Hong Kong lawmakers, conservationists slam housing plan for country parks
Government is accused of bypassing Legislative Council by commissioning Housing Society to study feasibility of building public housing in two parks
Lawmakers and conservationists are up in arms over a move by officials to commission the not-for-profit Housing Society to study the feasibility of building flats on the fringes of country parks, criticising the move as an attempt to bypass legislative scrutiny over what has long been a lightning rod for controversy.
“To try to circumvent Legco once again by getting its peripheral institutions to carry out policies that residents do not welcome is very frustrating and regrettable,” said legislator Eddie Chu Hoi-dick. “If this goes on ... the function of the legislature to monitor and vet the government’s finances will be severely undermined.”
Chinese University political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung thought the government was trying to sidestep a possible legislative filibuster.
Government environmental advisors and green groups argued that the plan lacked public consensus and proper discussion. And worse, according to Country and Marine Parks Board member Dr Man Chi-sum, was that the government invited what was essentially a property developer with limited expertise on the environment to conduct the study.
Roy Tam Hoi-pong of activist group Green Sense said pitting environmental conservation against the public’s need for housing was a “deplorable and unfair” move. He said controls on population policy were the only way to ease the city’s housing problems.
If you do not solve the population problem, the housing problem will never end
“Every year, 50,000 new immigrants on one-way permits come to Hong Kong. If you do not solve the population problem, the housing problem will never end.”
Conservancy Association campaigner Roy Ng Hei-man added: “In theory the Environment Bureau and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department [AFCD] can say no ... But this is a political move. Compromises are not what we want to see. We can only hope they will be a good gatekeeper.”
The Environment Bureau said it was aware of the proposed study. It said it would have to ascertain the impact of any development on park ecology. It stressed that any proposal would have to comply with all environmental and country park laws and statutory processes.
The AFCD said it would continue its policy of incorporating more ecologically valuable land into country parks to increase their recreational and educational value.
Housing Society chief Wong Kit-loong said the body was a “housing laboratory” for Hong Kong and had carried out various housing experiments in the past.
