Approval has finally been given to turn a restored landfill in Shuen Wan, Tai Po, into a privately operated nine-hole golf course, the Environmental Protection Department says.
A spokesman for the department was unable to say when the golf course would be built or start operating, but he said expressions of interest had been received from 10 developers.
The site measures 53 hectares but the golf course will only occupy the 15 hectares that have been used as a temporary driving range since 1999. Plans for a golf course on the site were also made public that year.
Shuen Wan is among 13 landfills that have been restored since 2006. They occupy 291 hectares but only about 55 hectares can be used.
Ellen Chan Ying-lung, an assistant director in the department, said only some areas could be developed for recreational use because landfills were often hilly, making it difficult to build on them.
Of 55 hectares that can be used, 45.7 hectares has been developed or there are plans for the land such as cycling lanes, soccer pitches or other leisure facilities. Chan said the development 'aims to return the land to the public when it is safe to use'.