Regulated tree reports for South Australia, with the overlays already checked
Since 16 May 2024, far more trees in Greater Adelaide need development approval before removal or tree-damaging activity. ArborFlow is built in Adelaide, by an SA consulting arborist, around the SA rules: it pulls the planning overlays for the site from SAPPA, records trunk circumference alongside DSH, and produces a report in AS 4970:2025 terms.
The current thresholds
These apply to trees within the Regulated and Significant Tree Overlay, measured 1 m above natural ground level (PlanSA):
| Class | Single trunk | Multiple trunks | Before 16 May 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulated | Circumference 1 m or more | Total 1 m or more, average 310 mm or more | 2 m |
| Significant | Circumference 2 m or more | Total 2 m or more, average 625 mm or more | 3 m |
Species on the Minister's exempt list aren't regulated unless they're also listed as significant trees in Part 10 of the Planning and Design Code.
What ArborFlow does for SA jobs
- Overlay check per site from SAPPA: the Regulated and Significant Tree Overlay plus the other planning overlays affecting the site
- Circumference and DSH in one record. SA classification uses circumference at 1 m; AS 4970:2025 uses diameter at 1.4 m. Record both once and ArborFlow uses each where it belongs.
- Council-ready output for development applications
From the founder
I've spent years working with the Regulated and Significant Tree Overlay, the PDI Act definition of tree-damaging activity, and the 2024 threshold changes on real development sites in Adelaide. ArborFlow encodes that so you don't have to rebuild it in a spreadsheet for every job.
— Jordan Thomas, consulting arborist, Port Noarlunga
Read how ArborFlow handles AS 4970:2025