Page 10 - Berita Sunway - Issue 68

By Anis Shakirah Mohd Muslimin

Seeing GREEN

Landscaping does more than give your Sunway Nursery is playing a pivotal role in environmental
backyard an eco-makeover, it can even conservation and building of green townships.
FEATURES
be sustainable.
Sustainable landscapes add more value
to mother nature by cleaning the air Number of trees planted according
and water, increases energy efficiency to Sunway Nursery projects
and restore habitats, according to The records and information
American Society of Landscape Architects
Funds, characteristics needed in a green Sunway City
sustainable city. 1 Kuala Lumpur 30,000
One Sunway business unit is playing Sunway developments
a pivotal, though discreet, role behind 2 in Klang Valley 25,000
Sunway’s push to build sustainable green Under the tree-planting programme, the
cities across the country. selected trees are fast-growing, canopied 3 Sunway City Ipoh & 11,000
and require little maintenance. In total, Sunway Penang
Founded in 1988, Sunway Nursery there have been 31,779 native and 142,291
facilitates Sunway’s tree-planting adaptive plant species in Sunway City Kuala 4 Sunway Iskandar 10,500
Johor
programme, on top of other services like Lumpur since the programme started in
landscaping, landscape design, building 1989. The company spent RM5 million
minor projects and consultancy services on landscaping and the beautification of
for instant trees transplanting. Sunway City Kuala Lumpur.

IMPACT OF LANDSCAPING

Sunway City Kuala Lumpur is a good From a commercial perspective, improved
example of the remarkable transformation land conditions have helped increase the
BERITA SUNWAY | APR—JUN 2020
that can be achieved through landscaping. value of property in Sunway City Kuala
Previously, the soil surrounding the Lumpur. “Initially in the 1980’s, people
Sunway Lagoon Theme Park was sand- were skeptical of buying houses in Bandar
based, which are less efficient at absorbing Sunway,” Soorian said.
water due to its large particles.
“Being an ex-miner meant the city had
“Nothing could grow at that time. After a lot of pot holes, no stability and could
we built the theme park, we planted sink easily. But these perceptions have
thousands of trees, created a rainforest, since changed, especially because of
and today it has transformed into a mini the large landscaping surrounding our a serious challenge for Soorian and his
jungle,” said Uthaya Soorian, assistant properties. Nowadays, before buying a colleagues. “If we had a large number of a
general manager of Sunway Nursery. property, investors look at the surrounding particular species, we might end up having
Through the transplantation of trees across environment. Landscaping has added to destroy them.” Plants and trees also
remarkable value to properties,” he added.
the nation, Sunway is able to conserve have high rates of mortality, if not kept well,
the environment and its ecological state. But like many other businesses, Sunway resulting in higher cost of maintenance.
Trees reduce soil erosion, increase fertility Nursery faces many challenges within Moving forward, Soorian says Sunway
and help soil obtain moisture, according the industry. One such challenge includes Nursery hopes the economy will pick itself
to Soorian. It also contributes to the fight shortage of workers. “The landscaping and back up following uncertainties stemming
against climate change, acting as a natural nursery sectors are very much depended from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
air conditioner by absorbing carbon dioxide on unskilled labours. Currently, all the He also hopes Sunway will continue to
and releasing oxygen. workforce are foreigners. Government develop more properties. “We have a large
regulations such as work permits, levy,
Besides reducing soil temperature and land bank in the southern region, which
preventing the loss of soil moisture, number of working years very much effect we hope to grow further. Sunway Nursery
our industry.”
decayed tree leaves are also the catalyst will continue its efforts to propagate and
for tree growth and microorganism On the ground, tight regulations such as the supply 30,000 to 50,000 trees in the next
10
10 development. restriction of certain species of trees pose five years.”

05/05/2020 2:58 PM
GBMC-JL-082-20 Berita Sunway Issue 68-FA_2.indd 10 05/05/2020 2:58 PM
GBMC-JL-082-20 Berita Sunway Issue 68-FA_2.indd 10