Building in Lantau country parks not ruled out, says development chief Paul Chan

Development chief Paul Chan Mo-po stoked a fresh row over the future of country parks yesterday, saying the government would not rule out building in protected areas to develop Lantau Island.

Speaking after the first meeting of the Lantau Development Advisory Committee, Chan said the government would listen to all points of view, including the idea advanced by some committee members that country parks should be developed.

The committee was created last month by Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying to advance his suggestion of building a commercial "metropolis" on an artificial island off Lantau, and to explore ways Lantau could benefit from the new bridge linking it to Macau and Zhuhai from 2016.

"We will look into the development [of the island] in the medium and long term," Chan said yesterday. "Planning for Hong Kong's future development will go beyond a period of five or 10 years. We will not confine it to any stringent principles."

It would "capitalise on Lantau's advantages as the confluence of major transport infrastructure linking Hong Kong, Macau and the western Pearl River Delta". But he said conservation would be on the agenda.

Members had "different opinions" regarding country parks, said Chan, who attracted controversy last year for floating the idea of developing parks.