Tree Failure Incident Reports Received by NParks
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the volume of tree failure reports received by NParks over the past decade and whether those incidents involved trees previously flagged for safety concerns. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee noted that annual tree failures in NParks-managed areas dropped 65% from 1,250 cases in 2014 to approximately 430 in 2023. He clarified that NParks does not manage trees on private or town council properties, focusing instead on over two million trees in parks, state lands, and along roads. The management regime involves inspections every six to 24 months based on traffic activity and follows best practices from the International Society of Arboriculture. Minister for National Development Desmond Lee added that NParks performs risk assessments and mitigation upon receiving safety reports to ensure the continued effectiveness of its tree management program.
Transcript
31 Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for National Development over the last 10 years (a) how many reports has NParks received regarding tree failure incidents on (i) public property, (ii) town council property and (iii) private property respectively; and (b) of these, how many cases are on trees which had previously been flagged or reported to NParks on grounds of safety concerns.
Mr Desmond Lee: The National Parks Board (NParks) manages over two million urban trees in Singapore’s parks, park connectors, state lands and along roads. With the strengthening of NParks’ tree management regime over the years, the annual number of tree failure incidents has declined by 65% from 1,250 cases in 2014 to around 430 in 2023. These numbers exclude trees found in Town Council and private properties, as NParks does not manage these areas.
NParks has a comprehensive tree management programme that includes a rigorous tree inspection and maintenance regime aligned with the best practices of the International Society of Arboriculture. Regular tree inspections are carried out by trained inspectors every six to 24 months, with trees that are close to areas with high pedestrian or traffic activity inspected more frequently. Upon receiving reports of trees with potential safety concerns, NParks will conduct tree risk assessments and take relevant risk mitigation actions where necessary.
NParks will continue to review and adapt its tree management regime to incorporate best practices to minimise the risk of tree failures.