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Getting to the root of tree complaint backlog
More than 80 percent of 2,000 tree complaints have dragged on for 90 days or longer, the Ombudsman found as it slammed the government for the delayed action.
Ombudsman Winnie Chiu Wai-yin has initiated an investigation into the Development Bureau's handling of complaints about trees on government land.
The probe came after the office said that from 2019 to 2021, the government's 1823 hotline had received more than 20,000 tree-related complaints each year. Data from the hotline showed that as of March this year it showed a backlog of more than 2,000 tree-related complaints.
Chiu said the investigation will look into whether the Tree Management Office and the Development Bureau have supervised the handling of tree complaints effectively and whether there is a "clear delineation of tree management responsibilities among departments."
"Some tree-related complaints remained unresolved for too long. If not promptly addressed, problematic trees may cause environmental nuisances or even pose potential hazards to public safety," Chui said.
The watchdog said that the government uses an "integrated approach" for managing trees, whereby the Tree Management Office under the bureau coordinates the tree management works of various departments.
Among 1.6 million trees across the city, a Delonix regia tree, measuring 9.5 meters, collapsed and crashed onto a school bus at Ho Man Tin last month. The accident happened whiled the school bus stopped near Hop Yat Church School on September 16.
The tree crushed the roof of the bus and smashed its windshield, while three other vehicles alongside it were slightly damaged.
While there was no student on the bus, the bus driver was taken to the hospital with a hand injury. A nanny and one other driver suffered leg injury and back pain, respectively.
Speaking of the incident, the bureau spokesman said the Tree Management Office had requested the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to conduct a thorough investigation by early October, but the report has not been released yet.
The spokesman said the department's team found no signs of decay on the tree during the last inspection on April 22.
But Ken So Kwok-yin, chief executive of the Conservancy Association, said the cause of the tree collapse appeared to be due to considerable damage by road and utility works.
The public can submit their views by writing to the Ombudsman's office - complaints@ombudsman.hk - until November 6.
The probe came after the office said that from 2019 to 2021, the government's 1823 hotline had received more than 20,000 tree-related complaints each year. Data from the hotline showed that as of March this year it showed a backlog of more than 2,000 tree-related complaints.
Chiu said the investigation will look into whether the Tree Management Office and the Development Bureau have supervised the handling of tree complaints effectively and whether there is a "clear delineation of tree management responsibilities among departments."
"Some tree-related complaints remained unresolved for too long. If not promptly addressed, problematic trees may cause environmental nuisances or even pose potential hazards to public safety," Chui said.
The watchdog said that the government uses an "integrated approach" for managing trees, whereby the Tree Management Office under the bureau coordinates the tree management works of various departments.
Among 1.6 million trees across the city, a Delonix regia tree, measuring 9.5 meters, collapsed and crashed onto a school bus at Ho Man Tin last month. The accident happened whiled the school bus stopped near Hop Yat Church School on September 16.
The tree crushed the roof of the bus and smashed its windshield, while three other vehicles alongside it were slightly damaged.
While there was no student on the bus, the bus driver was taken to the hospital with a hand injury. A nanny and one other driver suffered leg injury and back pain, respectively.
Speaking of the incident, the bureau spokesman said the Tree Management Office had requested the Leisure and Cultural Services Department to conduct a thorough investigation by early October, but the report has not been released yet.
The spokesman said the department's team found no signs of decay on the tree during the last inspection on April 22.
But Ken So Kwok-yin, chief executive of the Conservancy Association, said the cause of the tree collapse appeared to be due to considerable damage by road and utility works.
The public can submit their views by writing to the Ombudsman's office - complaints@ombudsman.hk - until November 6.
