It has yet to take effect but the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Ordinance may prove to be the most important step made in environmental protection last year.
When the ordinance - which empowers officials to enforce mitigation measures and penalise transgressors - comes into effect this year, most development projects will require an EIA to be carried out according to criteria defined by law.
This should mean fewer arguments over the methods used by consultants, in particular ecological assessments, which caused controversy in the case of the dragonflies of Sha Lo Tung, a valley near Tai Po earmarked for development.
A year ago, the Advisory Council on the Environment voted against redevelopment on grounds of the valley's unique ecological diversity - only the second time the council has vetoed a proposal.
Hong Kong's unequalled ecological riches received a seal of approval when China recognised Mai Po marshes as its seventh Ramsar site - a designation indicating the wetlands' international importance.
However, the issue of how to manage the wetlands and the fate of the fishponds buffering Mai Po proved more controversial.
Government reports commissioned into these areas remain secret: no doubt because their findings will have implications for the privately-owned land bordering Mai Po.
