My Take | Time to accept that Hong Kong’s golf club housing plan is a swing and a miss
A court ruling that found the EIA for the project was riddled with errors and breaches of the law may turn out to be a blessing in disguise
Of all the places to build 12,000 public flats, Hong Kong’s oldest golf course, the only one capable of hosting international tournaments, always seemed an odd choice.
But the proposal attracted public support. When then chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor adopted the idea, in early 2019, it was seen as a populist move. The government was desperately seeking land for public housing, citing a shortfall of 1,200 hectares (3,000 acres).
The exclusive Hong Kong Golf Club, founded in 1889, with its multimillion-dollar membership fees and support from the city’s elite, made a tantalising target. Taking back 172 hectares of land it leased from the government to build homes fitted the public mood.
When the government announced only 32 hectares would be recovered, the Democratic Party argued the whole site should be seized.
The project, in which flats are to be constructed by 2029, has, however, not been straightforward. As it progressed, awareness of the ecological value of the golf course grew.
Last week a court ruled the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was riddled with errors and breaches of the law. It quashed the government’s approval of the report.
