Another casualty in Canberra’s front yard hedge war has emerged - a magnificent 60 metre specimen in Ainslie’s heritage-listed Corroboree Park.
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The hedge's owner says she is devastated after the ACT Government took a hard line on her front yard, forcing her to cut the plant “back to hard wood”.
Kate Gumley says was furious when she read in The Canberra Times that a monster hedge in the neighbouring inner-north suburb of Braddon has been spared the shears with the government agreeing that the adjacent footpath be widened instead.
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“The hedge is of critical heritage value to the precinct,” Ms Gumley told The Canberra Times.
“Since March, despite raising the same issues as the home owners in the Chapman Street house, the ACT Government offered no alternative approach.
“I have pursued extending the footpath and have offered to meet the cost and had plans done.”
Ms Gumley said the local government’s approach to hedges had been uncoordinated and inefficient.
“I have been defeated by the ACT Government’s uncoordinated, inefficient process to get this simple task approved,” the homeowner said.
“So two weeks ago we cut our hedge hard back into the dead wood.
“It is now a scar on the block and as serious gardeners we are devastated.
“I was furious to read in The Canberra Times today that should you get a minister involved, flexibility is provided."