THE greening of Hong Kong might be slowed by the lack of suitable sites, the Urban Council warned yesterday. As part of its Green Hong Kong Campaign, the council has approved almost $15 million to increase public awareness and get more trees and shrubs planted across Hong Kong. But the Urban Services Department is scrambling to find enough space to accommodate all the trees. Last year a total of 12,000 trees and more than 800,000 shrubs were planted by the Urban Council. According to a survey completed this month almost 95 per cent of the trees have survived. But the difficulty lies in finding a suitable location which will ensure the survival of the larger species of trees. 'A site might look good on the surface, but if you dig down you run into gas lines, electric and telephone cables,' Mr Cheung said. 'Trees are living things and need special care and space to grow, so it is difficult for them to survive in Hong Kong without it,' he added. The Urban Council will be holding special community tree planting ceremonies throughout this year to raise public awareness. Other activities will include a green media blitz, green camps for children and a Green Ambassador programme.
