New authority planned to steer growth along harbour

The government will consult the public early next year on forming a harbour planning authority to steer development along the waterfront, after a proposal to turn the Causeway Bay typhoon shelter into a world-class yacht racing facility stalled.

The typhoon shelter proposal, presented to the Harbourfront Commission by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club yesterday, calls for turning the former public cargo-handling area next to the club and part of the new waterfront areas in Wan Chai into a "race village" capable of holding internationally significant yacht races.

But the concept was snubbed by some commission members, who said such a proposal would require the influence of an authority better able to co-ordinate government departments.

A source close to the government said the commission, which had been asked by the former development chief Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, now chief secretary to study the setting up of a harbour authority, had reached a consensus on how it should be formed and run.

"The commission submitted a report to the government a few weeks ago," the source said. A public consultation was expected to start by early next year.

Through this consultation, the government and commission members hope to clear up public worries about the authority's future operations, including the way it will engage the private sector on using harbour areas.