Tree Risk Assessments

TRAQ is the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification — an internationally recognised framework for assessing tree risk in a structured, repeatable way. Rather than an arborist simply declaring a tree "dangerous", TRAQ requires the assessor to separately rate the likelihood of failure, the likelihood of the failed part striking a target, and the consequences if it does. That structure is what makes a conclusion defensible if it is ever questioned — by a council, an insurer or a tribunal.

VALID is a tree risk-benefit approach that puts a quantified figure on the risk a tree presents and weighs it against the benefits the tree provides. It exists because pure risk assessment has a built-in bias toward removal — every tree presents some risk, and none of it disappears until the tree is gone. VALID forces the benefits into the same equation, which matters when the tree in question is mature, protected, or genuinely valuable.

Usually not. Most identified risks are managed by targeted pruning, by reducing the target — moving what sits beneath the tree — or by scheduled monitoring. Removal is one option among several, and a sound assessment sets out the alternatives rather than defaulting to the most drastic one.

Because duty of care is evidenced by what you did, not what you intended. A dated assessment showing you identified and acted on tree risk is the document that matters if a limb comes down and the question of reasonable care is raised.

It depends on species, age, condition and what sits underneath. Every assessment nominates a specific re-inspection interval per tree rather than applying a blanket figure.

Yes. We can assess a tree from your property and document the risk it presents to you. That report is what supports a formal notice under Queensland’s neighbourhood tree provisions, or a QCAT application if it comes to that.