Tree Surveys & Safety Audits

Systematic tree inspections, risk assessment and management recommendations supported by accurate spatial data and up-to-date site mapping.

Discuss Your Site

Thrive Arbor provides professional tree surveys and safety audits for organisations responsible for managing multiple trees across public, commercial and institutional sites. Our AQF Level 5 Arborists combine advanced arboricultural knowledge with more than 20 years of practical tree-management experience.

Using drone orthomosaic mapping, survey-grade GNSS/GPS equipment and GIS technology, we can produce clear, accurate records showing where trees are located, their condition and the management actions recommended for each tree.

We help clients understand their tree population, identify priority concerns and establish a structured, evidence-based program for future inspection and maintenance. Services are available throughout the Clarence Valley, Coffs Coast and Northern NSW.

Tree Inventory Surveys

A tree inventory survey creates a structured record of the trees across a property or defined project area.

It provides reliable baseline information for ongoing tree management, development planning, budgeting and future inspections.

Depending on the purpose and scale of the survey, the inventory may record:

• Unique tree identification number

• Species and common name

• Location captured using survey-grade GNSS/GPS equipment

• Height, trunk diameter and canopy dimensions

• Age or maturity class

• Health and structural condition

• Visible defects and site-related concerns

• Retention value or management significance

• Recommended works and priorities

• Suggested inspection frequency

Tree information can be supplied through clearly numbered plans, schedules and GIS datasets, allowing individual trees to be readily identified during future inspections and maintenance work. Physical tree tags can also be installed where required.

Drone Mapping, Survey-Grade GPS and GIS

Existing aerial imagery is often outdated, unclear or unsuitable for accurately displaying individual trees and current site features. Where appropriate, Thrive Arbor can capture current drone imagery and process it into a high-resolution orthomosaic map of the site.

Tree locations and field observations are collected using survey-grade GNSS/GPS equipment and plotted within a Geographic Information System (GIS). This allows tree records, inspection findings and management recommendations to be connected to reliable spatial locations and displayed against clear, up-to-date site imagery.

Depending on the project scope, spatial deliverables may include:

• High-resolution drone orthomosaic imagery

• Accurately plotted tree locations

• Numbered tree inventory and risk-management plans

• Tree attribute and recommendation schedules

• GIS-compatible digital datasets

• Maps showing work priorities or inspection categories

• Data suitable for future updating and ongoing asset management

This integrated approach provides councils, schools, property managers and project teams with a much clearer understanding of the site than a standalone spreadsheet or tree schedule.

Tree Safety Audits

Tree safety audits provide a systematic assessment of trees in areas where their condition or potential failure could affect people, buildings, roads, vehicles or other property.

The appropriate level of assessment depends on the site, tree population and patterns of use. A broad survey may be used to screen a large number of trees and identify those requiring priority work or further investigation. Trees with significant defects or more complex concerns can then be referred for a detailed assessment.

Our assessments consider:

• Tree health, structure and vitality

• Visible defects or indicators of weakness

• Previous failures or inappropriate pruning

• Soil, root-zone and growing-site conditions

• Surrounding targets and patterns of site use

• Likelihood and potential consequences of failure

• Practical options for reducing identified risk

Where appropriate, Quantified Tree Risk Assessment (QTRA) methodology can be used to support risk-based decisions and management recommendations.

Clear, Prioritised Recommendations

The purpose of an audit is not simply to identify defects. It is to help site managers decide what requires attention, when it should occur and which actions will provide the greatest benefit.

Recommendations may include:

• Priority pruning or tree removal

• Further detailed or aerial inspection

• Root-zone investigation

• Target or access management

• Monitoring of identified defects

• Recommended reinspection intervals

• Tree protection or establishment measures

• Replacement planting and succession planning

Recommended works can be grouped by priority, timeframe or location and displayed on site maps. This helps organisations direct available budgets towards the most important actions first and enables contractors to clearly identify the trees and works specified.

Who We Work With

Tree surveys and safety audits are particularly valuable for:

• Local councils and government agencies

• Schools and educational facilities

• Commercial and industrial properties

• Retirement villages and community facilities

• Strata and property-management portfolios

• Parks, reserves and recreational sites

• Infrastructure corridors and project sites

• Large private properties and rural holdings

Surveys can be tailored to a single area, a particular group of trees or an entire property portfolio.

Supporting Responsible Tree Management

A documented inspection and maintenance program provides site managers with a clearer understanding of their tree assets and a record of the decisions made in response to identified concerns.

Regular inspections can help organisations:

• Identify emerging concerns before they become urgent

• Prioritise work according to risk and site needs

• Plan future maintenance expenditure

• Retain healthy and valuable trees where appropriate

• Avoid unnecessary or poorly targeted tree work

• Demonstrate a considered approach to inspection and maintenance

• Maintain consistent records as staff or contractors change