45 hectares in Ma On Shan Country Park set aside for nature after U-turn
Enclave in Ma On Shan Country Park to be for conservation following advice of green groups
The government has agreed to classify almost all of a 45-hectare enclave in Ma On Shan Country Park as a conservation area, after experts and green groups said the ecological importance of the site had been underestimated.
In a paper submitted to the Town Planning Board for deliberation tomorrow, the Planning Department proposes that 44.45 hectares of Mau Ping - which is 98.8 per cent of the enclave - be zoned for conservation.
Under a previous draft plan released in April, just 5.57 hectares would have been designated for conservation.
Peter Li Siu-man, senior campaign manager for the Conservancy Association, welcomed the change.
"It is a good move. Mau Ping has no development potential anyway because there is no road access," he said.
The new conservation area includes 38.88 hectares of land that would have been zoned as green belt under the previous proposal. Another 1.79 hectares will be designated for village house development.
The change was made after considering a biological survey conducted by the Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, which identified 10 plant species in the enclave that are protected or listed as rare.
Both Kadoorie and WWF Hong Kong had written to the board suggesting that the whole site be designated as a conservation area, or even as a site of special scientific interest which would give it even greater protection. Kadoorie further argued that a green-belt zoning might open up opportunities for the building of village houses.
At a meeting of the Country and Marine Parks Board in April, members also questioned whether the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department had understated the ecological sensitivity of the site.
"The proposed [conservation area] could be considered for the secondary woodland which is ecologically linked with the Ma On Shan Country Park," the Planning Department wrote in an explanation of why it took the green groups' advice.
Li said the area could be incorporated into the country park in the future.
"For the time being I believe zoning it as a conservation area will provide a reasonable level of protection," he said.
