Royal palm trees which have served beautification purposes in Lautoka for decades have been infested by termites and will be removed.
In a joint effort, the Lautoka City Council and the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji will remove more trees to curb the massive termite infestation in the city’s central business district.
The council has notified ratepayers through a public notice informing them on the days in which teams would remove the trees including that at Vitogo Pde.
Council chief executive Mohammed Anees Khan said the infested trees are located in front of ANZ Bank and opposite Kshatriya Hall along Vitogo Pde.
“The royal palm (Roystonea regia), a species native to Mexico, holds sentimental value as part of Lautoka City’s historical flora,” Mr Khan elaborated.
“A joint inspection revealed that out of the 217 palms assessed, two are severely infested and require immediate removal.
Additionally, 19 other trees have been treated to curb termite infestation. “For the safety of our residents and to prevent any inconvenience or damage to public property and infrastructure, the removal will take place promptly.” The council has also noted that it would plant trees to replace these palm trees following their removal.
Meanwhile, Lautoka will pilot the termite control program that the Government announced in January.
Government has indicated that a pilot program, which would include setting up an official complaints register, would be implemented first in the Sugar City because many homes had been badly infested. This plan finally came to fruition following consultations with experts and putting all the processes in place.
