Frenchs Forest facts
Nine in ten are houses
92.5% of occupied homes in the suburb were separate houses at the 2021 Census, against 65.6% across NSW.
Owners stay
Only 15.7% of homes were rented, and 36.8% were owned outright.
Northern Beaches Council
The whole suburb is in the Northern Beaches council area, going by ABS boundary files.
Roots near Council pipes
Council's Water Management Policy lets it require an owner to remove a tree next to Council's stormwater pipes once roots have, or are likely to, get into the joints.
When a Council pipe crosses your yard
Some blocks carry a Council stormwater pipe. Under Council's 2017 policy, if a tree beside that pipe is pushing roots into its joints and the owner won't remove it after reasonable notice, the owner bears the cost of later root repairs to the pipeline. Taking the tree out is at the owner's expense.
Your own sewer line is a separate matter. Sydney Water puts it on the owner's side all the way to the point of connection, including that point.
Trees you can and can't touch
On the Northern Beaches, a tree under 5 metres, or within two metres of an existing approved building, can come out without a permit. Decks, pergolas, sheds and patios don't count as buildings. For most other trees, apply first: a permit lasts 12 months from the date it's issued.
If a sewer or stormwater repair means cutting through large roots, get advice before the trench is dug. Our pages on tree roots in drains and stormwater explain the work, and we'll find a licence-checked drain specialist for your street.
What we would do
Before anyone digs near a big tree in Frenchs Forest, settle two things: whether the pipe is yours or Council's, and whether the tree needs a permit. A camera inspection answers the first and Council's tree page the second. Pipe relining can sometimes avoid digging near roots at all, so ask the plumber whether your line suits it.