Catherine Hill Bay
Tree removal in Catherine Hill Bay
Tree pruning and removal in the old mining village, worked around its heritage listings.
Tree work in Catherine Hill Bay
A village under heritage controls
Lake Macquarie's heritage map shows a local conservation area and the Catherine Hill Bay State conservation area, which is of state significance. Council's tree assessment tools do not cover a heritage conservation area, and development application consent or approval from the NSW Government may be required for tree work.
The southern end has its own rules again. Catherine Hill Bay South is covered by Part 11 of the Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan 2004 and a development control plan of its own.
Services in Catherine Hill Bay
Heritage first, then the saw
How it works
From the first message to a written quote
The council question is settled before any price, and nothing is booked until you have said yes to a quote in writing.
- 1
Tell us what the tree is doing
Where it stands, what it hangs over and what you would like done about it.

- 2
A contractor comes to see it
A tree contractor who covers your suburb looks at the tree, the access and what is underneath it.

- 3
The council question is answered
Your council, the tree's height and trunk, its distance from the house and the species decide whether a permit or an exemption applies.

- 4
You get it in writing
Scope, timber, stump and date on one page, and nothing is booked until you have said yes.

Catherine Hill Bay questions
Pines, fire and heavy loads
Are the old pines on the heritage list?
Some are. The LEP schedule lists a house and 4 Norfolk Island pines in the village as a local heritage item, one of many entries for Catherine Hill Bay.
What did the 2013 fire do?
In the October 2013 fire emergency the village was evacuated by nightfall, and pictures of the aftermath show a jetty at Catherine Hill Bay is scorched. Dead wood around a house is the first thing to deal with in a bush setting.
What happens to the timber?
Lake Macquarie's Awaba facility takes garden waste and charges according to the weight and type of waste, weighing every vehicle in and out. A big pine makes heavy loads, so disposal is part of the quote.

