Danger: Hong Kong government departments rule that massive Tin Shui Wai ‘waste hill’ is potentially unstable
Officials call on landowners, who claim to be building a golf course, to take remedial measures to ensure public safety; they could also be prosecuted
A massive four-storey “waste hill” in Tin Shui Wai has been ruled by government engineers to be an illegal site formation that is potentially unstable and dangerous.
And despite a series of uncoordinated responses in the last few days, officials finally held an inter- departmental meeting on Tuesday, claiming they would take “joint enforcement action” over the matter.
READ MORE: Contradictory stories: Hong Kong Tin Shui Wai residents confused after officials inspect suspected illegal waste dump
On Tuesday night, the buildings and civil engineering departments said they had ordered landowners – who claim to be building a “golf course” – to consult professional surveyors and engineers and submit remedial measures to ensure public safety.
“As the fill materials were found to be loose due to the lack of proper compaction, the side slopes of the fill are potentially unstable and may become dangerous,” the Buildings Department said.
The landowners were also ordered to carry out shotcreting – spraying a layer of mortar or concrete over the structure – within a week to stabilise the slope and prevent further deterioration in the rainy season.
Failure to comply could result in the government doing it for them and recovering all fees with a 20 per cent surcharge, it added.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) said it believed the works did not comply with air pollution control regulations to prevent the dispersion of dust. It said it would contact the responsible person and gather evidence to “institute prosecutions in accordance with the law”.
The move follows a public outcry following media reports that a “waste hill” the size of two soccer pitches was piled up on a site zoned for green belt and recreational use near private housing estate Kingswood Villas.
The Lands Department had said there was no breach of the land lease as it was on a private plot without such restrictions, while the EPD said there was no sign of illegal dumping of waste.
The Planning Department then revealed that further land excavation and land filling work had been carried out at the site and it would investigate whether there had been unauthorised development.
Former lawmaker Lee Wing-tat, who chairs think tank Land Watch, said the lands , planning and environmental protection departments had a reputation for failing to coordinate in dealing with suspected unauthorised development on private land.
“Each department is only concerned about looking after their own ordinance,” he said. He suggested a mechanism be put in place that would allow for better coordination and joint departmental enforcement action.
