Hong Kong activists fail in legal bid to challenge decision on third airport runway construction
Judge rejects their accusations that environmental watchdog did not take into consideration airspace issues, habitat destruction
The High Court has declined a bid by a Lantau resident and a conservationist to challenge the decision allowing the construction of a third airport runway, rejecting accusations that the environmental watchdog had ignored airspace issues and habitat destruction.
Mr Justice Anderson Chow Ka-ming stated in a judgment on Thursday that the grounds of the applicants’ judicial review were not well-founded or valid.
The Airport Authority, a party to the case, said it welcomed the ruling and would reduce the environmental impact of the project.
In March 2012, the government decided to proceed with plans to expand the Hong Kong International Airport by building a third runway. The director of environmental protection in November 2014 approved an environmental impact assessment report and granted a permit for the controversial project, which is expected to cost HK$141.5 billion.
But Lantau resident Ho Loy and conservationist Yu Hin-pik applied for a judicial review over the department’s decision, questioning whether it had taken into account the runway’s full impact.