Advocacy groups say government is ignoring city's environment, history

Conservation and environmental activists have raised their voices to oppose redevelopment plans for the Central Government Offices (CGO) in the city as the public consultation period will draw to a close at the end of the year on Friday.

The government announced in September that it plans to demolish the west wing of its headquarters and turn it into a public open space albeit with a 32-floor commercial complex reaching a height of some 150 meters.

Green Sense, an environmental organization, called on the government to refrain from bulldozing the CGO's west wing and selling it to developers at a press conference held Wednesday outside the building, which sits on a slope in the bustling Central district.

Another five environmental and community groups also attended the press conference in support of Green Sense's proposal.

"A huge amount of soil will be excavated from Government Hill to carry out the redevelopment plan. The soil is likely to become solid waste, which will increase the burden of landfill areas," said Ho Ka-po, a Green Sense project manager.

A press release from the organization claimed that the proposed building, with its lower section designed as a five-floor shopping mall, would produce enough solid waste to fill up 30 swimming pools.

Tearing down the existing government building, which was completed in the late 1950s, would create enough waste to load 2.5 swimming pools, it claimed.

The redevelopment of the CGO complex is one of the eight projects under the "Conserving Central" initiative announced by Chief Executive Donald Tsang in his 2009-10 Policy Address.

The government has proposed preserving only the complex's main building and its east wing, which are connected, and leave them for the Department of Justice after relocating present users to their new headquarters at Tamar in Admiralty by the end of next year.

"How can you first demolish it and then do the conservation? After all this building functions well," Legislative Councilor Tanya Chan said at the press conference.

"This site of course contains a lot of colonial heritage. The government is not strong enough to say it is important in the Hong Kong story," said John Batten, convener of the Central and Western Concern Group, a neighborhood advocacy group.

Concerns were also expressed about traffic congestion, carbon emissions and tree felling brought about by the redevelopment.

"As you can see behind us there is now a traffic jam. A shopping mall and a car park will bring even more traffic. There is nowhere for cars to go," Batten said.

China Daily

(HK Edition 12/30/2010 page1)