Arboriculture Australia Minimum Industry Standards: the series and titles
The Minimum Industry Standards are a series of peer-reviewed books for arborists in Australia and New Zealand. This page lists the titles in Series 3 and Series 5, the courses that reference them, and where the books are sold.
Checked against the sources at the bottom of this page on October 9, 2026. Rules, fees and pay change: the source has the last word.
This page reports what the official source says. It is not legal advice: ask the office named here. The Minimum Industry Standards, called MIS, are industry books and not laws. Arboriculture Australia says they are produced by it and the New Zealand Arboricultural Association with the wider tree care community, and that the skills, techniques and equipment in them are agreed by industry. They are not rows in the guide to tree work standards and editions.
Who makes them
Arboriculture Australia names nine partner bodies: the Australian Capital Tree Community, the Tasmanian Arboricultural Organisation, the Queensland Arboricultural Association, the South Australian Society of Arboriculture, the Victorian Tree Industry Organisation, the Northern Territory Arboriculture Association, the Arboricultural Association of Western Australia, NSW ARB and the Utility Arborist Association of Australia Committee. It calls the books living documents that are reviewed from time to time. The New Zealand Arboricultural Association says the project is led by Arboriculture Australia and that it works alongside it to develop each standard.
Series 3: practising arborists
Arboriculture Australia says Series 3 is referenced in AHC30820 Certificate III in Arboriculture and that the full series has 17 titles. Page counts are as shown in the Arboriculture Australia reader.
| Number | Title | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| MIS300 | Safe Tree Work | 136 |
| MIS301 | Arborist Knots | 80 |
| MIS302 | Arborist Ropes | 60 |
| MIS303 | Tree Dismantling | 234 |
| MIS304 | Aerial Rescue | 106 |
| MIS305 | Tree Climbing | 188 |
| MIS306 | Tree Inspection for Access and Work | 82 |
| MIS307 | Crane Use in Tree Work | 96 |
| MIS308 | Tree Pruning | 178 |
| MIS309 | Equipment Inspection | 118 |
| MIS310 | Tree Support Systems | 186 |
| MIS311 | Stump Grinding | 104 |
| MIS312 | Environmental Arboriculture | 76 |
| MIS313 | Tree Health and Maintenance | 290 |
| MIS314 | Utility Tree Work | 138 |
| MIS315 | Chainsaw Operation and Tree Felling | 292 |
| MIS316 | Chipper Maintenance and Operation | 106 |
Series 5: consulting arborists
Series 5 is referenced in AHC50520 Diploma of Arboriculture. Arboriculture Australia says the series is in development with 2 of 7 titles available. It also lists MIS503 Tree Protection as coming online, and the New Zealand Arboricultural Association shop lists MIS503 Tree Protection among its titles.
| Number | Title | Pages |
|---|---|---|
| MIS501 | Tree Risk Assessment | 116 |
| MIS506 | Tree Valuation | 158 |
The reader also carries a Tree Rescue Manual of 234 pages, and the New Zealand Arboricultural Association site has a page for it.
Editions
The New Zealand Arboricultural Association shop labels MIS300 to MIS307 as 2nd editions. It prints no edition on its entries for MIS314, MIS316, MIS503 and MIS506. Arboriculture Australia prints no edition numbers on its listing.
Where they are sold and who gets free access
- Arboriculture Australia says it sells physical books and a digital subscription to all its publications, through a physical bookstore, a digital bookstore and an eReader portal, with prices excluding GST. It also sells annual licences to businesses.
- The New Zealand Arboricultural Association sells the MIS guides in its own shop, with prices in New Zealand dollars including GST.
- Arboriculture Australia and the New Zealand Arboricultural Association say students enrolled in AHC30820 Certificate III in Arboriculture or AHC50520 Diploma of Arboriculture get free electronic access for the length of their enrolment, arranged through the training organisation.