The Leisure & Cultural Services Department will remove a withered old tree outside the Tsim Sha Tsui Police Station on Nathan Road on July 13 to protect public safety.
 

The Ficus microcarpa, with a height of 13m, is listed on the Register of Old & Valuable Trees.
 

The department said the tree’s health and structural condition has been deteriorating since 2022, explaining that it had an imbalanced crown, sparse crown density and a low live-crown ratio, in addition to relatively small and chlorotic leaves, and wood decay in its trunk base and limbs.
 

Regular inspections and maintenance and mitigation measures were carried out, but the tree’s health and structural conditions continued to deteriorate, and the department considers it irrecoverable.
 

Due to the heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic on that part of Nathan Road, the department said removal of the tree is necessary to avoid posing a danger to pedestrians and other road users.
 

Having consulted the Urban Forestry Advisory Panel and the Yau Tsim Mong District Council on its proposal, the department plans to remove the tree on July 13 and plant another Ficus microcarpa at the location.
 

The department reiterated that it will continue to adopt a prudent approach in inspecting and managing trees under its care, adding that the removal of problematic trees will be undertaken only when no other viable risk mitigation measure is available.