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*** Our weekly Station Mail is for the information of Station Members only, but Station Mail has given up copyright & can be freely circulated. For administrative reasons, comments are usually not entertained & may be circulated within our system locally & overseas. Please note Station Mail is sometimes given in Blog at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com , although images are usually not attached due to size. ***
Dear Station Members,
The internet news below described how the Tree Failure at Robinson Road, on the night where the Chief Secretary His Honourable Mr. Henry Tang just visited trees all over HK during the day, would appear as a warning shot from our urban trees on their unpredictability to fail & injure. Luckily this time the motor-cyclist of mis-fortune was only slightly hurt by the falling tree. It may be something of a bigger event next time.
If an Arboricultural Office (ArbO) can be set up by the HK Govt to coordinate all Tree Affairs in HK, it would be seen as a major advancement in Tree Care for HK & even in the Far East. ISA HK/China has proposed such an idea back in July 2007 (see attached). However, the need for it then was not as pushing as for it now.
It would be good if this proposed ArbO can review & coordinate all Tree Planting in HK from design, installation, maintenance, regular inspection, risk management, protection & conservation to public education, for trees new & old in Govt & Private Land. Future Landscape Plans & Greenery Master Plans with regard to trees may require endorsement from this Office to ensure good quality trees are installed in the right places, since the usual option for installing poor trees would be an eventual removal & expensive maintenance before that. The contractors & maintenance should not be the only parties to blame always, & the system should be renovated to meet realities.
The ArbO is likely to be a mini-Govt on its own to govern not humans, but a population of trees. While there may be several hundred human races on earth, there are a known +100,000 species of trees so recorded, with perhaps millions not yet discovered or identified in our planet. The ArbO can be seen to be no easy task to carry out all its duties, & it will be our blessings to its staff in its first few years in operation.
If ArbO could not meet the expectation of public in time to come, complaints such as the other piece of news attached (HK Tree News --- Results of recent Greening) may arrive. This piece of news moaned about public funds (+HK$630 millions?) being spent without desirable outcome at the end. +HK$630 millions should be regarded as a lot of money on Greening & it would be an enviable sum by many western local councils to have it in the budget call. It is real sad that the media would file a rejection as described, & luckily the Arborists did not appear to be involved in this occasion.
HK appears to be thinking of catching up in Tree Planting with western nations in terms of safety & amenities. However, can the traditional thinking of 'Flowering & Scent' be replaced with Structure & Health?
May HK shine herself like the Pearl of the Orient even for her trees to let our brothers & sisters up north to come & compare with western nations & Singapore someday.
best regards,
Sammy Au
Station Manager
"If a tree is not designed, installed, maintained & inspected properly, it is likely to become a liability rather than an asset."
"Trees are good for the community. Trees need care like human beings. Arborists are the Tree Care Professionals."
唐英年巡樹 半山折樹傷人
*** Our weekly Station Mail is for the information of Station Members only, but Station Mail has given up copyright & can be freely circulated. For administrative reasons, comments are usually not entertained & may be circulated within our system locally & overseas. Please note Station Mail is sometimes given in Blog at http://isahkchina.blogspot.com , although images are usually not attached due to size. ***
Dear Station Members,
The internet news below described how the Tree Failure at Robinson Road, on the night where the Chief Secretary His Honourable Mr. Henry Tang just visited trees all over HK during the day, would appear as a warning shot from our urban trees on their unpredictability to fail & injure. Luckily this time the motor-cyclist of mis-fortune was only slightly hurt by the falling tree. It may be something of a bigger event next time.
If an Arboricultural Office (ArbO) can be set up by the HK Govt to coordinate all Tree Affairs in HK, it would be seen as a major advancement in Tree Care for HK & even in the Far East. ISA HK/China has proposed such an idea back in July 2007 (see attached). However, the need for it then was not as pushing as for it now.
