Sunday Times Letter 15 Oct 11;
My wife and I are concerned by the extreme felling of trees in the land adjacent to our condominium, The Peak @ Balmeg, in the West Coast area.
The land houses rare bird life and includes greenery that is over 100 years old. Some of the vegetation is well outside the reach of any building, and many of the concerned trees are in sound health and do not pose any threat.
While we are trying to get some guidelines from the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) so that only truly rotten or endangering branches are dealt with, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get precise answers.
Singapore's pride in maintaining a 'green policy' has been lauded and we should be careful not to become over-protective over perceived 'safety' concerns. Saving our trees and maintaining the right eco balance is essential, as is the noise protection which such an environment provides. We look forward to the SLA's response.
William M. Smart
Trees posed some risks to residents
Sunday Times 23 Oct 11;
We thank Mr William M. Smart for his feedback ('Take care not to cut down healthy trees'; last Sunday).
The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) carried out a careful risk assessment and also consulted NParks before deciding to remove the trees in question.
Our overriding concern was the safety of the residents of the Peak @ Balmeg condominium as they were in close proximity to the trees.
The trees that were removed were of the self-sown Albizia variety. These trees are prone to uprooting in severe storms due to their shallow root system. They also have brittle branches. While these trees may appear healthy, their branches can snap easily and the entire tree can be easily uprooted in the event of strong wind and heavy rain.
Only the most dangerous trees were removed. The Albizia trees further away from the condominium were not disturbed.
Ng Siau Yong
Director
Land Asset Management Services
Singapore Land Authority
