Destruction decried as 1.25-hectare Hong Kong wetland site near butterfly haven is filled in at Tuen Mun’s Lung Kwu Tan
Football pitch-sized site at Tuk Mei Chung is latest to be filled, razed, concreted or haphazardly developed over decades under minimal planning controls
Concerns have been reignited over the lack of statutory protection in Tuen Mun’s Lung Kwu Tan following the latest, massive football pitch-sized filling of wetland near a major butterfly haven.
The recent destruction, in Tuk Mei Chung, is merely one of several tracts of land that have been filled, razed, concreted or haphazardly developed over decades under minimal planning controls.
Soil fill was dumped over a 1.25-hectare marsh starting late last year. By July, the entire swathe of vegetation had disappeared under a layer of earth. Bulldozers, heavy equipment and piles of asphalt now dot the landscape.
Conservancy Association campaigner Wick Leung Tak-ming said there was an “urgent and necessary” need to impose a development permission area (DPA) plan to prevent uncontrolled development and environmental destruction.
The site is less than 200 metres from a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), which covers 6.7 hectares of feng shui and natural woodlands, hills and streams. It is recognised as one of the city’s most important butterfly habitats, boasting 130 species, including rarities such as the red lacewing.