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Opinion | South Lantau ecotourism plan: better late than never?
- Ideas for developing the area have been bandied around for 40 years. Planners must now strike a balance between developing the area’s charms and preventing crowds from ruining it
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The government’s latest proposals to develop South Lantau as a tourism and recreation destination are very much a case of better late than never.
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Last week, the Development Bureau announced plans to make more of the natural resources of the four rural areas around Pui O, Cheung Sha, Shui Hau and Shek Pik. The objective is to create an “eco-recreation corridor”, which will include such features as campsites, a sports and recreation centre, a walkway, heritage trail, an education centre and an adventure holiday area with rope climbing. A two-month public consultation exercise has begun.
The plans have clearly been in the works for some time and are not a reaction to the recent suggestion by Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office director Xia Baolong that the city needs to be more creative in its tourism development plans. Still, they are a timely response.
Lawmakers are generally supportive but have bemoaned the slow progress over the decades. There have been similar concept plans and public consultation exercises at various times since 2004, most recently in 2016. Even the latest plans have no implementation timetable.
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Proposals to develop South Lantau go back further than many of our legislators may realise. Forty years ago, my first posting in the government was as assistant district officer of islands, in charge of development, and even then we were floating some of the same ideas.
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