Well they’re gone. The 14 beautiful wisteria in the Heritage Mall that for so many years provided shade for shoppers, including the elderly, have been cut down.
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In a move that shocked business owners and shoppers alike, Maitland City Council workers with chainsaws appeared in the mall on Friday and removed the purple-flowered trees leaving 12 gaps and two rather tall stumps. Workers also removed bench seats.
It is rumoured that a bus stop will be built in the now-vacant space and people are not happy.
“This happened so suddenly and we feel we should have been consulted,” Tomcat Books owner Sue Tomkins said.
Robin Berry from Tenambit said her husband would miss the shade and the benches.
“My husband is not well and he would delight in sitting on one of the benches in the arbour under the shade of the wisteria trees while I would do some shopping,” she said. “There was not one day in the week when he would not be sitting there at some time.”
While it is sad to see the trees go, the wisteria was removed as part of The Levee project stage 1, which aims to bring life back to a dying part of the city – something most mall business owners are happy about.
But it seems we Maitlanders can be difficult to please.
Changes are needed if we want to attract people – locals and visitors – back to the city’s centre.
Residents had the opportunity to speak out on all or part of The Levee project when the plans were put on display – not that the wisteria trees were specifically mentioned.
So, sad as it is, let’s see if The Levee has the desired effect before we criticise council too harshly.
