Some trees may be classified as exempt which means you will not need to apply for a Tree Management Permit.

Please note: If you're unsure after reading the list below we recommend you seek expert advice from tree experts such as a Nursery, the Botanic Garden or an Aborist.

Unless listed in the Wollongong Local Environmental Plan 2009 as a heritage item, growing within the curtilage of a heritage item or within a heritage conservation area, the following trees are exempt from the provision of the Wollongong Development Control Plan 2010.

• Any commercial or domestic fruit trees
• Any declared noxious weed
• Any tree listed in the table below.

Note: Dead trees are not exempt trees.

Common Name (Botanical Name)	Description	Photo Examples*
African Olive (Olea Africana)	Tall evergreen shrub or small tree 2-15m high, with smooth grey bark, rougher at the base of large plants. Leaves are in opposite pairs, 5-10 cm long, dark green and glossy above and paler yellow-green underneath. Flowers are tiny and white, in small clusters, followed by round green berries ripening to black.
Alders (Alnus spp)	Small to medium size trees.  They have unusual fruiting structures that resemble small, dark brown pine cones. Generally dark green foliage.  Three common alder species:  European, White and Speckled.
Black Locust/False Acacia (Robina pseudoacacia)	A fast-growing deciduous tree to about 20 m high. Bark is rough and furrowed on trunk and larger branches. There may be small triangular thorns on the smaller branches. The leaves are thin-textured and bright green with a paler, whitish underside. Clusters of pure white pea flowers occur in spring. The seeds are black, hard-coated and are contained in a flattened bean-like pod, 3-8cm long.*
Box Elder (Acer negundo)	A deciduous tree growing to about 20m high. Bark is smooth when young and becomes rough and grey-brown with age. New shoots have a waxy white to blue coating. Flowers are not easily noticeable and are followed by large clusters of drooping green winged seeds.*
Camphor Laurel (Cinnamomum camphora)	Camphor laurel is a large evergreen tree that grows up to 20-30 metres tall. It produces bright green foliage with masses of small white flowers in spring, followed by clusters of black berry-like fruit around one centimetre in diameter. The bark is pale and very rough.
Canary Island Date Palm	The canary island date palm is a very large palm growing to around 20 metres. It has a very solid trunk and long feather like dark green leaves. Stalks of inconspicuous flowers are produced and replaced with clusters of one-inch-diameter, orange-yellow, date-like, ornamental fruits, which ripen in early summer.
Cocos Palm (Phoenix canariensis)	A tall slender palm growing to around 15 – 20 metres tall, the cocos palm has a grey trunk with horizontal leave scars. Flowering mostly occurs in spring and summer with large, yellowy gold flowers being produced prior to turning to bright orange ‘date like’ fruits.
Coral tree (Erythrina x sykesii)	The coral tree grows to 12 – 18 metres high and is a deciduous tree with grey-green bark and small triangular rose-like thorns. The Coral Tree has bright green leaves. Flowers are red and grown to about around 5cm long.
Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster species)	Small perennial woody shrubs which grows to 5 metres tall. Some cotoneasters are deciduous.  Fruit is formed during spring and summer in white clusters. Fruit is not easily noticeable, formed in clusters of small, red to orange coloured berries during autumn and into winter.
Golden Cypress (Cupressus macrocarpa "Brunniana")	Fast growing, upright conical tree (up to 6m high and 3m wide).  Bright yellow foliage especially on the sunny side.
Itchy Pod Tree (Laganuria pattersonii)	Small growing tree to 10 – 15m in height. Foliage is evergreen.  The thick, entire, oval leaves are olive green and the undersides are silvery when young and mature to a grey-green. Leaves are 5-10cm long.  The flowers are hibiscus-like and are borne freely in summer and early autumn.
Kaffir Plum (Harpephyllum caffrum)	Large evergreen tree that grows up to 15m tall. The main stem is clean and straight.  The bark is smooth when young, becoming rough, dark grey-brown as it grows older. Branches are curved bowed upwards, with leaves crowded towards the end, forming a tick crown at the top of the tree.  Shiny dark green and glossy leaves.  The plum-like fruits first appear green then turn red when they ripen.
Large Leafed Privet (Ligustrum lucidum)	Small tree from 4 – 10m tall.  It is robust, vigorous, evergreen and fast growing.  Stems are covered in white dots.  Large dark green leaves are oval with a pointed tip, up to 13cm long and 5cm wide. They are arranged opposite on the stem, and leaves have a paler dull underside.  Abundant small, white and strongly scented tubular flowers produced in clusters.  Sprays of small round purple-black berries occurring in summer. Note:  May be confused with Lilly Pilly.
Liquidambar (Liquidambar styraciflua)	Hardy, large and deciduous tree in a conical or rounded form.  Leaves resemble the maple leaf and produce spectacular autumn foliage.
Oleander (Nerium oleander)	Small, highly poisonous tree which grows up to 6 metres.   The leaves are thick, leathery, and dark green. Flowers grown in clusters at the end of each branch and can be white, pink, red or yellow, approx. 3cm in diameter and can be fragrant.  Bears a slender pod fruit. Important note:  All parts of this plant are POISONOUS.
Ornamental Rubber Tree (Ficus elastica ‘Decora’ and hybrids)	Tropical plant that can grown 40 – 60m tall.  Invasive root system. Evergreen glossy leaves that can be 30cm long. The young leaves are pinkish, then turn deep green with age.   The rubber tree bears inedible figs, they are green and 1-2cm wide.
Pepper Tree/Peppercorn (Schius areira)	A very hardy, long-lived evergreen, large spreading tree growing to a height of 12m.  It has drooping fern-like leaves with many leaflets which are aromatic when crushed. Small creamy-yellow flowers are seen near the end of spring and then pink to bright red berries are seen throughout summer and autumn.
Poplar (Populus species)	Deciduous trees to 40m high with smooth grey or white bard, sometime rough on the lower trunk.  Leaves usually roughly triangular or diamond shaped, on a long stalk, with a paler green or white underside.  Tiny flowers in long drooping catkins are produced in spring and may be followed by tiny seeds with a fluffy parachute of hairs which are released in late spring.
Radiata Pine (Pinus radiate)	Evergreen tree; 18-27m, shade tree. It is identified among true pines by its deep rich green leaves in threes and long-persisting, thick asymmetrical cones (7-15cm). It has upward pointing branches and a rounded top. The leaves (“Needles”) are slender and 8 – 15cm long.
Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta)	Evergreen tree which grows between 15-30m.Orange flowers.Largest of all grevilleas. Large deep green fernlike foliage (whitish beneath). Flowers are striking – horizontal clusters of orange mass in the branches in November and December.
Umbrella Tree (Schefflera actinophylla)	Evergreen tree growing up to 8 metres. Large round compound leaves (umbrella like) at tops of stems.  Leaflets up to 30cm long radiating from common stalk. Honey-laden red flowers packed along 1m stalks. A popular house plant in the south (NSW and QLD).
Willow (Salix species)	Some 300 species of willows exist. The most common in the Illawarra are Salix Babylonica (weeping willow) 10-15m shade tree and Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’ (corkscrew willow) small tree to 6m.

Note: Dead trees are not exempt trees.