Canopy Consulting

Canopy Consulting is a consulting arboriculture practice based at Macquarie Park in Sydney that delivers expert arboricultural services across Australia's urban landscape. The firm brings over a decade of industry experience to the job of balancing tree preservation against the realities of urban development, and it works to a simple premise: every tree tells a story and every client's need is unique. The client list runs from homeowners through to architects, builders, civil contractors, landscapers, schools, universities, commercial operators and government departments, and the common thread is practical, sustainable, evidence-based advice rather than opinion. This is a reports and assessment practice staffed by AQF Level 5 arboricultural consultants, so the deliverable is documentation a council or a certifier will accept.

The bulk of the work sits in tree inspections and reports. Preliminary development assessment reports get a project off on the right foot, while arboricultural impact assessments evaluate what a proposed development will actually do to the trees on and around a site. Tree protection management plans set out how retained trees are to be safeguarded, and the reports are written to ensure development projects comply with local regulations and standards and meet council requirements. The practice also produces tree condition reports, strategic reports, tree surveys and large-scale tree inventories and management systems for clients holding whole portfolios of trees. Pre-purchase inspections and site consultations cover the smaller end, with a comprehensive examination from roots to canopy and custom recommendations.

Where a tree needs more than a visual once-over, Canopy Consulting brings diagnostic equipment to it. Sonic tomography maps internal condition without cutting the tree open, resistance drill testing checks structural integrity, and aerial assessments get an arborist into the canopy where the defects usually are. Root investigation and mapping analyses root systems, which is often the argument that decides whether a tree can be retained alongside a slab or a driveway. Tree risk assessment is carried out by consultants holding QTRA and TRAQ qualifications, so the risk rating comes with a recognised methodology behind it.

On site, project arborist services cover supervision during construction, tree protection zone management, certification documentation and compliance sign-off for occupancy certificates. Trunk and branch protection uses fabric wrapping and timber placement to meet council consent conditions and AS 4970-2009. For trees that are simply unwell, plant health care and tree injections diagnose and treat soil conditions, with injections timed to the optimum seasonal and pest life cycle moments, plus mulching and soil amendments. A 24 hour emergency service is available.

The team is led by director Kane Hollstein, an AQF Level 5 arborist and GIS analyst, alongside AQF Level 5 arborists Mark McHugh and Matthew Brown. All hold a Diploma of Arboriculture and tree risk assessment qualifications. The practice is certified to ISO 9001 for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental management and ISO 45001 for occupational health and safety. Call 1300 122 667 (1300 1CANOPY) or email [email protected].