Harbour protection pioneer warns of reclamation threat
Protection pioneer warns that government could be tempted to carry out more infill projects unless New Territories land laws are repealed
Harbour protection pioneer Winston Chu Ka-sun says the iconic waterway will remain under threat from further reclamation until the government opens up the New Territories for development.
Chu said while the current ordinance banning reclamation except in special circumstances offered some protection, the government would always be tempted to carry out further infill projects as it was the easy option.
"In future years there is no assurance the government won't change its policy. There will always be a great temptation to reclaim land in the harbour," he said, adding that preventing further reclamation demanded "constant vigilance".
Chu was speaking yesterday after presenting documents related to the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance and the Save Our Harbour campaign to the Hong Kong Maritime Museum.
The documents include the original assent certificate signed on June 27, 1997, by the last attorney general, Jeremy Matthews, by which the Protection of the Harbour Bill was enacted.
Chu said he believed one of the factors that could see the government trying to overturn the harbour protection law would be the need for extra land to accommodate Hong Kong's growing population.
"We're looking at a population in Hong Kong of 10 million," Chu said. "That's an extra 2.5 million people."