The dredgers are hard at work reclaiming more land in Central, and now is our last chance to save the harbour for Hong Kong's people
Victoria Harbour is the jewel in Hong Kong's crown. It is the essential reason for the city's existence, yet it is disappearing before our very eyes.
And, the Society for Protection of the Harbour argues, the public have been told lies about why. Right now, in the waters off Central, work is under way to create the outer sea wall for what will become the Central reclamation - a parcel of land that is supposed to be about a road, but that seems to be more about creating sites the government can sell for development.
There seems little chance of stopping the reclamation itself - but there is still a chance to prevent it being appropriated for yet more malls and offices.
Even for that consolation, however, we must act now.
The community has told the government it wants a world-class waterfront unencumbered by the shopping centres, office towers and mega-road projects that have destroyed the amenity of almost every other piece of reclaimed land in the city. The government says it is listening and that aside from building the Central-Wan Chai bypass it intends to create large public green spaces beside the harbour.
