How To Become An Arborist in Sydney

Becoming a Sydney Arborist requires specific qualifications and is a very particular job for tree hobbyists and dedicated trainees.

When calling a local tree specialist, only a well-trained, insured, and licenced arborist can safely and completely conduct a tree service. Several institutions and centres in Sydney train and educate arborists, with our very own founder being a horticulture graduate and a Level 3 Tree Arborist from one of such institutions.

Choosing arboriculture is a great career choice in Australia. But have you wondered how anyone can become an arborist in Sydney?

Arborist Job Description and Responsibility

Sydney-siders often call arborists tree surgeons, climbers, and tree doctors. Arborists examine garden shrubs, plants, and trees for structural and nutritional issues and determine common tree diseases. Residents and businesses call them to assess tree damage or imminent decay by observing its bark texture, colour, and overall health.

If an arborist finds decay subject to potential safety risks to nearby structures and people, they can send samples to the lab to examine and determine a remedy or cut down the tree for good.

Moreover, we can classify arborists as purists who are mainly involved in landscaping, gardening, and lines or practical arborists who work with trees around power lines and infrastructures.

Unlike gardeners or tree loppers, arborists know how a prune or cut affects the tree’s long-term strength and health. Removing dead branches on old or storm-damaged trees is a given. Still, removing unsafe living branches to preserve a tree’s strength, structure, and beauty is something only an experienced arborist can do.

Typically, residents or businesses would call a Sydney arborist to remove living branches because they obstruct utility lines, streets, and pose a hazard to passersby, residents, or customers. Tree removal services are also necessary for trees that block new construction sites.

When removing a massive tree is necessary, arborists will climb them up with safety gear and removal equipment such as shears, clippers, and saws. If climbing is too unsafe, arborists may use mechanical lifts to cut the tree bit by bit from the top to minimise risks and damage to surrounding properties.

Arboriculture Education and Training

To become an arborist in Sydney, you must complete a traineeship in Arboriculture or Horticulture. Individuals who finish a bachelor’s or graduate degree in horticulture will have excellent chances to pursue research careers.

Furthermore, arborists trained abroad should complete an Australian apprenticeship program to qualify or have more than 3 years of work experience in the industry. You can check the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) about the different levels of professional qualification relevant to horticulture and arborist education/training.

Sydney Arborist Licences

Arboriculture Australia facilitated launching the Australian Arborist Industry Licence to recognise and regulate qualified and competent arborist professionals. This licence indicates whether an arborist can perform the tree removal service.

What Makes an Excellent Arborist Team?

Our in-house arborists at Trees Down Under can provide assessments, solve problems, and perform the job safely and efficiently. We take pride in our level 3 arborist certification and over 12 years of experience in the industry.

We can confidently say that an excellent arborist team consists of a lead arborist familiar with all the necessary permits and licenses required for each project. Local councils often require large-scale contractors and tree removal services to secure permits and have a qualified team to perform the job.

Regardless of the tree removal project, a qualified and licenced arborist should know how to perform safe and efficient procedures that minimise damage to the tree and the surroundings.

With trees populating Sydney’s suburbs and business districts, a proven team of local arborists should know how to execute each unique tree removal project easily.

At Trees Down Under, we stand firm to our commitment to our 14 points of culture:

• Commitment to our values and ethics
• Ownership and accountability for our actions 
• Integrity towards our tree removal clients
• Excellence in providing top-notch and high-standard arborist services
• Communication with our team and customers
• Belief in our success in showcasing competence
• Balance in our work and lifestyle to remind ourselves about safety and passion for work
• Teamwork in all tree removal projects to maximise efficiency
• Fun, which is key to building lasting relationships with our clients
• Systems are constantly updated and optimised for tree removal projects 
• Consistency to keep our customers comfortable with returning to us
• Gratitude in keeping a human connection with our clients and teammates
• Education – always remembering our arboriculture training and learning from past mistakes
• Creating abundance for our clients with healthy trees and prosperity for our team.

In other words, becoming a professional arborist in Sydney requires looking beyond simply cutting trees and into long-term sustainability, adaptability, problem-solving, and building a human bond with nature and your customers.

On the other hand, hiring a very cheap arborist with dubious qualifications may lead to more legal, environmental, and safety problems for their clients in the long run.

Summary

Training to become a skilled arborist in Sydney requires proper education and long-term experience in the industry. Moreover, tree removal techniques and safety procedures may improve and become more efficient. You must partner with arborists who use state-of-the-art equipment and practice timely tree-care knowledge.

Becoming an arborist is a life-long commitment. Trees play a big part in preserving Sydney’s lively ambience, providing shade and a cooling breeze to busy Aussies, and conserving our ecology. Remember that a tree is a habitat for many species, so it helps to partner with an arborist who works on tree care services with nature and your best interests.

