Environment chief Sarah Liao Sau-tung appeared before legislators yesterday to defend the felling of trees growing from walls in a Shekkipmei housing estate park - and said some would be spared the axe.
She said 18 trees growing from the wall along a nullah needed felling to allow work to cover the waterway, which residents say gives off a foul stench in summer.
Conservationists have been fighting to retain the trees, most of them banyans, in Lung Chu Street. They say they are of important ecological and environmental benefit to the area.
Dr Liao, the secretary for the environment, transport and works, said that following objections from environmentalists, the Drainage Services Department, 'in an all-out effort to preserve that batch of trees as far as practicable, has revised the design on the decking works after consulting the Environment and Food Committee of Shamshuipo District Council'.
'Three masonry wall trees which [were to have been] removed originally are thus [being] preserved, reducing the number of trees to be felled to 18,' she told the Legislative Council.
She insisted that none of the affected trees was classified as 'important'.