THE Government failed to say how much environmental damage would be caused by container port development despite forecasting a fivefold increase in freight by the year 2011, legislators said yesterday.
Independent legislator Christine Loh Kung-wai said Hong Kong would not be able to cope with the increased freight flooding in from China.
She was angry the Government could not tell the Legislative Council's environmental affairs panel what would be the full impact of new container terminals 10 and 11 on the territory's transport, infrastructure and environment.
Another independent, Emily Lau Wai-hing, said health, marine life, including endangered pink dolphins, and untouched natural beauty was being sacrificed for blind economic progress.
But Deputy Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands Tony Cooper defended the need to develop the port industry which accounted for half the territory's gross domestic product, 350,000 jobs, and 90 per cent of goods passing through local ports. He said it was for the public to decide about balancing economic progress against damage to the environment, which the Government tried to reduce to a minimum.
But legislators continued to express grave reservations about the lack of plans available. They also doubted whether future terminal projects would take health and the environment into consideration during planning.
