Country park vandalism not the way to solve housing shortage

Politicians and bureaucrats have an uncanny ability to solve one problem by creating a bigger one elsewhere. We must thank development minister Paul Chan Mo-po for providing a classic example of how this can be done.

He has suggested that a good way of tackling the housing shortage would be to whittle down the country parks, one of Hong Kong's greatest treasures. Unsurprisingly, Lau Wong-fat, the head of the no-village-is-too-small-to-ruin Heung Yee Kuk, was quick to offer his support.

Lau is a big-time property player in the New Territories and Chan's own property dealings suggest he was an active player in this market and may well confuse the concept of land with that of property.

Chan and Lau see this issue primarily through the eyes of property traders who believe there is a land shortage. That myth has been demolished elsewhere but there may indeed be a shortage of property development opportunities, which is quite another matter.

Even if this is so, who in their right mind believes the best way to improve housing opportunities is to destroy our country parks? Unfortunately, the destroy-to-improve mentality has persistently afflicted government officials and explains why so many of the city's historic buildings and landmarks have disappeared.

The case for the country parks is pretty self-evident but worth repeating.

First up, the parks provide a vital lung for a very crowded city that needs a place to breathe. Secondly, the proximity of the parks to the built-up areas means they are accessible to everyone and the number of visitors is growing. Thirdly, the preservation of these areas ensures the preservation of the environment. Fourthly, and here we are on ground that Chan and his friends would probably ignore, there is an aesthetic question. The parks offer breathtaking natural beauty and as the seasons change they change in exciting ways.