About Arbour Advisory
Specialist financial guidance built exclusively for arborist businesses across Australia.
Arbour Advisory supports tree service operators with clear financial systems, industry benchmarks, and decision-ready reporting, so owners understand margins, cashflow, and growth capacity without relying on generic accounting advice.
Why Arbour Advisory Exists
Most accounting firms treat arborists like any other trade. We don’t. Tree-care businesses operate with seasonal workloads, high equipment costs, complex job pricing, and delayed payments, factors that generic financial models fail to reflect.
Arbour Advisory was built to close that gap. We work only with arborists, tree removal companies, and vegetation contractors, structuring financial systems around how work actually happens on site. That includes job costing by service type, crew utilisation tracking, debtor-day control, and forward planning for tax, super, and equipment finance.
Our role is not limited to compliance. We help owners understand performance while it still matters, before margins slip, before cash tightens, and before growth decisions are made blindly. Every service we offer, from benchmarking to outsourced finance, links back to one outcome: financial clarity that supports sustainable operations.
Meet George Morice CA – Founder & Director
George Morice is a Chartered Accountant (CA) and the founder of Arbour Advisory. With deep experience in small-business accounting and a singular focus on the arborist sector, George built Arbour Advisory to address the financial blind spots that hold tree-care operators back. He holds membership with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), and Arbour Advisory is a Xero Platinum Partner, reflecting the firm’s commitment to best-practice cloud accounting and advisory standards.
Professional Credentials & Qualifications
Arbour Advisory operates under rigorous professional standards. Our credentials include:
- Chartered Accountant (CA) – George Morice holds the CA designation, recognised as the gold standard in accounting qualifications across Australia and New Zealand.
- Member, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) – Bound by CA ANZ’s Code of Ethics, continuing professional development requirements, and quality assurance standards.
- Xero Platinum Partner – Recognised by Xero for extensive expertise and a strong track record of cloud accounting implementation for small businesses.
- Registered Tax Agent – Registered with the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), ensuring compliance with Australian tax law and professional conduct obligations.
- Professional Indemnity Insurance – Fully insured to protect clients, as required by CA ANZ membership and TPB registration.
Deep Arborist Industry Experience
Arbour Advisory isn’t a generalist firm that occasionally takes on a tree-care client. We work exclusively with arborists, from solo operators running a single ute-and-chipper setup to multi-crew enterprises managing council contracts and commercial vegetation programs. That focus gives us pattern recognition that generalist accountants simply cannot offer.
We understand the financial realities specific to tree-care operations:
- Seasonal cash flow management – Storm season surges, quiet winter months, and the working capital needed to bridge the gaps. We build forecasts and reserves around your actual seasonal patterns, not textbook assumptions.
- Crew-based job costing – Allocating labour, fuel, dump fees, equipment wear, and admin overhead to individual jobs so you know which service types and crews generate the strongest margins.
- Equipment lifecycle planning – Chippers, stump grinders, elevated work platforms (EWPs), trucks, and chainsaws all have acquisition, maintenance, and replacement cycles. We model depreciation schedules and finance structures that align repayments with your revenue patterns.
- Arborist-specific tax deductions – Chainsaw servicing and replacement, personal protective equipment (PPE), fuel and vehicle running costs, training and certification fees, and specialist insurance premiums. We ensure you claim every deduction you’re entitled to.
- Crew payroll complexities – Managing superannuation, WorkCover premiums, leave accruals, and award compliance for field-based crews with variable hours and site allowances.
- Equipment finance structuring – Helping arborists finance chippers, stump grinders, EWPs, and trucks through lenders who understand asset-backed lending for trade businesses. We structure repayments around job schedules and seasonal margins.
Why Arborists Trust Arbour Advisory
Trust is earned through transparency, consistency, and results. Here is how we maintain it:
- Fixed, transparent pricing – No hourly rates, no bill shock. Every engagement is quoted as a fixed-fee package based on your crew size, service scope, and advisory needs. You know exactly what you’re paying before we start.
- Australian-based, Australian-regulated – Located at 1 James Place, North Sydney NSW 2060. Regulated by the Tax Practitioners Board and bound by the professional standards of CA ANZ. Your data never leaves Australian jurisdiction.
- Data security and privacy – We use enterprise-grade cloud platforms (Xero, bank-grade integrations) with multi-factor authentication, encrypted data transfer, and strict access controls. Your financial information is treated with the confidentiality it deserves.
- Professional indemnity insurance – We carry full professional indemnity cover, providing an additional layer of protection for every client engagement.
- Proactive communication – We don’t disappear after tax time. You receive monthly insights, real-time responses, and proactive advice aligned with your seasonal calendar and business goals.