It would be good if this proposed ArbO can review & coordinate all Tree Planting in HK from design, installation, maintenance, regular inspection, risk management, protection & conservation to public education, for trees new & old in Govt & Private Land. Future Landscape Plans & Greenery Master Plans with regard to trees may require endorsement from this Office to ensure good quality trees are installed in the right places, since the usual option for installing poor trees would be an eventual removal & expensive maintenance before that. The contractors & maintenance should not be the only parties to blame always, & the system should be renovated to meet realities.
The ArbO is likely to be a mini-Govt on its own to govern not humans, but a population of trees. While there may be several hundred human races on earth, there are a known +100,000 species of trees so recorded, with perhaps millions not yet discovered or identified in our planet. The ArbO can be seen to be no easy task to carry out all its duties, & it will be our blessings to its staff in its first few years in operation.
If ArbO could not meet the expectation of public in time to come, complaints such as the other piece of news attached (HK Tree News --- Results of recent Greening) may arrive. This piece of news moaned about public funds (+HK$630 millions?) being spent without desirable outcome at the end. +HK$630 millions should be regarded as a lot of money on Greening & it would be an enviable sum by many western local councils to have it in the budget call. It is real sad that the media would file a rejection as described, & luckily the Arborists did not appear to be involved in this occasion.
HK appears to be thinking of catching up in Tree Planting with western nations in terms of safety & amenities. However, can the traditional thinking of 'Flowering & Scent' be replaced with Structure & Health?
May HK shine herself like the Pearl of the Orient even for her trees to let our brothers & sisters up north to come & compare with western nations & Singapore someday.
best regards,
Sammy Au
Station Manager
"If a tree is not designed, installed, maintained & inspected properly, it is likely to become a liability rather than an asset."
"Trees are good for the community. Trees need care like human beings. Arborists are the Tree Care Professionals."
唐英年巡樹 半山折樹傷人
4月21日 星期二
【專訊】政務司長唐英年昨日與官員在港島多處地方巡視樹木，並表示由他領導的管理樹木專責小組期望風季前找出有問題的樹木，加以護理。但昨晚半山有大樹的10呎長樹丫疑因枯萎折斷墜下馬路，擊傷電單車司機。
10呎長樹丫 疑枯萎墜下馬路
昨晚約9時，港島半山羅便臣道76號英華女學校對開護土牆上一棵20呎的大樹，其中一截約10呎長、半呎直徑的樹丫疑因枯萎折斷墜下馬路斷開數段。一名40歲姓黃薄餅店外賣職員駕駛電單車經過收掣不及「人仰馬翻」倒地受傷，幸傷勢並不嚴重，由救護車送院，經治理後無礙。
本月初特首高調回應赤柱刺桐塌下壓死港大女生的死因研訊結果，委派唐英年成立專責小組跟進。唐英年昨日率領多名政府官員，分別巡視中環七號碼頭、大潭郊野公園、大坑摩頓臺、石牆樹及維多利亞公園，了解本港不同地域樹木的管理及保養工作。
盼風季前找出危樹
唐英年表示，目前政府已有完善及有效的制度定期檢查樹木，即先以目視留意樹木的健康，懷疑有問題的樹木再以儀器探測，「我們會爭取在風季前能夠知道和處理那些有潛在危險的樹木」。
唐又認為，暫時毋須修例，要求所有業主確保樹木安全，因為最近幾十年的地契內已要求業主須確保住宅範圍內的樹木不會構成危險。
為跟進死因庭陪審團的建議，唐英年稱，小組未來3個月會研究是否成立樹木專責辦公室來協調樹木管理工作和重點處理一些特別複雜的個案；應否設立樹木專家小組，邀請本地及海外專家，提供樹木風險評估及管理的權威意見；前線員工的人手及培訓，以及部門之間的協調機制問題。
康文署樹隊人員向政務司長唐英年（右）示範游繩檢視古樹頂部的工作。
