The Leisure & Cultural Services Department will remove two old trees, at South Bay Beach in Southern District and the Railway Museum in Tai Po District, on July 22, due to their poor health and structural condition.

Both trees are listed on the Register of Old & Valuable Trees.

The tree at South Bay Beach is a Casuarina equisetifolia and stands around 15m tall.

The department said the tree’s health and structural condition have been deteriorating since 2023. In particular, it has an imbalanced crown, sparse crown density, splitting of co-dominant stems, and wood decay at the trunk base and limbs.

The department added that it has carried out regular inspections and maintenance, including application of fungicides, cabling, and the pruning and removal of decayed branches. Despite these efforts, the tree’s health and structural conditions have deteriorated and it is now deemed irrecoverable.

The tree at the Railway Museum is a Ficus microcarpa and stands around 17m tall.

The department said it was confirmed to have brown root rot disease infection in July 2020.

Despite immediate tree management work, including regular inspections and specific maintenance work, such as a crown reduction, cabling and application of fungicides, the tree’s health condition has been deteriorating since last year.

Decreasing foliage density and obvious signs of wood decay at the roots and trunk base have been found, indicating that the infection is becoming worse. The structural damage and overall poor health of the tree and considered irreversible.

Due to heavy visitor traffic at the trees' locations, the department will remove them on grounds of public safety. It has consulted and obtained the support of the Urban Forestry Advisory Panel on the proposed removal work.

The department will replant Terminalia catappa or Barringtonia acutangular at nearby locations.

To facilitate the Ficus microcarpa's removal, the Railway Museum will be temporarily closed on July 22.

The department reiterated that it will continue to adopt a prudent approach in inspecting and managing trees under its care.

Removal of problematic trees is considered only when no other viable risk mitigation measure is available, it added.