Axe falls on decades-old banyan trees in Hong Kong after stand-off with conservationists ends
Removal of two banyans embedded in stone wall on Bonham Road was to begin at about 6am but small group was there to stop work
Officials on Sunday pressed on with the removal of two decades-old “stone wall trees” in Hong Kong’s Central and Western District after a stand-off with conservationists ended.
Lands Department officials said they “had no choice” but to remove the banyans or risk the safety of pedestrians.
Work to fell the two banyans embedded in a stone wall on Bonham Road was to start at about 6am, but more than a dozen conservationists were on site to stop their removal.
They hung a banner on one of the banyans that read: “Love for old trees.”
The department on Thursday submitted a report to Central and Western District Council suggesting the removal of the banyans because their poor health and structural condition indicated a high risk of collapse. The trees were estimated to be 70 to 80 years old.
According to the report, a registered arborist found a cavity in one of the trees and signs of decay.