Pruning Guidelines for Trees in Public Spaces

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development (a) what guidelines does NParks use to determine whether trees in public spaces are overgrown and require pruning; and (b) how does NParks ensure that the landscape contractors maintain the trees according to the prescribed guidelines and the public is aware of these guidelines.

Tree pruning is done primarily to maintain the health of the trees and remove weak branches for public safety. Trees along roadsides are also pruned for vehicular clearance. It is not advisable to prune trees excessively as it can affect their health and reduce their ability to withstand strong winds. When NParks receives requests from the public for trees to be pruned, trained officers will assess if this is needed, and if so, work with their contractors on what needs to be done.

These contractors are required to send their workers for formal training under the Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) System for Landscape. Their key technical supervisors are also required to be trained and certified by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), which is the world’s largest professional body for arboriculture.