WETLAND PARK PLAN SUPPORTED

The Town Planning Board today agreed to the establishment of a 338-hectare Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park to achieve the dual goals of strengthening wetland conservation and making wetland compensation.
 
The board also agreed to gazette the new draft San Tin Technopole Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) and the proposed amendments to the approved OZP for Ngau Tam Mei and that for Mai Po & Fairview Park OZP for public consultation in accordance with the Town Planning Ordinance.
     
The OZPs provided statutory planning framework for the San Tin Technopole and the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park development, with the OZP for the technopole also covering the area near the proposed San Tin Station of the Northern Link. The overall development would provide about 50,000 residential units and about 165,000 employment opportunities.
 
The board members considered that the technopole would be particularly important for the realisation of Hong Kong's role as an international innovation and technology (I&T) hub and the development of the I&T industry.
 
The members generally agreed with the planning layout that I&T land should be located in the north as an extension of the Lok Ma Chau Loop, while San Tin Town Centre, which was mainly a residential community, should be located in the south.
     
Concerning the establishment of the Sam Po Shue Wetland Conservation Park, given that about 90 hectares of fishponds would be filled for the development of the technopole, the members noted that the environmental impact assessment report recommended increasing the ecological value of the wetlands with active conservation measures so that no net loss would be incurred in the ecological function or carrying capacity of the fishponds.
     
Whilst acknowledging the concerns of the public on the proposed development, a majority of the Town Planning Board members considered the land use planning of the OZPs had already struck a balance between development and conservation.
 
Some of the board members thought that the Government should formulate the implementation and management details of the wetland park as soon as possible and suggested that a monitoring mechanism should be in place to ensure the future operation of the park could achieve no net loss of ecological function.
     
Apart from pointing out that the draft OZPs for San Tin Technopole, Ngau Tam Mei, and Mai Po & Fairview Park will be exhibited for two-months, the Planning Department indicated that during such time, people can submit representations.

---

PREVIOUSNEXT