Residents divided over using parks for Hong Kong housing: Greenpeace survey
Slightly more than 50 per cent of 1,008 surveyed indicate they are against developing perimeters of parks to help solve the city’s land supply shortage
Hongkongers are split over whether the fringes of the city’s country parks should be developed to free up land for housing, although a majority believed the parks should be protected, according to a survey.
Environmental group Greenpeace commissioned the Survey and Research Centre under Shue Yan University’s department of journalism and communications to conduct a telephone poll on how Hong Kong residents viewed country parks and whether they agreed there was a need to develop their fringes to boost land supply.
Of the 1,008 people polled in April and May, 50.1 per cent “had doubts over” developing the fringes of country parks to increase land supply or thought the idea “unacceptable”. Some 42 per cent felt that it was “acceptable” or was “worth considering”. The rest lacked strong convictions on the issue.
An average score of 8 out of 10 – 10 being “very important” – was given when asked how important it was that country parks were kept free from being damaged by development.
Campaigner for Greenpeace Andy Chu Kong said the results showed there was no consensus on the idea.
Public consultation on land supply is doomed to fail, just like the ones before it
“The answer is quite clear. Hong Kong people believe that country parks have ecological and social value. It’s not just green groups that are saying we should protect country parks,” Chu said.