No joy from new State Government over 10 year battle with sycamore

Sharon Webb

Residents in Deloraine’s East Barrack Street are despairing that having a new Housing Minister in the re-elected State Government may have sent their 10 year battle over a sycamore tree to the end of the queue.

After gaining agreement from former Housing Minister Roger Jaensch that he would consider removing the tree, which sends up saplings far and wide, Diane Greenway and Douglas Bignell have contacted the new Housing Minister, Michael Ferguson.

‘Roger Jaensch knew the context of our problem with the tree but so far we’ve just received the standard reply from Michael Ferguson’, Diane said.

‘We feel as if we may have been relegated to the bottom of the heap.’

Diane and Douglas own a historic home next to a Housing Tasmania laneway where the tree grows.

Neighbours Graham and Laura Window are also fed up with sycamore saplings all over their garden, as are Ted Carter and Jenny McBain from nearby Davies Place.

The sycamore tree is an introduced species and classified as a ‘common environmental weed’.

Housing Tasmania has refused to remove the tree, seemingly because an arborist once described it as ‘historic’.

Nevertheless, the sycamore is not listed with Heritage Tasmania.

It’s believed that Housing Tasmania recently replaced a courtyard in one of their units near the tree, where sycamore seedlings had pushed up the pavers.

In their letter to Mr Ferguson, Diane and Douglas explain the long history of their environmental problem.

‘We have been dealing with Housing Tasmania, Minister Barnett’s office and Minister Jaensch’s office regarding the problems we and our neighbours have been experiencing with the sycamore tree since 2011.

‘We and our neighbours are now facing a nightmare to deal with all the seeds and leaves and the damage that these do to our properties, yet again for another year.’

Mr Ferguson did not reply to a request for a comment on the matter.