I refer to the report ("Leung angers activists by backing beach plan", October 26), which claimed that the chief executive overruled environment officials on the Tai Po Lung Mei Beach works project.
The Lung Mei Beach works project had gone through years of planning as well as consultations. It was scrutinised and approved in accordance with the statutory procedures by the Advisory Council on the Environment, Town Planning Board and Legislative Council on various aspects of the project.
The government has in fact revised the scale of the project and come up with mitigation measures to minimise the impact that the project may have on the environment.
The government believes that development and conservation can go hand in hand and there is always a win-win solution.
It therefore announced the Ting Kok Coastal Conservation Plan on October 25 to provide a comprehensive and integrated conservation plan for the entire Ting Kok coastline while going ahead with the Lung Mei Beach works project.
There was no question of the chief executive overruling environment officials to take forward the works project.
