The Mercury’s front page headline read City icons dying, while the story carried a warning from an arborist that unless urgent action was taken, the two century-old London plane trees would be doomed.

Seven months later, in September 2011, the same arborist who made the initial dire prognosis, accused the Department of Justice and Attorney-General of not doing “a bloody thing”.

The department promised to implement a three-prong rescue package to save the trees but it is difficult to see any evidence of this.

What is certain is that the trees have not received the attention they deserve.

One suggestion, for example, to try to help save the trees was to pull up the pavers that had compacted the soil surrounding them; 12 months on the pavers remain.

The trees, at the height of summer and after considerable rainfall and mild conditions, should be lush green.

Rather, they are barely showing any signs of life.

One only has to look at the way the Layman Street fig trees have divided Newcastle to see what an important asset they are to the community.

How long will it be before Maitland’s courthouse trees are declared a safety hazard and are destined for the chop?

What has happened – or rather not happened – is nothing short of a disgrace, especially given that the warning bell was sounded one whole year ago.