Economic potential an 'overriding' factor for not choosing border site for prison
The choice of Hei Ling Chau as the site of a proposed super-jail was made after a selection process that concluded there was little potential for alternative development, a senior security official said.
Green groups and Lantau residents have expressed outrage at the choice of Hei Ling Chau, where an 80-hectare plot is to be reclaimed from the sea and a 2.2km bridge built to connect it with Lantau.
Opponents say Kong Nga Po near the border - which was shortlisted along with Hei Ling Chau by the government as a feasible site - was more suitable for the $12 billion prison project.
The senior security official, who wanted to remain anonymous, said there was an 'overriding reason' for not picking Kong Nga Po.
'It is located at the centre of the frontier closed area and occupies a unique strategic position. It will have great potential in economic integration with the mainland,' she said.
The official admitted that the Kong Nga Po site was operationally better than Hei Ling Chau as it was closer to the bases of the disciplined forces, including police and ambulance. But its strategic location for economic integration was irreplaceable, which was not the case for Hei Ling Chau.
