A new tree risk-assessment method – AANZAA Risk – has been introduced to the Australia and New Zealand arboriculture sector.
Arboriculture Australia (Arb Aus), in collaboration with the New Zealand Arboricultural Association, has introduced the AANZAA Tree Risk Assessment Method. AANZAA Risk has been developed in response to requests from arborists across both countries. It’s a modern, evidence-based, defensible, and user-friendly approach for everyday professional use, designed for local species, landscapes and risk contexts. AANZAA Risk provides a balanced framework that recognises both the community value of trees and the need for public safety, helping arborists communicate risk to clients.
The accompanying AANZAA app, TRIMS, supports the method by enabling arborists to collect data in the field and generate reports that can be sent directly to a client from a mobile device. The TRIMS app will be available for free download and reports will be available to purchase in blocks of 15 for $15 USD. Members of Arb Aus will receive one block of 15 reports free each month, giving practitioners an efficient tool to produce high-quality results.
The combination of method and app empowers arborists to take a more streamlined approach to tree-risk work without unnecessary complexity.
Training begins
Arb Aus has confirmed that official AANZAA Tree Risk Assessment training will commence in 2026, marking the beginning of a new chapter in arboricultural practice across Australia and New Zealand.
Training will be delivered in tiered formats suitable for different experience levels, and all pathways lead to the same AANZAA Tree Risk Assessment verification. For example, a half-day course will be offered for those with TRAQ, a full-day course for those with a Diploma in Arboriculture, and in 2027, a two-day course will be offered for those with a Certificate III in Arboriculture.
Course numbers will be limited to ensure high-quality learning experiences for participants and will be advertised through the Arb Aus website, e-newsletter and socials. Training will include access to resources and use of the TRIMS app, and participants should bring their usual data-collection device and photos of trees they wish to discuss during the course.
AANZAA Risk verifications will be valid for seven years, and Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for the training, ensuring long-term professional value.
Arb Aus will support both established and emerging practitioners through this new methodology, which is expected to lift the standard of risk-assessment practice and client communication across the industry.
Another tool in the kit
Arb Aus recognises there are multiple tree-risk assessment methods available and supports any method arborists have demonstrated to be fit for purpose in various scenarios. The development of the AANZAA Tree Risk Assessment method is another tool in an arborist’s toolkit.
The most common risk-assessment methods in use in Australia and New Zealand, in order of historical introduction, are:
* QTRA: Quantified Tree Risk Assessment (Ellison, 2005);
* TRAQ: Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (Dunster et al., 2013, ISA); and
* VALID: Tree Risk-Benefit Management & Assessment (validtreerisk.com).
AANZAA Tree Risk Assessment is a quantitative method. It requires an arboriculture qualification appropriate to the level of assessment. A suite of free-to-download tools and training materials is available via trees.org.au/tree-risk-assessment.
What the method represents
AANZAA Risk’s focus on evidence, structure, and robust practice addresses long-standing issues in the unregulated Australian arboriculture sector. By delivering a consistent approach, the method helps arborists translate complex biological and structural observations into clear, practical recommendations.
For clients – homeowners, councils, schools or utilities – this means greater clarity, greater trust and more consistent information upon which to base decisions.
For arborists, AANZAA Risk offers a reliable, modernised platform that supports professional credibility, continuing education, and the ability to demonstrate industry-accepted competence.
Like other tree-risk assessment methods, participants will receive a certificate. Arb Aus members are also offered an e-badge on completion of training. It is intended the e-badge for AANZAA Risk will tie into a broader verification system being proposed to industry. If accepted, it will expand and improve recognition of the arboriculture industry and skills.
Proposed verification system
Alongside the rollout of AANZAA Risk and other initiatives to recognise industry skills and education, Arb Aus is proposing an important initiative: a national industry verification system for arborists.
This proposed system is available now for stakeholder consultation and feedback. You can have your say via the Arb Aus website. If supported, the proposed system is designed to:
* Recognise the diversity of skills and roles within arboriculture;
* validate qualifications and experience through a transparent vetting process
* provide the public with a straightforward way to check arborist competency; and
* support professionalism, accountability and ongoing learning.
The proposed verification system must be achievable, practical and enduring – one that Arb Aus can deliver well. It will not be a licensing regime, a compliance body, or a regulatory system, which Arb Aus does not have the capacity to deliver.
The aim is to recognise and endorse, not to regulate; to support practitioners, not to exclude them. The goal is a trusted, accessible framework that lifts the profession without creating barriers or unrealistic expectations.
Verification will recognise existing qualifications, industry-based training, and relevant experience, with the potential for future pathways, such as a Master Arborist category. The intent is to unite a fragmented industry by providing shared benchmarks that are respected, accessible and understood.
Engagement with stakeholders across industry, government and education is underway and will continue throughout 2026 to refine the model, gather feedback, and ensure broad support before implementation.
Looking ahead
2026 will be a milestone year. With the launch of AANZAA Tree Risk Assessment training and the industry-wide consultation on the verification system, Arb Aus is working to build a future where arborists are more trusted, more visible and more professionally supported.
Alongside AANZAA Risk, Arboriculture Australia is also piloting training on AANZAA Value, a tree valuation system that supports quantifying the benefits of trees in dollar terms and is a companion to AANZAA Risk.
These initiatives aim to give arborists tools, not rules. The goal is to help practitioners get the recognition they deserve, while giving clients the confidence they need.
Arb Aus looks forward to working with its members, partners and the wider industry as these important steps are taken.
For updates, visit trees.org.au, follow the Arb Aus socials, or subscribe to the e-newsletter via the website.