For your next tree pruning, tree removal or stump grinding service, you can contact us at 047 463 597 or chat with our team. Brief us in on your requirements, and we’ll get back with a free quote.

How Many Trees Are Planted Everyday in Australia?

Australia’s foliage and tree population are massively diverse, with thousands of tree species spanning various lengths and life spans. As a country with 17% of forest cover, you might wonder how many trees are planted daily in the country.

To give you an accurate figure about Australia’s tree trend, we looked into private and government data to determine an accurate estimate and its impact on the environment.

Australia’s Forestry Industry and Wildlife Conservation

Knowing the size of Australia’s forestry industry is crucial to estimating how many new saplings grow in Australian soil. As of 2018, more than 70,000 people are employed in the forestry and processing industries. That excludes volunteers and non-profits who implement tree-planting initiatives in forest reserves and critical areas.

The sheer number of employees and volunteers actively participating in the tree-planting advocacy is important in justifying the number of trees planted daily.

Furthermore, the increasing demand for forest products and a drive toward preserving Australia’s indigenous forests are diving daily figures. That’s because the country only harvests 0.06% of its forest cover for production and keeps roughly 2 million hectares protected in critical locations.

Industry, Government, and Non-Profits Driving Numbers

As Australia’s food and wood industries grow, local councils implement tree-planting initiatives to curb the impact of deforestation and replenish lopped trees. Statistics show that Aussies are planting more than 191,700 trees daily or up to 70 million trees annually.

WWF: Towards Two Billion Trees

In 2018-2022, Australia also allocated $20 million to ramp up its timber and wood industry, pushing it further with non-profit initiatives like WWF Australia. Towards Two Billion Trees is a WWF-Australia initiative aiming to save 780 million trees and grow 1.56 billion new trees over a ten-year goal.

In other words, the non-profit looks forward to planting about 427,400 trees daily. This is quite far from the real-life figure stated above, but the 100K figure only counts trees planted by industries and excludes non-profits.

If we include environmental volunteers in the picture, we’ll get closer to WWF’s ten-year goal.

Landcare Australia: 20 Million Trees Program

The Australian Government’s National Landcare Program commits to planting 20 million native trees across the country over five years. That’s roughly equal to 11,000 trees a day. This initiative aims to generate a self-sustaining ecosystem that provides habitat for native wildlife and restores threatened ecological communities.

The 20 Million Trees Program connects local communities to Landcare organizations and volunteers to cover acres of barren land, curb Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, and capture carbon from the atmosphere.

Trillion Trees Australia

Formerly known as the Men of the Trees, Trillion Trees Australia has planted over 15 million trees and understory. In 2021, the non-profit organisation planted 54,000 trees – about 150 trees per day.

Quick Facts on Tree Planting

It’s great to see different organisations plant varying numbers of trees per day. But it’s just as crucial to know its impact on Australia’s climate.

Here are some quick facts about the impact of planting trees on Australia’s climate and biodiversity:

• More than 1 million acres of forest reserves need new trees to cope up with long-term deforestation and wildfires.
• Expert planters can plant saplings within 10 seconds, while volunteers can do so before a full minute with minimal training and sufficient equipment.
• A fully-grown shade tree can make commercial spaces up to 6 degrees cooler during the summer.
• Trees will improve Australia’s water quality, provide oxygen, and stabilize soil structure against flooding and erosion.
• Planting trees support biodiversity and provide natural habitat, and helps protect endangered species.

Are We Cutting Down More Trees Than What We Plant?

Other countries have been significantly better at balancing tree planting and cutting for decades. However, that’s not the case for developing countries. But in a nutshell, we’re planting fewer trees annually than we are cutting them.

Local cutting services prove to have very little impact on the global average. Massive ground clearing and deforestation for commercial use offsetting our tree planting daily rate.

But by planting one tree when you can, you’re contributing to the global agenda and adding one more tree to Australia’s number of new saplings daily.

Final Thoughts

There isn’t a single answer as to how many trees were planted daily in Australia. You’ve seen how each non-profit, industry, and government agencies produce widely varying figures that span tens of thousands apart.

What matters is that each tree planted will grow healthy and contribute to preserving the country’s green space.

Trees Down Under, the Sydney tree removal specialists help preserve local and commercial properties with a range of tree care skills and state-of-the-art equipment. We’ll ensure your green space stands out while keeping your garden safe from the risks of old and barren trees.

We’ll even grind the tree stump and give you an array of tree and garden services, depending on your needs. Our team has worked and removed all common trees that pose a significant threat to your residential or commercial property.

For your next tree pruning, removal, and other tree services, feel free to contact us at 047 463 597 or chat with us, and we’ll get back to you with a free quote.

We are the perfect solution for your garden.