Five times more trees up for inspection in Hong Kong if task force measures adopted, but expert says proposals inadequate
- Recommendations make ‘no progress’ on tree management, says Lam Tak-chak, a former trainer of arborists
- Around 45,000 trees could be examined in detail this year under proposals compiled after a notable collapse incident in September
Hong Kong authorities will need to inspect about five times more trees than usual if a raft of measures proposed by a task force are adopted following a notable collapse incident last year.
But the 10 recommendations, made on Thursday by a Development Bureau task force in reviewing the city’s tree management policies, did little to impress an expert who dismissed the proposals as making “no progress” on tree management.
One of the main measures includes the expansion of individual tree inspections to cover those with a diameter of more than 5oomm or a height of nine metres or above that are planted in confined areas.
The resulting increase in coverage would see around 45,000 trees being examined in detail, five times the usual amount of about 9,000.
The task force also suggested making tree management performance a factor in appraising nine department heads who were involved in the area to increase their accountability. The nine linked to tree management included the Lands Department, Housing Department and Highways Department.
Other measures included utilising more technology in tree inspection, arranging periodic inspections for those along village roads on vacant government land, as well as formulating new guidelines for their planting.