over trees.

"This is so it's easier to manage trees on your property," the FAQ page states.

"It will also shift the resources from administering permits for small trees to a focus on protecting larger canopy trees.

"The community has told us there's too much 'red tape' for trees on private property. We sent our customers a survey asking how they felt about the current tree permit process and 86 per cent were unsatisfied."

Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery said urban trees were essential in a warming climate. "We need to have a plan on how best to manage trees across our city so that our future generations are in the best position possible as we see more extreme weather conditions and weather events," he said.

The new tree management policy is on public exhibition via the council's website until December 16.