NSW govt powerless to evict Ferguson

Convicted pedophile Dennis Ferguson is determined not to move from his Sydney home, and the NSW government is powerless to evict him.

The state opposition says it will back any change in the law to allow the government the power to move such offenders.

The 61-year-old, previously run out of communities in Queensland because of his conviction for child sex offences, has been living in public housing in Ryde, in Sydney's northwest, for the past two weeks.

Outraged locals protested on the weekend after discovering he was in the area.

The NSW government originally said Mr Ferguson would be moved but revealed on Tuesday it did not have the power to force him out because he had a signed lease.

NSW Housing Minister David Borger said the government had sought legal advice on the matter, believing it was untenable for Mr Ferguson to continue living in the neighbourhood.

"I don't believe this is an appropriate location for this individual (and) I have instructed my department to do everything they possibly can to assist (him) to move from that area," he said.

"There are many worried families."

Mr Borger would not say what his preferred location would be for Mr Ferguson but "further and further away from families is better".

"The other thing that's important to say, is that obviously people who are coming off the (sex offenders') register, we don't want them walking around the street at night with nowhere to live, that would be a worse option for everyone involved."

Mr Borger expressed frustration that prisoner advocacy group Justice Action had advised Mr Ferguson to stay at the address.

"He is entitled to the space, he has a lease and a legal entitlement," the group's spokesman, Brett Collins, said.

"He is making a stand and will not go.

"This shows a gutless response by the government, that it is not prepared to defend the rights of people who are not popular. We expect better from our politicians."

Mr Collins said Mr Ferguson was liked by his neighbours and did not pose a risk to the community.

"He was convicted of an offence in 1987 and hasn't reoffended since. He served his 14 years in tough conditions. He is entitled to a fair go and social inclusion," he said.

"He is a nice guy, he has no history of attacking people in the street.

"It is a public mischief that (his location) has been uncovered."

The Liberal MP for the seat of Lane Cove, Anthony Roberts, said it was "bizarre" Ferguson had been allowed into NSW in the first place.

"He's a Queensland pedophile. He should be the problem of the Queensland government," he told ABC.

Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell told reporters he would support law changes to give the government greater power to intervene in cases like that of Mr Ferguson.

"This is unacceptable ... it leaves at risk young children within a community, young children who the minister said yesterday would be looked after," he said.

Mr Borger said he was more than happy to review the housing guidelines for sex offenders, which prevented them from living within 400m of a school.

"I don't think that they have served us well at the moment," he said.