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Coastal Banksia

Banksia integrifolia · Proteaceae
16m
Mature height
0
Councils: no permit needed
0
Councils: exempt under a height limit
20
Councils: permit required
Coastal Banksia (Banksia integrifolia) growing in Sydney
Coastal Banksia · typical mature form

Do you need a permit?

Coastal Banksia is a protected tree in effectively every council Pro Climbing Tree Services covers. Expect to need a tree permit, or a development application where the property is heritage listed or in a heritage conservation area.

How to identify it

Leaves are dark green above and distinctly silver white underneath, which flashes in the wind. Pale yellow cylindrical flower spikes through autumn and winter, followed by woody cones. Often gnarled and wind shaped near the coast.

Where it grows in Sydney

Coastal dunes, headlands and gardens through the Northern Beaches, Waverley, Randwick and Bayside. Common in Manly, Dee Why, Collaroy, Bondi and Maroubra.

Common problems

  • Brittle limbs that fail in coastal wind
  • Sensitive to root disturbance and phytophthora
  • Old cones and spent flowers create constant litter
  • Frequently part of protected coastal dune vegetation

What removal involves

Physically modest but often located inside coastal environment overlays and dune protection zones, which add controls beyond the ordinary tree permit. In Waverley, anything 3m or over in height or canopy spread needs a permit, so almost every established Banksia is captured.

Council permit rules, council by council

Status below is for a tree on private land that has passed the council’s size threshold. Heritage items, heritage conservation areas, significant tree registers, biodiversity mapping and conditions of development consent override every exemption shown here.
Council
Status
What it means
Northern Beaches
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Ku-ring-gai
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Hornsby Shire
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
The Hills Shire
Confirm with Council
Council holds its species exemptions in a document rather than on its website, so confirm this species with Council before treating removal as exempt. Size thresholds apply in the meantime. Official rules
Blacktown City
Permit required
Council does not run a species exemption list. A permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold, and each tree is assessed on its own merits. Official rules
North Sydney
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Willoughby
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Lane Cove
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
City of Ryde
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Hunters Hill
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
City of Sydney
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Inner West
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Woollahra
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Waverley
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Randwick
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Bayside
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Georges River
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Strathfield
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Burwood
Confirm with Council
Council holds its species exemptions in a document rather than on its website, so confirm this species with Council before treating removal as exempt. Size thresholds apply in the meantime. Official rules
Canterbury-Bankstown
Permit required
Not on Council's exempt species list, so a tree permit is required once the tree passes the size threshold. Official rules
Is it protected if it looks half dead?

Probably yes. Old Banksias often look sparse but remain alive. Most councils require Council confirmation, or an arborist verification, before a dead tree exemption can be used.

Commonly confused with

Old Man Banksia
Coastal Banksia has smooth edged leaves with silver undersides, Old Man Banksia has saw toothed leaves and a gnarled trunk

Related species

Old Man Banksia (Banksia serrata) growing in Sydney
Old Man Banksia
Banksia serrata
Silky Oak (Grevillea robusta) growing in Sydney
Silky Oak
Grevillea robusta
Bangalow Palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana) growing in Sydney
Bangalow Palm
Archontophoenix cunninghamiana
Blackbutt (Eucalyptus pilularis) growing in Sydney
Blackbutt
Eucalyptus pilularis

Important note on council rules

This encyclopedia is a practical guide for Sydney property owners, not legal advice. Council tree rules change, and exemptions are frequently overridden by heritage listings, heritage conservation areas, significant tree registers, biodiversity mapping, endangered ecological communities and conditions attached to development consent. Always confirm the current rules with your council for your specific address before any tree work begins, or ask us to check it for you.
Photo by John Tann from Sydney, Australia via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Quick facts

Botanical name
Banksia integrifolia
Also known as
Honeysuckle
Family
Proteaceae
Origin
Native to the NSW coast
Mature height
8m to 16m
Canopy spread
5m to 10m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Evergreen, dark above with silver white underside
Typical lifespan
100 years plus
Root habit
Spreading, sensitive to disturbance
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Need council approval? We handle the application.

Most councils will not accept a removal application without species identification, photographs and a stated reason. We prepare and lodge the lot, then carry out the work once it is approved. One call, one invoice, no forms to work out yourself.
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