Winston Chu steps up campaign for funds for legal fight as deadline looms
Harbour protection advocate Winston Chu Ka-sun yesterday pledged to match, dollar for dollar, funds donated by the public towards the renewed legal battle against reclamation.
Mr Chu jokingly made an appeal to the public to stop sending money to his anti-reclamation campaign as 'I can't afford it'.
The Society for the Protection of the Harbour's 'Ten Dollar Campaign' yesterday raised $292,123, bringing the total raised since the campaign was launched last Thursday past the $630,000 mark. The funds will be used to fight a lawsuit against the government and its insistence on continuing with harbour reclamation related to the Central-Wan Chai bypass.
The society's deadline for the project's suspension expires this afternoon - Mr Chu said the government had until the close of business today to stop dumping sand in the harbour.
One week ago, the society gave the government an ultimatum to stop phase 3 of the Central project until the courts finalise the legalities of reclamation activities or risk another judicial review. The society won a landmark case against the government last month when a court ruled that reclamation approvals related to the bypass were 'flawed as a matter of law'.
But Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands Michael Suen Ming-yeung has stood by the decision to continue reclamation, stating the project has a 'compelling, overriding and present need'.