Environmental advisers push back decision on public housing project at exclusive Hong Kong golf course until next year
- Members of the exclusive Hong Kong Golf Club, veteran politicians, some housing experts and conservationists had urged authorities to either drop or review proposal
- Advisory Council on the Environment had earlier failed to agree on whether to approve the environmental impact assessment report
Environmental advisers have failed to reach a consensus on backing a controversial plan to build public housing flats for about 33,600 people on part of a luxury golf course in Hong Kong, pushing back any decision on the project by at least seven months.
The Advisory Council on the Environment deferred its decision on whether to approve the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report, chairman Stanley Wong Yuen-fai on Friday said following a meeting that lasted nearly 10 hours. But he argued the delay in reaching a decision over the future of the Fanling golf course would not slow down the supply of new public housing, which city leader John Lee Ka-chiu has made a priority.
“I’m definitely not disappointed with the decision,” Wong said. “None of the council members thought it was necessary to reject the EIA report, but almost every member felt the need for further information.”
The council requested more information from the government on the proposed development, including studies on the layout of the estates, the effects of artificial lighting, hydrology and the ecology of the site, which included a survey on the bird population that would take seven months to complete.
“We hope to discuss it as soon as in April next year,” Wong said.
The delay means the plan, which calls for building 12,000 homes, will be handled by the next council, which begins its term in January next year.
The advisory council has a statutory role in advising the Environmental Protection Department on whether to issue a permit to start construction. The department said it would study the EIA report and decide whether to approve it after considering relevant materials, public comments and views of the council.
