'By the time I get to the ferry pier in Central, I already feel as if I'm home, that I am leaving all my worries behind,' said Moray Wedderburn, a resident since 2006.

Lately, however, the image is becoming a little tarnished as trouble brews in paradise and some residents threaten to abandon the 'island of dogs and babies', as DB is affectionately known by residents.

Discovery Bay is a privately owned development under Hong Kong Resorts (HKR), a subsidiary of Hong Kong Resorts International. Though originally conceived as a single resort, Discovery Bay has mushroomed into a large settlement with a resident population of 16,000. However, it continues to be run as a single development, with HKR enjoying an effective monopoly.

A consultation package received by residents last month from Discovery Bay Transit Services Ltd (DBTSL) - a division of HKR - proposing a 16 to 64 per cent rise in ferry fares depending on the frequency of services, which could see the suspension of the 24-hour service, sparked outrage.

The consultation package is the last straw for many residents already angered by HKR's style of management.

Based on the costliest option proposed, transport costs for a family of three would increase from HK$4,500 to HK$7,260 a month - almost the rental cost of a small flat in Discovery Bay. 'For some people, it would be catastrophic in this economic climate to have additional [financial] implications involved with travelling to work when one may only have a job for another six months,' said Lucy Lewis, a resident since 2003.

What residents call a sham consultation process and a lack of open public debate has fuelled rising anger against HKR. Annual management fees, which help fund the maintenance of the island, totalled HK$118 million in the year to March 31, 98 per cent of which was paid by the very people who are so angry - small owners.

The fare proposals were rejected unanimously by the Passenger Liaison Group (PLG), which was set up in 2004 on the advice of the Transport Department to invite more people to create dialogue.

'The PLG told the ferry company 'you better stop it, don't send this questionnaire out because there will be a public outcry',' district councillor Amy Yung Wing-sheung said. 'Let's sit down and talk about it.'

Residents were further angered by a 'sharing session' in which some people were unable to get through to the hotline to pre-register and latecomers were locked out. 'The consultation process shouldn't be like that,' said Tony Poon, senior manager of Discovery Bay Midland Realty.

Residents were further let down during the meeting when the company refused to disclose any information on how it calculated its losses. 'The residents walked out pretty much disenchanted and disgusted by the whole thing,' said long-time resident Ed Olivo.

Ms Yung has received more than 4,000 residents' signatures on a petition opposing the plan. The latest controversy has reignited the ongoing complaint that HKR International, which had a HK$1.266 billion profit in the year to March 31, is gouging residents.

In 2000, a bus service was introduced after a tunnel linking Discovery Bay to the North Lantau Expressway opened. At HK$9.10 a trip to Sunny Bay and Tung Chung and HK$32 to the airport, the service has been profitable.

The 24-hour ferry service is a key selling point for Discovery Bay property owners and was one of the main marketing tools for the launch of the latest phase of Chianti, a residential complex promoting luxury and high-end living.

Mr Poon speculates that if the ferry proposals pass, 5 to 10 per cent of residents will leave in the short term and rents could drop by 20 to 30 per cent.

'I do think they have a figure in mind, of maybe a 10 to 20 per cent [fare] increase, but they are using the drastic package to scare the residents so that when the actual increase comes through there would be less opposition,' Mr Poon said.

The Transport Department said it had not received an application from the ferry operator to raise fares. Other ferry fares have increased this year, with the government approving increases of up to 23 per cent for trips to Lantau, Peng Chau and Lamma from July.

The company has called another meeting with the PLG on Tuesday and has declined repeated requests for comment, on the transport and other issues, except to release a statement saying: 'At present, DBTSL continues to listen to the views of the community and to communicate with residents on the proposals. There is no final decision yet and nothing is confirmed. Dialogue is ongoing.'

Last month, an HKR International spokeswoman said Discovery Bay was too small a market for competition. 'It's a small market. It cannot support more operators,' she said.

But the spokeswoman added that the firm would welcome others operating ferry services. However, it is not just the transport issue that has angered residents. Small businesses being crowded out and the lack of public space are also seen as problems.

Ms Lewis, a small business owner, has tried for two years to secure a small office offering a new service in Discovery Bay, but her efforts have proved futile while chains like Pacific Coffee Company, Dymocks Bookshop and 7-Eleven set up shop. 'Unless you are a large company or conglomerate or a chain of companies, there's absolutely no chance to survive. We have about five 7-Elevens,' she said.

The lack of support for community businesses, some say, has led to price increases on the island with the only ParknShop, converted to the high-end Fusion brand.

A ParknShop spokeswoman said the change suited the needs of the international customer base at Discovery Bay and items were priced the same.

The issue of school places is also troubling residents. The English Schools Foundation's new Discovery College has no catchment area and early applications do not guarantee a place.

'We get applications over a period and there are no deadlines, there is no advantage in applying early,' said ESF head of marketing and communications, Peter Craughwell.

Students were separated into categories 'and then it's random', he said.

Three-quarters of students are from the island.

Parents unable to get their children into Discovery Bay schools bear the cost of ferrying their children to town, in addition to the costs of school buses.

One parent said she spent about HK$7,000 a month sending her child to kindergarten. 'If my daughter doesn't secure a place at DB College then not staying in Hong Kong would be something to consider,' Ms Lewis said.

Residents also complain that the developer has not been supportive of a community centre built in July last year which has yet to open 'due to government red tape', Ms Yung said. But when Chianti was launched, approvals came up immediately.

'Why is it for the commercial enterprise they can file it immediately, [yet] when we have a community centre which benefits the whole community they have to negotiate for more than one and a half years?' Ms Yung said.

While some residents said 'big brother' would never push them away from Discovery Bay and they would continue to fight the good fight, others are waiting to see the results of the ferry proposals before they decide.

'We invested here based on a certain level of service. We consider ourselves stakeholders - long term,' said one resident.

Mr Wedderburn said: 'I don't mind if they remove the daytime stuff and get smaller ferries, but if they start stopping the late night ferries and changing them to buses, forget it.'

Fare jump

A consultation package from Discovery Bay Transit Services Ltd proposes a 16 to 64 per cent rise in ferry fares

A family of three could see their transport costs, in Hong Kong dollars, increase to: $7,260