GREEN groups fear a further loss of important wetlands will result from plans to build a container park and 'mini-town' in the New Territories.
They fear planners will not wait for the results of an official fishpond study before giving the go-ahead for the development, which joins others threatening the natural areas.
And they expressed dismay at the idea of gazetting more of North Lantau for the new container port, when Hong Kong cannot cope with current container capacity. The main fear for the environmentalists is that all wetland areas of importance will have disappeared before the 17-month study results are published, in about a year.
The South China Morning Post reported yesterday that border villagers had proposed a container 'town' with motels and restaurants for a 68-hectare area at San Tin next to the Lok Ma Chau crossing point.
This follows plans by Henderson Land to build at Nam Sang Wai and for another development at Wing Kei Tsuen, which has been turned down twice but goes before the Town Planning Appeal Board soon.
All three areas are covered in fishponds, which environmental groups say help to act as water reservoirs, preventing floods during the rainy season, as well as providing homes for wildlife.