Friday, November 27, 2009

ISA HK/China --- HKCTU Seminar on Arborist Profession

Dear ISA HK/China & TCHK Members,

ISA HK/China has agreed to deliver a talk at the HKCTU seminar on the Arborist Profession, details of which are given below for your interesting reference. The Station Manager will be speaking on behalf of ISA HK/China for the topic.

Our talk will mainly focus on the recent development of the Arborist Profession in our territory & Tree Work is not the same as Landscape Work. Tree Workers are trained & equipped differently & require a much higher physique & skills to cope with elevated work. This may be a point that common employers are not aware of & most Tree Work in HK is given to the wrong work force to give undesirable results. Our discussion is meant to bring awareness to the employers on this fact.

Please follow the information in the attached flyer for registration at HKCTU for the seminar. Looking forward to seeing you all on Dec 4.

best regards,

Sammy Au
ISA HK/China Station Manager


日期: 2009年 12月 4日 (星期五)
時間::::下午 3:30 – 5:30
地點::::香港生產力促進局– 1樓演講廳 九龍九龍塘達之路 78號
對象::::園/樹藝行業僱主、園藝班畢業學員、行業從業員、對樹木工作有興趣人士
費用::::費用全免
講者::::張文韜先生 -發展局局長政治助理
伍芷筠女士 -建築署建築設計處 -景觀規劃及綠化工作分處總園境師
歐永森先生 - 國際樹木學會 中國地區分會 會長
僱員再培訓局園藝助理課程畢業學員

簡介:

近年樹木保育成為熱話,社會上對樹藝的專門技術及人才的需求增加。香港職工會聯盟培訓中心就 此現況,舉行一場講座:樹木保育政策及樹藝行業的人才需求講座樹木保育政策及樹藝行業的人才需求講座樹木保育政策及樹藝行業的人才需求講座樹木保育政策及樹藝行業的人才需求講座。
講座將會就三個不同的方向,向業界及有興趣之人士,介紹最新之樹木保育政策,講座中亦會分享 近年樹藝行業的發展。另外,在新政策下和社會的需要下,對相關培訓課程的需求。

內容:

1.畢業學員的工作分享
2.最新樹木保育政策
3.近年樹藝行業的發展
4.相關培訓課程簡介

詳情請瀏覽網址:www.hkctu.com
香港職工會聯盟培訓中心主辦
香港九龍油麻地彌敦道 558-560 號譽發商業大廈 3 樓
電話: 2332 9368
傳真: 2740 9109
3/F,HamiltonCommercialBuilding,558-560NathanRoad,Kowloon,HongKongwww.hkctu.com
3758 5100

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (Poor Tree Selection for property damages)

国内朋友请使用翻译软件阅读本文。
*** 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 from outsiders 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 media cutting underneath described how yet another case of Tree Planting has failed & repeatedly damaged properties nearby. The local politician proposed to 'strengthen' Tree Protection in order to minimize any future Tree Failure in strong wind such as typhoons which would be subject to professional scrutiny of Practicing Arborists since we understand it is very difficult to erect trees against typhoon for the newly planted.

It is all too common in HK that we hear the maintenance party is not doing the job right to care & protect the trees. However, the international understanding would be that if a tree is not selected & planted right in the beginning, future maintenance would be expensive & usually ineffective. This fact has been reiterated in ISA discussion many a times & it is agreed by Practicing Arborists all over the world.

ISA believes in the 'Right Tree in the Right Place' for any fruitful Tree Planting. If a tree is selected poorly by species, location & in poor quality, with the planting process damaging the rootball or the rootball miniaturized during packing for transport convenience & cost saving, then no matter in what name of 'flowering', 'scent' or 'good-looking', it will be 'Mother Nature makes the Rules' for the result. This tree would usually grow poorly, become sick easily, & then eventually become a Time Bomb to fail in wind to give us public inconveniences. International experience has shown that when such a tree is maintained for whatsoever reason, the running cost would be high & rectification treatment would be mostly ineffective in the long run.

Then the critics would shout blue murder at the maintenance parties when they see trees degrading to poor conditions as such. Would they think why the trees have become such a state in the first place? Would this also be a fair judgment in a civilized & democratic society like HK supposed to believe in the Rule of Law ??

It appears to be all so easy nowadays to criticize in our society where not giving a constructive solution at the same time. Would such practice enhance the quality of Tree Planting in the long run?

The intention to set up the Tree Management Office (TMO) in HK is likely to resolve our Tree Planting problems gradually. Rome was not built in a day & the public must have patience & tolerance to untie a knot so big & complicated left over from history. What the TMO might have interest in & priority to look into would be first of all the Roadside Trees where traffic & pedestrians rolling constantly underneath. This is the most high risk area whereas one of such trees killed a young lady in Stanley in Aug 2008. The TMO may also contemplate to eventually forbid planting big spreading species like the Ficus which would develop naturally a tree crown of +20m wide if undisturbed. This species may be 'good looking' in the beginning but turning into a liability later. There may also be other towering species planted in narrow streets in the name of 'flowering' or 'scent' but with high failure potential. Michelia alba is one of them. The TMO should set reviewing & approving such Tree Planting in consideration of public safety.

ISA HK/China has high hope on the TMO to provide our community with good & safe trees for social benefits. We would also like to see HK leading the role of international Tree planting in the China Region with our TMO.

For this we shall set patience to expect.

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."


21/11/2009
播放本新聞相關短片

公園大樹被颱風吹倒,壓毀順豐大廈外圍照明設施。

(讀者提供)

植樹選址差屢吹塌砸燈

大廈連番遭塌樹破壞招居民不滿!元朗順豐大廈住戶王先生表示,自去年至今,大廈外圍照明設施兩度被附近大樹壓毀,「一打風就吹冧棵樹,跟住就砸爛盞燈,舊年同今年都係咁,係咪唔應該再喺度種(樹)呢?」

(讀者提供)

當區區議員麥業成認為,改變種植地點的斬腳趾避沙蟲方式,並非解決問題良方,建議當局於上址加強防護措施,減低塌樹造成財物損失或人命傷亡意外。