- Measurable outcomes – Our benchmarking reports, margin analyses, and financial dashboards give you concrete data to act on, not vague advice. Clients consistently report improved pricing confidence, tighter cash flow control, and clearer growth pathways.
What Guides Our Work
We are dedicated to guiding arborist businesses with honesty, professionalism, and genuine care. Our mission is to simplify complex financial management, ensuring every client feels confident and supported. By handling accounting, tax, and growth strategies, we help business owners focus on their craft, their people, and building stronger, sustainable communities.
Our Mission
To give arborist business owners control over their numbers through practical systems, clear reporting, and advice grounded in industry reality.
Our Vision
A tree-care industry where operators price work confidently, manage cash predictably, and grow without financial stress or reactive decision-making.
Our Values
Integrity in advice, accountability in delivery, clarity in communication, and long-term partnership over short-term transactions.
Our Focus
Specialist accounting, benchmarking, and advisory services designed specifically for arborists, not adapted from other industries.
Frequently Asked by Arborists Like You
Have questions about arborist accounting or finance? Find quick answers in our FAQs or contact us for personalised expert guidance.
Do you only work with arborists?
Yes, Arbour Advisory supports only arborist and tree-care businesses. Every service – benchmarking, finance, tax – is built around your equipment, job types, and operating model. We don’t repurpose systems from other trades.
Which accounting software systems you support?
Tree service operators face seasonal workloads, heavy machinery costs, crew-based pricing, and delayed payments. Generalist accountants rarely understand these dynamics. Our systems are aligned to reflect the actual cashflow and margin realities of your work.
What does the benchmarking service include?
We compare your performance to regional arborist benchmarks using real metrics like day rate, gross margin, AR days, and quote conversion. You receive a plain-language report with actionable ways to improve profits and pricing.
How long does it take to get a benchmark report?
Once you submit your form, we usually deliver the full benchmark within 24 hours. The report includes clear numbers and next-step recommendations, not generic summaries.
Do you handle BAS and PAYG lodgements?
Yes. We manage the full BAS lifecycle – data reconciliation, reporting, submission, and ATO communication. You stay compliant and penalty-free, always.
Is job costing part of your reporting?
Yes. We allocate labour, equipment, fuel, dump fees, and admin to each job so you know exactly which services drive the strongest margins.
Do I need a CFO to scale my tree service business?
No. Our finance function provides CFO-level insight at a fraction of the cost. You’ll get guidance on pricing, spend control, and strategic decisions – without hiring in-house.
Do you support council or commercial contractors?
Yes. We work with arborists servicing council, utility, strata, and commercial clients. We help structure reporting, quoting, and systems for these larger contract models.
Where are you located and who do you serve?
We’re Based in North Sydney but serve arborist businesses across Sydney, Greater NSW, and Australia-wide. Our systems are designed to scale across regions.
How often will I hear from your team?
We work closely with clients, not during just tax time. You’ll get monthly insights, live responses, and proactive advice aligned with your seasonality and goals.
What accounting platforms do you support?
We fully support Xero and QuickBooks, including setup, chart cleaning, payroll, bank feeds, and reconciliation. Our advisory layer overlays real-time reporting dashboards to give you weekly financial clarity.
Can you help if our accounts are a mess or behind?
Absolutely. We regularly onboard arborist businesses with outdated, manual, or incomplete books. We clean and structure them without interrupting operations, aligning systems to future growth.
Can I finance used gear like chippers or trucks?
Yes. We work with lenders who approve second-hand equipment purchases based on cashflow, not just credit. We structure repayments around job schedules and margins.
How does your tax planning service work?
We track income, deductions, and GST in real time, forecasting your ATO obligations before deadlines. This avoids last-minute cashflow gaps and helps you prepare smarter.
What is your outsourced finance function?
It’s a full-service financial layer including bookkeeping, payroll, job costing, and virtual CFO insights. You see where every dollar goes and how each crew is performing.
What do your growth advisory services include?
We analyse quote-to-win ratios, lead volumes, crew capacity, and job performance trends. Then we build margin targets and expansion plans tied to your actual benchmarks.
Can you help with superannuation compliance?
Yes. We manage SMSF setup, admin, audit prep, and annual returns. Whether you’re investing in property, shares, or hybrids, we ensure ATO compliance and clean records.
Is your pricing transparent or hourly?
We use fixed-fee packages based on your crew size, service scope, and advisory needs. You’ll know exactly what’s covered – no time-based billing or surprises.
What’s the first step to working with you?
You can book a free call or submit your details through our Benchmark form. From there, we assess your numbers and outline how our systems would apply to your business.
Do I need my numbers before we talk?
No. If your books are behind or unclear, we’ll help you clean them. Many clients come to us with rough numbers, and we build out real visibility step-by-step.
Ready to talk to a specialist arborist accountant? Book a free consultation with George Morice — 30 minutes, no obligation.