ISA HK/China --- HK Tree News (How we would work with the media)

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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 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 newspaper report below by the largest press in HK on the Tree Management Office (TMO) would be heart-breaking to us if similar comments are written on ISA HK/China. We also would have a lot to answer to ISA HQ & Station Members if such thing happens. Incidentally, ISA HK/China remains supportive to TMO & understands their hardship, although we are one of the very few organizations in the green industry openly to say this nowadays.

TMO & ISA HK/China appear to be like two race horses streaming ahead with similar goal, although our path hardly ever crosses so far. TMO would involve with upgrading Tree Management in a city, whereas ISA HK/China would need to develop ISA Arboriculture in any city in our territory of HK, Macau, Taiwan & China. The dimensions are totally different.

Since ISA HK/China has no financial support, no paid staff, hardly any logistics or with any authority to tell anybody, but with only the enthusiasm of our Station Members, we rely heavily on the media for promotion. The mobile phone of the Station Manager (SM) is open to the media from 8 am to 10 everyday. The press enjoy calling him after 7 pm usually, because they have to submit their report for printing before 3 am in the morning. Getting a call after 10 pm is frequent for the SM, & answering sensitive topics with a clear mind is always a challenge at that time.

ISA HK/China has made good friend with the media in our territory always. We have in average one interview from among the radios, TVs, newspapers or magazines every month, with more if any Tree Incident would occur. The media like taking to us because we speak frank & we are in the profession. Our SM & Deputy Station Mangers (DSM) all come with an Arborist background, & half of them are working for trees for a living. We are all careful to follow ISA Mission when we speak, & we answer any question that we are familiar with without pretence. If the media is not happy with just talking to us in an office setting, we would throw up a rope on the tree to dangle in mid-air to let them take breath-taking pictures. The media love the show. They would truly believe that we are the genuine professionals, & give us good marks in their writing.

The media also apprehend our IPA (http://isahkchina.blogspot.com/2008/08/isa-hkchina-independent-practicing.html) class of membership, which is the only ISA credential in any Chapter that tests more than just multiple choice questions. The IPA credential demands legal knowledge ('O' Level Laws), communication ('A' Level English), international networking (ISA Conference) & practicing skills (10 m high Rigging). It also requires staying for a minimum of 3 years as Certified Arborist & Certified Tree Worker for professional experience. The media regard the IPA as a professional level for a Tree Practitioner. Therefore they sell it for us.

ISA HK/China has been winning the 'heart & mind' of the media in the past 5 years. We are seen as a Greenery Miracle in our territory with no resources given, but only the keen participation of a group of good men & women. The media want us to succeed for the good of our society.

In a democratic society, the media would influence the politicians, & the politicians would demand from the Govt. When we are comfortable with the media, we've got a friend on our side. This helps.

May we continue our course to develop ISA Arboriculture in our territory for the good of our society, one tree & one Arborist at a time.

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."


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樹木辦無建樹似廢柴

政府斥資近二千萬元新近成立樹木管理辦事處和綠化及園境辦事處，以避免再發生○八年赤柱古樹倒冧奪去美少女性命的慘劇重演。但原來樹木辦僅負責制訂巡查指引和整集資料等後援工作，最重要的前線巡查，竟沿用舊制，繼續由約十個相關部門各自為政，樹木辦最多只會作抽查，如發現問題，只會再向相關部門反映，不設任何罰則。有學者批評很多部門均有制訂相關指引「咁設個辦事處都冇乜意思」，浪費資源。

港府的樹木管理政策漏洞處處，曾多次發生冧樹傷人意外。

冧樹奪命慘劇發生後，全城圍插政府的樹木管理政策，加上死因庭的建議，政府去年發表報告建議在發展局轄下設樹木辦和綠化及園境辦事處，分別統籌樹木管理及綠化工作。這兩個新辦事處今年三月成立運作，昨首次交代工作進展，樹木辦的工作包括四方面，包括制訂樹木巡查、保養等指引，整集各部門遞交的樹木巡查資料、及建立樹木資料庫，也會成立培訓委員會，協助培訓及進行研究。

巡查人員質素參差

對於樹木辦只注重制訂各種指引和整理資料，不會兼顧巡查工作，發展局副秘書長丁葉燕薇解釋，辦事處主要協調各部門，「提供有系統方法，等佢哋做得更加好」，巡查工作仍由各部門各自執行，現時約有十個政府部門均須負責樹木巡查。

至於巡查人員曾遭批評質素參差，但樹木辦暫時也無意設資格試考核或設定培訓時數，更不會懲罰判斷錯誤的人員。樹木辦只會因應部門的巡查進行抽查個案，若發現有問題，也只會向相關部門反映。

港大地理系講座教授詹志勇批評樹木辦作用有限，成立是浪費資源。他說：「制訂指引……呢啲嘢好多部門本身做緊，咁設個辦事處都冇乜意思，仲要每年用二千萬。」長春社總監蘇國賢則認為，樹木辦的監察功能成疑，應該擴大。他稱，制訂指引只算是首個工作，「點樣令人執行啲指引，更為重要。樹木辦唔應該只做後援工作，若果係咁，資源用咗好多，但只係小進步。」他建議樹木辦亦應多落區巡查，不能單靠部門報告。

赤柱大街冧樹奪命意外，喚起港人對樹木安全的關注。

美少女莊頌賢被冧下的古樹壓死，全城嘩然。

每年嘥千九萬公帑

樹木辦及綠化辦共有三個首長級職位及廿名各級人員，部分管理人員已就任，但兩個主管職位仍進行招聘，獲聘者料下半年上任，兩個辦事處每年支出合共約一千九百萬元。

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