City Hall spending RM1 million for tree planting
by Jenne Lajiun. Posted on June 20, 2012, Wednesday
KOTA KINABALU: The City Hall (DBKK) will be spending RM1 million this year to plant 1,000 shaded trees and 25,000 shrubs here.
Mayor Datuk Abidin Madingkir said during the DBKK tree planting programme held in conjunction with the 2012 main roads landscape beautification project yesterday that 50 sites have been identified to be planted with the trees and shrubs.
“The aim of the project is to provide shaded areas for pedestrians and to encourage more people to walk so that we can reduce the traffic congestion within the city,” he said.
Additionally, DBKK also hopes that the effort will increase greenery within the city and improve its air quality, he said.
Under the project this year, the plants would be planted along road dividers and open spaces that are sited near roads.
Abidin disclosed that 12 species of trees and eight species of shrubs will be planted this year. The trees comprise the Lagerstroemia speciosa, Tabebuia pallida, Tabebuia rosea, Lapanthera lactescens, Bucida buceras, Kopsia flavida, Samanea Saman, Andira inermis, Cinnamomum iners, Mimusops elengi, Peltophorum pterocarpum, Hopea odorata and Ficus microcarpa.
The shrub species that will be planted include the Bougainvillea Elizabeth angus, Ficus microcarpa, Hymenocalis speciosa, Heliconia psittacorum, Mussaenda, Iresine spp., Ruellia simplex and Portulaca grandiflora cultivars.
The locations where the planting will take place are near the Api-Api centre, Suria Sabah, Post Office, Esso Kampung Air, Marina Court, Wawasan Plaza flyover and near the Karamunsing flyover.
The areas next to Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd building, Inland Revenue Board building, Wisma Muis, King Park Hotel, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Jalan Mat Salleh, Jalan Pintas, Jalan Penampang, Jalan Bunga Raja Kayu, Jalan Kolam, Jalan Lintas, Jalan Tuaran Likas, Jalan Inanam, Jalan Undan, Jalan Tuaran Inanam, Jalan Tuaran Bypass, Jalan Tuaran Menggatal and Jalan Sepanggar, will also be planted with the trees and shrubs.
The project is financed by the State Government and has been on since the Ninth Malaysia Plan and continued during the Tenth Malaysia Plan.
Abidin also said that DBKK will be planting more raintrees at strategic places within the city and its surrounding areas.
The places that have already been planted with raintrees are at the Likas Bay near here.
“It is part of our effort to increase shaded areas and encourage more people to walk,” he said.
He added that the oldest raintree in the city is near Wisma Muis.
“That particular raintree is estimated to be 90 years old and is worth about RM600,000. It was planted during the British colonial era,” he said.
The mayor explained that it was a norm for the British then to plant the raintree near their administrative offices.
He also said that since 2006, DBKK had already planted some one million trees within the city and its surrounding areas.
As part of DBKK’s effort to introduce more greenery into the city, it is also planting fruit trees within a 58-acre land at Signal Hill, also near here.
“The trees that are planted are indigenous to Sabah some 250 trees have already been planted there,” he said.
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