Government official 'preferred choice' to lead harbourfront authority
Transfers of government staff could save costs and smooth way: source
A government official is the preferred choice to take the helm of the future harbourfront authority, says a source close to the public consultation on the new body that begins this week.
"Having an official leading the authority would mean waterfront projects could be pushed forward more smoothly," the source said. The arrangement would be similar to that of the existing Harbourfront Commission, whose chairman is veteran surveyor Nicholas Brooke and vice-chairman is Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po.
The public consultation will begin on Thursday. It will also gauge public views on the financial model for running the statutory body, which is being set up to enhance the vibrancy and creativity of the city's waterfront and to coordinate the work of at least 10 departments. A law for the new authority is expected to be drafted by June next year.
Chairman of think tank Land Watch and former lawmaker Lee Wing-tat said appointing an official to lead the authority would be ill-advised. "The authority is supposed to be taking a bottom-up approach to revitalise the waterfront with innovative ideas from the public," he said.
Lee added that an official in charge of the authority could face accusations of favouring developers for waterfront projects, given that many of them own land adjacent to the harbour.
It was also confirmed that the consultation document specifies a huge, one-off grant to fund the authority would not be part of the model - a move aimed at avoiding controversy. The existing commission, which has only an advisory role, had proposed that billions of dollars be injected into the powerful new authority for waterfront projects. That would be a similar model to the West Kowloon Cultural Authority, which is trying to cope with an underestimated budget and rising construction costs by scaling down the arts hub.
The document proposes the harbourfront authority receive a few hundred million dollars to cover operating costs and small projects. But the big projects would need separate funding approval from the legislature.
As for the structure of the authority, a management team would work under the direction of the board, which is expected to be made up of district representatives, professionals and related officials, for example from the Marine Department.
Other issues to be addressed in the consultation include which areas the authority should have jurisdiction over. It is understood that the authority would start by focusing on newly reclaimed areas in Central, Wan Chai and North Point, and those lacking government supervision such as Quarry Bay, Hung Hom and Kwun Tong.
A new promenade in Kai Tak and the West Kowloon arts hub would not be included, as they are managed by other bodies.
