Community opposes Hong Kong government’s proposals for Lantau Island development
Concern raised over plan to reclaim 1,000 hectares of sea and an effort to draw more tourists to the island
A raft of government proposals for the development of Lantau Island have met with community opposition, according to the results of a three-month consultation process released Saturday.
The 388-page consultation report on the development of Lantau Island showed the government received more than 23,400 responses to the plan, which included 20 different development proposals, between February and April.
While about 59 per cent of the responses showed at least some support for the government’s proposals, a breakdown of responses revealed significantly less enthusiasm for certain plans.
More than 7,550 comments were collected on the government’s proposal to develop an “east Lantau metropolis” to the east of the island around Kau Yi Chau and Hei Ling Chau by reclaiming around 1,000 hectares of sea. Almost three quarters of all respondents were against the plan.
Concerns over the technical feasibility, the potentially harmful impact on the environment and traffic issues were raised by respondents, according to the report, which concluded that government should conduct further studies and provide the public with more information.
Meanwhile, 6,708 comments were collected on a proposal to relax driving permits for South Lantau roads, which are located near country parks and coastal protection areas. More than 75 per cent of respondents were opposed to the plan, citing concerns over excessive tourism and possible environmental impacts.