Mrs Lam hoped the Society for the Protection of the Harbour would accept the government invitation to join the committee.

Invitations to join the committee would be sent to groups concerned with Victoria Harbour's future, she said. 'The committee will create a platform for the public to voice their views over the harbour. We know the people want to have their voices heard,' Mrs Lam said.

She also said the society should stop pursuing appeals so the city could move forward on the issue.

The committee of 20 members will give feedback on the two remaining reclamation reviews, advise on harbour design, planning, development and management, and explore new mechanisms to improve public participation in the planning process.

Mrs Lam's calls were echoed by Citizens Envisioning @ Harbour and Designing the Hong Kong Harbour District.

Mrs Lam said the reclamation saga was 'constructive and positive' as it explained how the Harbour Ordinance should be interpreted, which in turn, gave the city a clear and defined shoreline.

She repeated the government's earlier pledge that there would not be further reclamation of the Victoria Harbour after it had completed the remaining three projects at Central, Wan Chai north and the site of the former Kai Tak Airport in southeastern Kowloon.

'The government fully acknowledges the community's aspiration to preserve the harbour,' Mrs Lam said.

'The government has a responsibility to protect and retain the harbour because it is our natural resource.'

She said the government would keep its promise of building promenades along the harbour so the public would be able to enjoy the waterfront.

Albert Lai Kwong-tak, a Citizens Envisioning @Harbour spokesman, said a government official should not head the new consultation committee. He said the committee should have broad representation.

'Real engagement must come from partnership, so it should not be chaired by an official,' Mr Lai said.

'Members should include the Society for the Protection of the Harbour and the business sector.'

'Transparency is also very important, otherwise how can the public participate and build a consensus,' he added.

The harbour activist hopes the committee can develop a new institute which will allow public participation in the city's planning and devise a sustainable transport strategy.

'If we don't have a sustainable transport strategy, how can we ensure there won't be reclamation in the future to solve traffic congestion?' he asked.

Paul Zimmerman, chief co-ordinator of Designing the Hong Kong Harbour District, called for a review of the Central reclamation after yesterday's judgment.

Harbour society chairwoman Christine Loh Kung-wai, who also assists in co-ordinating the Designing Hong Kong Harbour District, said the group was not looking for further legal tussles.

'If the public does not want [the government] to reclaim as much for Central ... that does not have to go to court,' she said. 'The public can do their bit. This is not the end of the line. The litigation is a separate issue.'