Old and Valuable Tree at Caine Road removed for public safety
The Highways Department (HyD) today (May 21) removed an Old and Valuable Tree (OVT) with a potential risk of collapse on a retaining wall at Caine Road in the Mid-Levels for public safety.
The tree, listed as HYD CW/4 on the Register of OVTs, was a Ficus microcarpa approximately 15 metres tall and 20m wide. Regular inspections and horticultural maintenance had all along been undertaken by the department on the tree. However, the health of the tree was found to be deteriorating with a sparse tree crown during an inspection conducted in February 2015.
Laboratory diagnosis conducted by the Tree Management Office (TMO) of the Development Bureau revealed that the tree had been infected with brown root rot disease. The HyD, the TMO and the Expert Panel on Tree Management (EPTM) of the Development Bureau conducted a joint site inspection on May 14 and confirmed that the health of the tree was irrecoverable and its structural condition had severely deteriorated, leading to a potential danger of collapse. As the tree was located on a major road of the Mid-Levels, the HyD in consultation with the TMO and the EPTM decided to remove the tree as soon as possible to ensure public safety.
Ends/Thursday, May 21, 2015