A woman who has been trying to get the Wanganui council to trim some trees next to her driveway for more than a year is thrilled at the speedy response after she went public.
Gonville resident Mary Lou Nation came to the Wanganui Chronicle on Sunday about a stand of macrocarpa trees, owned by the Wanganui District Council and on land between her Puriri St home and the Tawhero Golf Club, which was causing problems with her roof and driveway.
She said she hadn't heard from the council since January last year despite repeated calls and emails up until December about getting them trimmed.
Less than 24 hours after her story appeared in the Chronicle, council staff came to her home to discuss the problem and promised to send an arborist to quote for the work to be done.
Ms Nation said the council property manager promised to keep her updated with a phone call on progress next week. "It's absolutely fantastic."
The Chronicle sent 14 questions about Ms Nation's situation to the council on Monday, seeking clarification about the lack of a response to her queries and the timescale for the work to be completed.
We also asked whether senior property manager Graeme Paulger's December 2012 statement to Ms Nation that the trees had been there longer than her house meant such pre-existing conditions affected a resident's right to make maintenance requests.
The reply from council deputy property manager Leighton Toy was: "Council officers met with Mary Lou Nation on Tuesday. They will provide Ms Nation with an update next week. Residents who have concerns regarding council-owned trees should contact the council's parks team to discuss maintenance."