Lai See | Hoi Ha battle shows up planning madness in New Territories

Today's photo was sent to Nicola Newbery yesterday, along with about 200 other emails, in what can only be construed as cyber bullying ahead of today's Town Planning Board meeting to consider new outline zoning plans for three areas in the northeast New Territories. They include Hoi Ha, Pak Lap and So Lo Pun.

Newbery is chairman of the Friends of Hoi Ha, which has over the years sought to protect the environment of Hoi Ha and its environs - a battle which has brought her into conflict with indigenous villagers and others who have invested considerable amounts in buying up land in order to build houses.

Today's meeting is likely to be the culmination of four years of discussions between the various planning bodies, the villagers and of course the all-powerful Heung Yee Kuk over how to apportion land in the village between land that can be built on and land which cannot.

But their presence, which is obviously intended to be intimidatory, raises the question of who is in charge of planning in the New Territories - the government or the bully boys.

Over the years Nicola, her husband David and others have made a number of presentations to the planning board opposing government plans for the area, which has angered those waiting to build small houses.

Yesterday's emails came with the attached photo, along with a copy of a letter of objection opposing restrictions on building houses.

David Newbery, who lives in Hoi Ha, told Lai See: "This picture of them with their shovels and machetes is a clear message that they intend to cut down the vegetation if they don't get their way at the Town Planning Board."