DBKK: Raintree won't be sacrificed for the cables
Published on: Friday, October 28, 2016
Kota Kinabalu: City Hall is taking steps to preserve a rainforest tree along the Coastal Highway, just after a Sembulan shopping centre.Mayor Datuk Yeo Boon Hai assured that the tree would not be chopped down to make way for utility lines, be they telephone and electricity cables or even sewage pipes.Instead, he called on parties involved with the installation of the latter structures to work together with City Hall to protect this greenery.
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"The utility firms should inform our Landscaping Department before hand of any work that might have a negative impact on the tree or other plants related to the city beautification efforts," he said.Yeo recently led a group, including representatives from City Hall, Telekom Malaysia ™ as well as the developer of the bus terminal being constructed at the Wawasan Plaza, for an inspection of the area where the tree is growing. He said both TM and City Hall had reached an agreement to relocate any foreign objects that might impede the growth of the tree."During this site visit, it was noted that there were certain metal structures in proximity to the tree.
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"The developer of the terminal was also asked to consult with us about any construction work which might be potentially detrimental to the wellbeing of the tree."City Hall's action was prompted by a Penampang resident's appeal not to remove the tree to make way for any infrastructure related to the terminal.
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The resident felt that it would be a shame if the rainforest tree were to be removed as it appeared to be decades old."The trunk must be more than 50 metres wide and the tree appears to be healthy as the bark is not diseased," she said."The canopy alone extends beyond 10 metres so it must provide a lot of shade."She hoped the local authorities would seriously look into preserving this natural wonder."How can the State Capital even be considered a rainforest city when we cannot even keep the trees like this alive?" A spokesman for City Hall's Landscaping Department did not rule out the possibility of having the tree being given "heritage" status, should the agency decide to protect this greenery."There are about 100 'heritage trees' in Kota Kinabalu alone, including the rainforest tree outside Wisma Muis in Sembulan."The spokesman said City Hall adhered to the Local Government, Housing and Urban Well-being Ministry's guidelines when it came to deciding which trees were worthy of this status."Such trees are generally over three decades old, with a trunk measuring more than 18cm in diameter."They can be of an indigenous or exotic variety and either have been planted by dignitaries or have economic value." The spokesman said preservation efforts were enacted on "heritage trees" once every six months."Our arbourist checks on the well-being of each tree, including signs that they may have been damaged."The spokesman said the agency preferred tree species which were "huge and shady" over those which were ornamental.Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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