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Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po said the government managed more than 15 million trees, excluding those in country parks, of which more than 900 were considered dangerous.

Government grilled as more than 900 trees deemed unsafe

Lawmakers called on the government to disclose more data about the risk posed by trees after its revelation yesterday that more than 900 across the city were considered dangerous.

Lawmakers called on the government to disclose more data about the risk posed by trees after its revelation yesterday that more than 900 across the city were considered dangerous.

Lawmakers yesterday asked why the government was reluctant to legislate to make regular inspections of trees by land owners mandatory, after a pregnant woman was killed when a tree fell in Mid-Levels in August.

When answering a question from lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki, Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po said the government managed more than 15 million trees, excluding those in country parks, of which more than 900 were considered dangerous. But he did not elaborate on the severity of the threat they posed.

While the Development Bureau could not say how the figure was calculated, the number Chan disclosed was close to the 948 "heritage trees and problematic trees" listed on the Tree Management Office's website.

The list shows the trees' location, conditions such as "unbalanced crown" and "small amount of dieback twigs" as well as mitigation measures.

"What the public needs [to know] is whether those trees will threaten their life. A tree with an unbalanced crown does not mean it is dangerous," said Jim Chi-yung, a tree expert at the University of Hong Kong.

Jim said the information on the website was insufficient compared to the disclosure in the United States. "In the US, the government makes public the actual risk ranging from low to high, which is rated according to the chance a tree's branch will fall, the size of that branch and the chance it will hit a property."

Kwok said: "The number is likely to be underestimated. I don't think the government can monitor the condition of 15 million trees."

Chan said the lawmakers' call for a tree protection law was not practical as there were not enough professional arborists in the city. He added that similar laws overseas did not regulate trees on private land.

"We're keeping a prudent and open attitude about forming a law … in the medium to long run," Chan said. "We are also considering other measures to achieve the same outcome."

But lawmakers refuted his claim. "Only when you have a law would the market demand [for tree professionals] be created," said Michael Tien Puk-sun, of the New People's Party. "Your bureau required flat owners in buildings over a certain age to check the safety of windows and the structure. Why can't the same be applied to private trees?"

Jim said laws in both Britain and Singapore required owners to ensure their trees were safe.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Government grilled as 900 trees deemed unsafe
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