Master Builders, Property Council say tough new rules around the removal of trees will stifle development

Construction industry leaders say tough new rules around the removal of trees are set to exacerbate the state’s housing crisis.

Construction industry leaders fear tough new rules around the removal of trees will stifle development – and say the government’s claim to be “pulling every lever” to address the housing crisis now lacks legitimacy.

Master Builders Australia (MBA) and the Property Council said they were not consulted on the new tree regulations, which they argue will exacerbate housing affordability and supply issues.

Under the changes, which took effect last week, the trunk size for “regulated trees” has been reduced from two metres to one metre, and “significant trees” have gone from three metres to two.

Any activity that damages a regulated or significant tree – including tree removal or limb lopping – requires development approval.

Master Builders SA chief executive Will Frogley. Picture: Russell Millard

Property Council SA executive director Bruce Djite. Picture: Tom Huntley

Exemptions for trees based on distance from homes and pools have also been reduced. While the old regulations allowed for removal of trees within 10m, new regulations mean that only trees within three metres of a home or pool can be removed without approval.

When pruning regulated or significant trees, only 30 per cent of the canopy can be removed every five years.

MBA SA chief executive Will Frogley said the changes mean an arborist report will be needed for “pretty much every job”.

“There’s nowhere near enough people available to deliver quality reports in a timely manner and the costs will be passed on to the homebuyer,” he said.

“This will grind the urban infill housing industry to a halt and add costs during a severe housing shortage.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion. Picture: Matt Loxton

“It seems for every step forward to improve housing affordability there are three steps back.”

Property Council SA executive director Bruce Djite said the new regulations prioritise tree preservation over the need to build more houses.

He said the changes – along with the controversial National Construction Code and proposed bushfire code amendment – will push up the cost of construction.

“This government has lost legitimacy when it spruiks that it’s pulling every lever to address the housing crisis,” he said.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion refuted that the new tree regulations would see the building industry “grind to a halt”.

He said, across urban infill areas in metropolitan Adelaide, 533 allotments would be impacted each year – with those blocks still able to be developed, subject to approvals.

“These new rules have been guided by bipartisan recommendations from the Environment, Resources and Development Committee of Parliament, as well as advice from the expert panel review into South Australia’s planning system, both of which had significant community and stakeholder engagement,” he said.

“More trees, means cooler homes requiring less airconditioning and reducing the urban heat island effect. Housing affordability is important, so too is building environmentally conscious communities where people want to live.”