Tragedies prompt inquiry into tree office
Ombudsman finds agencies tasked with managing city's trees less than satisfactory
The city has launched an investigation into how its trees are maintained, after the creation of a Tree Management Office in 2010 failed to stop trees from falling and killing people.
Some government agencies appeared "less than satisfactory" in carrying out their tree management duties, the Ombudsman said in announcing the move.
In the latest tragedy, a tree on private land at Robinson Road, Mid-Levels, collapsed and killed a heavily pregnant woman more than a month ago. Her baby is in stable condition, according to the Hospital Authority.
The Ombudsman, the watchdog that oversees public administration, will look into the practices of the office, set up in March 2010 under the Development Bureau. Critics say it is ineffective as it is led by a low-ranking official.
Ensuring public safety is a key goal as the Ombudsman examines the management regime and legal framework for trees on public and private land. The investigation is expected to last at least a year.
"Responsibility for the management of trees on government land is shared by various departments," Ombudsman Connie Lau Yin-hing noted yesterday.
"The Tree Management Office is responsible for centrally overseeing the implementation of the government's tree policy, coordinating the practices of other departments and providing professional advice.