Zoning plan near park stirs outcry
Planning Department draft turns over land near Sai Kung marine sanctuary to village development, angering environmentalists
The Planning Department has come under fire for zoning an area near a Sai Kung marine park for development of up to almost 100 village houses.
The department recently released a draft for the zoning of Hoi Ha, a scenic enclave sandwiched between the Sai Kung West Country Park and the Hoi Ha Wan Marine Park.
But the proposal has angered conservationists, who call the scheme "a recipe for environmental disaster".
Paul Hodgson, member of the Hoi Ha Action Group and an environmental consultant, said the scheme was unscientific. "My research over the past two years shows that the site now zoned for village houses is the most sensitive area in Hoi Ha."
A variety of mammal species were found there, such as porcupines, he said.
According to the draft, a 2.5 hectare area at the centre of the 8.45 hectares making up Hoi Ha would be allocated for "village type development" under the small-house policy, which allows male indigenous villagers to build three-storey homes.
The department says the land is needed to cope with the expansion of Hoi Ha village. It concluded that villagers would need 94 additional houses over the next 10 years.