A WAR of the roses has seen flower power pull the plug on the Governor’s internet.

The Royal Botanic Gardens has forced the National Broadband Network to change its plans to dig a trench through the flower beds to supercharge the area’s internet connection.

The Sunday Telegraph understands staff at the gardens were extremely concerned the centuries-old trees would be at risk and garden beds that require specific soil types would be contaminated by other soils.

A source said plans to lay underground cables also raised concerns, as maps of the pipes under the gardens were often wrong.

media_camera The NBN will now have to change their plans. Picture: Mark Calleja

The result is a garden that has chosen the preservation of plants over faster internet for its own staff, the nearby Conservatorium of Music and Government House.

“We believe that after our consultation that they are very happy we are not digging up the gardens,” NBN’s chief network deployment officer Kathrine Dyer said.

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“That was a key concern; that the construction interference would be quite invasive for them.

“Once you start digging up to remediate pit and pipe, there is still the opportunity to damage root systems of plants.”

media_camera Consumers have complained about the slow internet speed despite being told it would be faster.

Later this month the NBN will complete construction of fibre-to-the-node high speed broadband for the gardens, which is home to 8900 plant species and 3964 trees.

That project involves the installation of a man-sized box on Macquarie St, instead of a previous plan to install a fibre optic cable to each building.

The changes mean download speeds will be 70 megabits per second (Mbps) instead of 100Mbps.

A Royal Botanic Gardens spokesman made sure the surface of the dispute was raked smooth.

“We look forward to continue working with the NBN as they roll out this important project,” he said.

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Andrea Warthmann and Maria Schuhmann, both 19, were enjoying the gardens earlier this week.

“We love this place and have been really impressed with the variety of flowers during winter,” Ms Warthmann told The Sunday Telegraph.

“It would have been a shame to see the gardens being dug up.”

media_camera Maria Fiore Schuhmann and Andrea Warthmann are glad the Botanical Gardens won’t be dug up. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

However, it could be the first of many garden battles this year as the NBN prepares to install fibre optic cables across Sydney.

The 2018 financial year will be the organisation’s biggest as it moves from regional centres to the five capital cities.

Asked about the fate of suburban front lawns, Mrs Dyer said the NBN “can’t guarantee that we will never have to dig”.

“These type of sites are interesting because they require you to think differently and come up with creative solutions,” she said.