Links between owners of wetland sites and big Hong Kong developers spark concerns over proposed ‘land sharing’ scheme
- Some 398 hectares of wetlands are owned by companies with connections to the four biggest developers, a study by a land concern group found
Hong Kong’s four biggest developers were found to have links with owners of more than half of privately held farmland located in ecologically sensitive wetland areas, sparking conservation concerns over a government proposal to co-develop agricultural sites with landlords.
According to a study by land concern group Liber Research Community, at least 700 hectares of wetlands in the northwest New Territories were in private hands, of which 398 hectares were owned by companies with connections to the four developers.
The farmland held by firms linked to developers comprised 15 per cent of the city’s dedicated wetland conservation and buffer areas – fish ponds connected to the internationally recognised Mai Po marshes, which support large numbers of migratory birds and a diverse ecosystem.
Green groups fear a government plan to co-develop private farmland with its owners could override planning safeguards and damage the wetlands.
But the government said planning restrictions would remain and developments that involved sensitive wetlands could find it difficult to get the green light.
