But not a sod has been turned almost four years after they bought the block of land in Harrison, thanks to a continuing dispute over three trees that don't exist.

The ACT Planning and Land Authority says the Haridemos family cannot build any structure within the ''zone'' of three yellow-box gums that once grew on the block.

However, the Government declared all the trees to be dangerous and even removed one of them in 2006. The other two were felled in 2008 because they were dying and were deemed a threat to public safety.

Mr Haridemos is taking the planning agency to the ACT's administrative tribunal after it decided in December last year that the ''no-build zones'' must be enforced ''irrespective of whether the original trees remain''.

The bookkeeper said yesterday the dispute had ''financially and emotionally crippled'' him, his wife and their two young boys.

''It's been extremely hard. It's not fair and it's not right they're doing this.

''This is our block and this is where I want to build our home and live for the rest of our lives.''

His family planned to build a home smaller than the 468sqm structure that would normally be allowed on the 1547sqm site.

But Mr Haridemos said it was impossible to build around the three tree zones.

For more on this story, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times.