Elements of Queen's Pier to be saved

Non-structural components of Queen's Pier will be carefully dismantled and retained as far as practicable but demolition cannot be stopped, according to an inter-department government paper.

The paper, submitted jointly by the Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau, Civil Engineering and Development Department and the Planning Department to the Legislative Council for discussion at today's meeting of the planning, lands and works panel, the government lays out its plan for the pier following its demolition of the Star Ferry pier and clock tower.

'Our initial thinking is to dismantle the metal wares and non-structural parts one by one carefully and keep them,' the paper says.

These include the bollards, balustrades, baluster columns, handrails, the Chinese and English Queen's Pier plaques, other directory signs, navigation lights, landing steps, planters and benches.

But the report also says more than half the harbour reclamation project has been completed and the government 'could not ignore the legal requirements ... lightly'.