Latest news with #WarrenYaghmour
Sky News AU
a day ago
- General
- Sky News AU
Aussie tree pruning expert lifts lid on legal dos and don'ts of combating encroaching vegetation over neighbourhood fence
A tree pruning expert has lifted the lid on what Aussies can legally do to combat common neighbourhood disputes over encroaching vegetation. It's the thorny issue that can quickly replace the driveway wave and chit chat with brewing vengeance and a trip to Bunnings for a pair of clippers. Overhanging branches which extend beyond property lines can block sunlight, drop leaves and fruit, and potentially damage property, leaving neighbours frustrated and getting their pennies' worth out of their blower. However, before people take matters into their own hands and start an all-out war with the joint owner of their fence, Warren Yaghmour from True Blue Tree Lopping in Sydney took to TikTok to offer some advice. And the dos and don'ts of hacking into neighbours' rogue trees are clear: follow Australian standards and individual council regulations. As for throwing the branches back over the fence? A hardline don't. "Don't chuck the branches back over is definitely the first rule of thumb. That will just get you in all sorts of a mess," said Warren in a recent video. 'Of course, everything has to go Australian standards and council regulations," he added. 'So we're only allowed 10 per cent, we're not allowed to touch the canopy of the tree, so the top branches you're not allowed to prune. 'It's all the lower stuff as close as we can, and all cuts go to Australian standards, and they're back to the collar." Warren said cutting only half of the branches is a no-go. Elaborating on how best to avoid sitting beside your angry neighbour at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), the expert urged people to familiarise themselves with their local council's regulations. 'You've got to find out every single suburb's council, and then go through their list and see what you're allowed to do and what not,' he said. 'Different species of trees require different assessments, and sometimes you're allowed to trim big branches and sometimes not.' Warren said taking the time to know which plants can be trimmed and at what height can be the difference between a hefty fine in the mail or not. People took the comments with their own individual grievances, with one person asking what happens if the vegetation is blocking solar panels. In that case, Warren said the foliage can be trimmed back if it grows over "to your side." Another person questioned what only cutting the lower branches would achieve when it's the top ones that wreak havoc on the gutter or roof. Warren insisted it's putting away the low-hanging vegetation that "minimises the mess and branches rubbing on gutters and the roof". One more person declared it should be the neighbours' responsibility to maintain their trees and clippings. "I always throw the clippings back. Why should I have to bin it! Not to mention the fence is buckled too," the person said. More people were not having a bar of Warren's council spiel, with one person saying: "No council will stop me removing a tree over my roof." "If only the council followed their own regulations," another person said. According to the NSW Trees (Disputes Between Neighbours) Act 2006, a council permit is needed to prune or remove a tree, but the type and condition of the tree may result in an exemption from approval. Compensation for damage to property caused by a tree on a neighbour's land can also be sought through the Land and Environment Court.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Gardener's tip for dealing with 'nightmare' issue growing in Aussie suburbs
A gardener is urging those among us battling with neighbours about overhanging branches to stick steadfast with council regulations, explaining to Yahoo News it will help you get out of the "nightmare". Warren Yaghmour has visited dozens of Sydney homes where residents have been stuck in bitter disputes with their neighbours about who is responsible for the branches across boundary lines, and he believes the quickest and easiest way to get out of the dilemma is to know exactly what you legally can and can't do. This is all laid out by councils. "You've got to find out every single suburb's council, and then go through their list and see what you're allowed to do and whatnot," he told Yahoo. "Different species of trees require different assessments, and sometimes you're allowed to trim big branches and sometimes not." Complying with regulations will ensure the resident is on the right side of the argument, and knowing what species can be cut, and at what height, will make the process much more seamless. Warren said he's often stuck in the middle of disputes, some of which have become so tense he's had to call the police. Another Sydney gardener, Nathan Stafford, is no stranger to neighbourhood disputes, once catching on camera a man shouting at him during a job. Like Warren, he has previously urged residents to maintain an amicable relationship. "Don't chuck the branches back over is definitely the first rule of thumb. That will just get you in all sorts of a mess," Warren explained. 🏝️ Council warns against common beach act in Aussie tourist town 🌳 Aussie neighbourhood's fight to save 100-year-old 'landmark' 🪴 Council defends decision to rip out 57 new plants on rural roadside Why do Australians get so wound up by overhanging branches? Yahoo News has reported on multiple incidents involving residents getting caught up in arguments with neighbours about overhanging trees, including a Sunshine Coast woman who tried to have her neighbour's branches removed for two years, and an elderly couple in England who have a cut-in-half tree standing on the edge of their believes tensions become so heightened between neighbours because Aussie cities are becoming increasingly more cramped, so irritation looms large when "everyone's living on top of each other". "Everyone has the same problem, it affects everybody. Everything's tight and bunched up," he explained. "We've got a lot of trees [in urban areas]... if an overhanging tree branch is leaning over and scraping your gutters, you can't sleep. Or, you have to phone a plumber... or it can destroy fences... that's why it starts becoming a major issue." He is urging residents to reach out to professionals if they are facing problems with overhanging trees. Arborists and gardeners can assure council regulations are being complied with, and the health of the tree isn't compromised in the process. "The tree can get infected. It can get diseases. It can get different types of bugs attracted [to it], and then they generally kill the tree, or at least make it sick." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
