My neighbour's tree hangs over my yard. Can I cut it in Queensland?

Answers (1)

1. LE

   LokalMatch EditorialLokalMatch editorial

   Answered 24 September 2026

   You can cut and remove branches overhanging your land, provided no Vegetation Protection Order applies to the tree. That is the starting position in Queensland, and it stops at your boundary — the right is to cut what comes over, not to shape the tree.

   The person responsible is called the tree-keeper, and in most cases that is the registered owner of the land the tree grows on. Their duty is forward-looking: to ensure that in the next twelve months the tree does not, and is not likely to, seriously injure anyone on the neighbour's land or seriously damage the neighbour's land or property.

   That duty is why a branch over a shed is worth raising in writing rather than quietly trimming each January. Dropped limbs on a structure is exactly the harm the Act asks the tree-keeper to prevent.

   If cutting the overhang is not enough, an occupier can apply to QCAT for an order. And if a Vegetation Protection Order is in place, do nothing until you have checked it — QCAT is also the route to challenge one.

Answers come from pros and are reviewed by LokalMatch before they’re published. They’re general information — for regulated or safety-critical work, have a licensed professional assess your situation.

Sources

Where the facts on this page come from.

1. 1

   Your responsibilities as a tree-keeper — Queensland Government (accessed 24 September 2026)