Hong Kong ombudsman will consider investigating government’s handling of tree waste in the aftermath of Typhoon Mangkhut
- Responding to lawmakers’ questions, Connie Lau said she would make initial inquiries to see if an investigation is warranted
- Some 20,480 tonnes of tree waste caused by Typhoon Mangkhut has ended up in landfill rather than being repurposed
Ombudsman Connie Lau Yin-hing said she would consider investigating the government’s handling of fallen trees in the aftermath of Typhoon Mangkhut. She made the comments in response to lawmakers’ requests in a Legislative Council meeting on Friday.
“The government’s follow-up work fell short of the public’s expectations,” lawmaker Helena Wong Pik-wan of the Democratic Party said. She said there were still uncleared fallen trees on roadsides and lots of tree waste, rather than being recycled, has ended up in landfill, which will result in the release of the greenhouse gas methane.
Wong, in a Legco meeting with the Ombudsman, cited Fung Yuen in Tai Po as an example – on a recent visit, she said, she still saw lots of fallen trees piled up giving off a smell.
Another lawmaker, Holden Chow Ho-ding from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, brought up a similar question about fallen trees and hoped the Ombudsman would investigate the human resources, equipment and interdepartmental coordination in the handling to improve the government’s efficiency.
In response, Lau said the chief executive had already appointed the secretary for security to conduct a comprehensive review of the government’s approach to handling typhoons. “Regarding tree clearance, we will make some inquiries first to get more information before deciding whether a direct investigation is needed,” Lau said.
