Govt Looking At Other Cities For Tree Laws: CE

Chief Executive Carrie Lam said the SAR government is studying examples of other cities around the world on how best to manage trees.

She was answering a question from Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan in Legco on Wednesday.

The pro-democracy legislator accused the CE of dragging her feet over the issue and failing to set up new laws to better manage trees.

"Cities like London and New York can manage trees well without legislation," Lam told the lawmaker.

But the CE stressed that public safety has to come first in any case.

On Sunday, the Lands Department chopped down two banyan trees on Bonham Road, saying they were a danger to the public.

But environmentalists and activists say the action wasn't necessary. Some critics even allege that government officials are incapable of making such decisions and warn that hundreds of trees in the city are now at risk.