Many people have trees close to their property boundary meaning that branches inevitably grow over the fence. 

This might be perfectly fine with both households enjoying the beauty of the tree but sometimes the neighbour may find the overhanging branch problematic. 

Case study

June has a large old Oak which has a limb growing over the fence.

Jim has recently moved in next door and finds the branch annoying. If Jim were to cut the branch in line with the fence (shown as a red line) this would be considered lopping. This is likely to result in even more growth over the fence because the tree will shoot along the cut branch. It is also likely to cause June distress because she loves her tree and does not want to see it damaged. Instead, Jim should speak to June and explain why the branch is causing him problems. He should seek consent from June to have an arborist enter her property to make a quality pruning cut near the trunk. No new branch will emerge at that point and the tree will grow over the wound quickly. 

Alternatively, Jim’s arborist can make quality pruning cuts to reduce the extent of branch on his side. So long as the pruning does not cause imbalance to the canopy or remove too much of the canopy, a permit is not required. A qualified arborist can advise Jim as to the extent of pruning that is acceptable under the Australian Standard in each case