As the Year of the Monkey begins, I would like to wish you all great success, good health and a new year full of blessings.
The temperature has been fluctuating recently and spring has not yet arrived. Nevertheless, the safety management work of trees has to be planned in advance and should not wait until the wet season arrives. As such, the tree management departments have taken proactive steps to launch their work so as to carry out comprehensive tree risk assessments before the wet season this year. They will also follow up on the necessary mitigation measures to reduce the risks of tree collapse and protect public safety.
Looking back on last year, several tree collapse incidents occurred in inclement weather in the wet season which drew widespread public attention. That reminds us of the importance of proper tree risk assessment and management in an urbanised environment like Hong Kong and under ever-changing weather conditions. The Guidelines for Tree Risk Assessment and Management Arrangement (Guidelines), promulgated in 2010, were formulated in accordance with international best practices and after fully taking the local circumstances into account. Currently, there are about 800 000 trees located in the “tree risk management priority areas” across the territory. We will be working with the arboricultural industry to carry out assessments, continuous monitoring and maintenance work for such a significant number of trees. The Guidelines have provided practical methods and references for the general public, the arboricultural industry and the tree management departments of the Government. The Tree Management Office has also been refining the Guidelines over the years so as to enhance the quality of tree risk management.
In last year’s revision, we introduced the TRIAGE system in the tree risk assessment and management arrangement to streamline the risk assessment workflow. It allows us to give priority to the maintenance of valuable trees and the treatment of trees with health or structural problems, so that qualified professionals can take proper mitigation measures more effectively according to priority to expedite the handling of trees with higher risks. However, as with other areas of risk management, it is very unlikely to achieve zero risk in tree management.
The revised Guidelines also require the tree management departments to undertake a sensitivity analysis before the removal of trees of public interest under non-emergency circumstances, and to address public concerns over a potential tree removal within a safe timeframe. This is to enhance transparency in the tree removal decision-making process and facilitate communication with the public.
We understand that while you love and care for our trees, our arboricultural industry and tree management departments need your understanding and support as they carry out tree risk assessments to protect public safety.
14 February, 2016
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