Tree loss on private land has been identified as one of the primary drivers behind urban canopy decline in Australia. The primary mechanism for slowing this loss is to require approval to be obtained for the removal of specified trees. This may be achieved by a registration process or by the operation of an automatic protection. With registration, a tree may be identified as having particular cultural or other value and is then listed on a register (often called a Significant Tree Register) from which time it is protected. Automatic protections apply where a tree meets specified physical measurement criteria such that it receives protection without the need to be registered (known as ‘blanket’ protection). In many local and state jurisdictions, both mechanisms are used simultaneously. Local or state legislation sets out the criteria a tree must meet in order to be protected and the circumstances in which tree removal can be permitted or a proposed development refused. Local government is normally the administering body and makes the initial decision on any tree removal application. Disputes between local government and landowners or developers are common, and often relate to the reasons for a refusal to permit a tree to be removed.