Lantau Island

Government fails to fulfill
conservation promise

Urban development on Lantau is facing opposition from green groups due to its high conservation value. (Sandy Sezto)

By Sandy Sezto

In 1993, the government promised to extend Lantau North Country Park to compensate for the destruction caused by the Hong Kong International Airport and 10 other core projects.

Designation of the park extension was included in the Chief Executive’s 1999 Policy Address. It stated that the project would be put into action in 2001.

Yet, the government is now trying to turn the island into a tourism center with cross-border transportation, thus delaying the planned conservation project for the precious natural resources on Lantau.

Fabian Pedrazzini of Green Lantau Association said, “We are sorry to note that this commitment so far has not been fulfilled.”

Instead of conserving Lantau’s natural resources, controversial infrastructure is slowly taking over the island. Examples are a cable car system that will link the airport with the Big Buddha statue, the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Bridge and a “super prison” on Hei Ling Chau.

“This is a typical case of the government dragging its feet on an obvious and essential conservation measure while at the same time proceeding full steam with environmentally destructive projects,” said Mr. Pedrazzini.

“There is no full compensation possible for the impact of the new airport and related projects,” added Mr. Pedrazzini.

“However, the designation of the park extension would go some length to show the government’s commitment to conserving at least the easily conservable part of Lantau.”

Prof. Chau Kwai Cheong, chairperson of the Country and Marine Parks Board, said the government is keen to develop north Lantau.

“This probably explains why there is a delay in the approval of the park extension project,” he said.

Clive Noffke, executive committee member of Green Lantau Association, said, “It is not easy to extend the park since it is costly to maintain trails and to set up and clean up picnic areas.

“It really depends on whether the government is willing to spend the money.”

On the other hand, the government is willing to spending more money on large infrastructure projects, like the 5.7 km cable car system between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping and Disneyland.

The project would include five supporting towers located in the country park.

Mr. Noffke said, “The impact would be rather noticeable, particularly imposing a man-made structure on what are now untouched and majestic mountain vistas.

“Fortunately, it seems that the towers will be emplaced by helicopters rather than hauling through bushes, and if this is the case then the damage would be limited to the footprint of the towers.”

The cable car project was awarded to the MTR Corporation in July 2002, and the system will be in service by 2005.

A full environmental impact assessment report was done on the project to measure the degree of destruction to the environment before it was approved.

According to Mr. Noffke, a theme village with shops and education centers will be built around the cable car terminal at Ngong Ping along Ngong Ping Stream.

The stream has the largest breeding population of Romers tree frogs, an endemic species protected by Hong Kong law.

Despite this, the MTR Corporation successfully received an environmental permit to divert and shift the stream out of the theme village to facilitate construction.

But after their report was released and the project approved, the company turned around and proposed to replace the stream with a man-made watercourse.

This has upset Green Lantau Association and other conservation groups. In an entirely separate development, in order to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as the hub of Pearl River Delta area, the government decided to build the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhuhai Bridge, which will link the cities to Lantau.

According to Highways Department plans, the bridge would “drastically shorten” the traveling time between Hong Kong and the Pearl River West. This would facilitate further economic development, especially in the areas of finance, tourism and logistics.

Green groups object to the project.

Mr. Noffke said, “It would cause damage to the San Shek Wan and Sha Lo Wan headlands and even to San Tau. . . , with its immense growth of mangroves and sea grass.”

The project profile of the Highways Department admitted that increased sediment discharge during construction would affect the horseshoe crab nursery area in Tung Chung Bay and the habitat of Chinese white dolphins.

Prof. Lam Kim Che, chairperson of the Advisory Council on the Environment, the government’s main advisory body on environmental and conservation issues, said,“The environmental impact assessment has not begun. We can only raise questions for the government to consider.”

Legislator Choy So Yuk, chairperson of the Panel on Environmental Affairs of the Legislative Council, said that measures have been put in place to limit the impact on the environment.

Dr. Alan Leung, senior conservation officer for World Wide Fund Hong Kong, said, “We urge the local government to carry out an integrated environmental impact assessment report among the three governments.”

The super prison, planned for construction off the south coast of the island, has also come in for green groups’ attacks.

A mid-sized prison complex between Hei Ling Chau and Sunshine Island is slated for construction after reclamation is completed. It would house 7,220 offenders.

According to the Security Bureau, maximum security facilities are currently overcrowded. It is expected that the penal population will reach 14,000 by 2015 and 15,000 by 2024. This would hinder penal management and provision of adequate rehabilitation services.

However, green groups are requesting for the project to be reconsidered, since the two islands are ecologically important.

Hei Ling Chau, Sunshine Island and south Lantau were recommended as a “Conservation Area” in the South West New Territories Development Strategy in July 2001.

Hei Ling Chau and Sunshine Island are two of four sites in the world where the Bogadek’s legless lizard, an extremely rare and endangered species, can be found.

Mr. Noffke said, “The reclamation would also adversely affect the tidal flows flushing Mui Wo and Discovery Bay and degrade the fishing habitats.”

World Wide Fund Hong Kong urged Legco’s Financial Committee to reject the government’s plan of a feasibility study on Hei Ling Chau.

The organization said it is necessary to reconsider other sites where the environmental impact would be less.

Prof. Lam said, “This is not solely an environmental protection problem, but also a matter of planning.”

Construction on Lantau Island is damaging its natural resources. (Sandy Sezto)

Home