The mystery surrounding the unauthorised removal of a large tree in the beer garden of a popular Hobart pub has been solved.
Telstra, which have a telecommunications exchange next door to Hobart’s New Sydney Hotel, have come forward and apologised for the ‘devastating’ incident.
“We’re so sorry for what has happened here. The tree shouldn’t have been removed and we’re working to make this right,” said Telstra Regional General Manager for Tasmania Michael Patterson.
“Our intention was to get the tree trimmed and unfortunately that’s not what happened,” he told Pulse.
“A section of the tree was growing over the fence and onto the Telstra Exchange site which was obstructing our staff’s ability to safely operate the telecommunications equipment.”
Patterson said the company would be contacting the New Sydney Hotel directly to let them know how sorry they are and work with them on how to help rehabilitate the site.
Pub owner Ashan Rodrigo said staff arrived at the Bathurst Street venue on Wednesday morning to find the large elderflower tree had been “mysteriously” turned to mulch.
Security footage captured three people from a local arborist company entering the beer garden with power tools just after 8am on Wednesday.
“We pride our beer garden of being an actual garden and this tree provided a lot of shade during summer and winter,” he told Pulse.
“[Now] there’s nothing of it left.”
Rodrigo says he looks forward to engaging with Telstra to work out a suitable replacement for the tree.
