Representatives of nine green groups in Hong Kong meet Secretary for Environment Edward Yau Tang-wah at the Environment Bureau's Wan Chai office Tuesday, warning that a construction project at a scenic spot in Sai Wan has seriously damaged the vegetation there. Yau said, however, that a preliminary inspection of the site - along Tai Long Wan - showed little difference to aerial photos of the location taken a few years ago. Edmond Tang / China Daily

Protestors see threat from private project at one of city's 10 best scenic spots

Secretary for Environment Edward Yau Tang-wah said the government will keep a close watch on a controversial excavation in Tai Long Sai Wan in Sai Kung that has raised an outcry among conservationists.

Yau said he hopes a plan can be worked out that will satisfy all parties concerned with the development of a site at Tai Long Sai Wan, which boasts Hong Kong's most pristine stretch of coastline and in area that topped the best 10 scenic spots in the city.

The outcry erupted after the South China Morning Post reported last Friday that bulldozers had stripped the site bare on instructions from Simon Lo Lin-shing, chairman of Mongolia Energy Corporation and Vision Values Holdings.

Lo bought the site, a deserted village, from its original owners for HK$16 million. He said the land was to be developed into an organic garden. Local villagers dispute Lo's claim, saying the property is being developed into a private lodge, with artificial ponds, a tennis court and separate apartments.

Yau said he believes a balance must be struck between respect for private land ownership and the public will for environmental conservation.

Yau warned the land owner that any redevelopment on agricultural land requires approval from the Lands Office, otherwise no construction work should proceed. He made the remarks Tuesday after meeting representatives from nine green groups at the Environment Bureau's Wan Chai office.

Peter Li, campaign manager at the Conservancy Association, expressed disappointment with Yau's remarks, saying the government failed to make any concrete promises to address the issue. Green groups urged the government to quicken its step by zoning Sai Wan as a coastal protection area and to undertake further review of its conservation policies.

The site covers 10,000 square meters. Construction started in early June. Large-scale excavation has been going on, with surface plants removed and streams flowing from surrounding hills diverted.

The point of contention is whether the privately owned property falls under any government regulation on environmental protection. Since the site is not included in any statutory zoning, the development is not bound by planning controls and no environmental impact assessments are required in advance. Until now, the only point at which government intervention may occur is that some of the affected areas are on government land.

"While the land is privately owned, the visual value and natural setting of the site belongs to society," Alan Leung Sze-lun, World Wildlife Fund Hong Kong conservation manager, pointed out.

According to a site inspection carried out jointly by the Environment Bureau, Environment Protection Department, Lands Department and Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department on Monday, the government stated in a press release that "the affected areas are mainly private lots and are outside Sai Kung West Country Park, but some government land adjoining the private land is affected." The Sai Kung District Lands Office has put up notice boards declaring that further excavation on the site identified as government land is prohibited.

Environmental protection organizations have mobilized supporters and called for protests to be carried on through social networking websites such as Facebook. "Friends of Tai Long Sai Wan", a Facebook group set up last Friday, attracted over 46,000 members in four days. The organizers called for two protests next Saturday and Sunday at Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices and affected areas in Sai Wan. By late Tuesday, over 1,000 people had indicated their interest in joining both protests.

China Daily

(HK Edition 07/21/2010 page1)