Letters | Sham Shui Po reservoir conversation: why has government failed to engage public again?
- Readers discuss the reopening of the underground reservoir in Sham Shui Po, the transition to electric vehicles, and the importance of positive thinking for cancer patients
It is a shame that district councillors were not told about the site changes, particularly the glass canopy. Following the weakening of district councils’ power, the inability of communities to engage in conservation planning becomes a concern. I was not aware of the interventions until they made the news. By then, the interventions were already nearly completed.
While the government understandably prioritised the protection of the structure, this should not deny the public the right to know. Officials should abandon the elitist mindset that public engagement, or even simply consultation, is a waste of time.
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Demolition of Hong Kong old reservoir halted after calls for heritage assessment
Australia’s Burra Charter, an internationally acclaimed doctrine of heritage conservation, states that heritage sites “should be safeguarded and not put at risk or left in a vulnerable state”. The government has done this, and it is appreciated.
But public participation in the conservation process is equally important, according to the charter. “Groups and individuals with associations with the place…should be provided with opportunities to contribute to and participate in…its conservation and management.”
Interest groups are most often represented by district councils in our institutional structure. Unfortunately, some district councillors have said they neither feel included nor respected by the authorities.