Editorial | Ruling allows for a broader look at Hong Kong’s golf club housing plan
Hong Kong has embarked on major projects that will have an impact on the environment. It is essential to get the assessment process right
A government plan to build 12,000 homes on Hong Kong’s oldest golf course has been controversial since it was forged five years ago.
The development, which involves taking back 32 hectares (795 acres) of land from Hong Kong Golf Club, raises complex issues involving competing public interests. It has given rise to strong feelings.
There is a need to balance the city’s quest for affordable housing with environmental protection. The preparation and approval of an Environmental Impact Assessment for the development, a legal requirement, therefore clearly required careful handling.
But a court has found the process to have been deeply flawed and, therefore, unlawful. The judge, Russell Coleman, quashed the Director of Environmental Protection’s decision to approve the report.
Important additional information on matters including the potential impact on moths, birds, bats and trees, was provided after the completion of the initial assessment and not made available for public consultation.
The decision to approve the report, while imposing conditions, was also taken without considering the club’s detailed response to the new material. These failures made the process unfair, the court found.
The government is considering the implications and whether to appeal. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu said the court’s decision would affect the number of flats, density and timescale of the project.
