A Tree Protection Ordinance For Hong Kong: An Historical Note

Abstract

Calls for an ordinance for the proper protection and management of trees in urban Hong Kong have been regularly been made over the last few years, although there seems little prospect of specific legislation being enacted. It may come as a surprise, therefore, that more than a century ago Hong Kong did enact a Tree Preservation Ordinance. It was very brief and narrowly focused, and it is not clear if any prosecutions were ever made under it, but it did sit within a wider body of legislation that sought to protect natural vegetation, street trees and forestry plantations, and offered harsh punishment for offenders. This article examines the history of tree protection legislation in the early colonial period (1841-1898), both in relation to the growing value of trees to the community, and to the increasing efforts to green the city and the territory. The rationale for legislating for tree protection in the early period may give insight to the current argument over the form of regulation and protection of trees in Hong Kong today.