Instead of dominating the direction of public consultations, the support groups would help the public identify priority areas.

The government's Sustainable Development Unit will provide secretariat support to the council. In order to collect public opinion on high-priority areas, the council will organise meetings between the public and members of the support groups.

The groups will be composed of government officials, academics and ordinary individuals.

'This is a brand-new method,' a source said. 'It advocates a participatory process. Instead of the usual top-down consultation and policy formation, the people will have a sense of ownership.'

The council was established early last year under one of Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa's policy initiatives promoting sustainability.

It will be a forum for people to exchange views on issues related to the city's long-term sustainability and will be chaired by Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen.

'When the topic is on how to manage waste, of course, there will be officials from the Environmental Protection Department and academics whose expertise lies with waste management,' the source said.

'There will also be representatives from the public. The lists of participants haven't been decided.'

Sustainable development refers to that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The council announced in September that the government would soon begin consultation on the process for ensuring wide community involvement in drawing up a sustainable development strategy for Hong Kong.

The chairman of the council's strategy sub-committee, Edgar Cheng Wai-kin, said: 'The formation of the strategy has to be a transparent and participatory process that promotes accountability and partnership between the government and various sectors of the community.'