2004 March—Environmental Headlines
Review of Built Heritage Conservation Policy
 

What heritage should we conserve? How do we conserve? How much, and who should pay? These are the questions being asked by the Government in the Review of Built Heritage Conservation Policy Consultation Document.

CA has been calling for a comprehensive Heritage Conservation Policy for years. Last October CA published a detailed paper entitled “ Heritage for the People”. It highlighted CA's experiences and encounters in heritage conservation and put forward suggestions about how to achieve successful heritage conservation in Hong Kong as food for thought for the Government.

After years' call, CA is pleased that the Government finally released the consultation document in February. Having said that, the Association finds that the document only poses open questions to the community without giving any proposals. It is said that concrete proposals about how to preserve and at what cost will be discussed in the next stage of consultation.

CA urges the government to announce a timetable and conduct the next stage as early as possible. Though one of the important heritages Kom Tong Hall is preserved recently at the end of the day, that was because the government had entered into a lengthy and tireless negotiation. To avoid such a costly and painful process, the society is in desperate need for a proactive policy.
 
Kom Tong Hall
 
CA is delighted that a consensus between the Government and the owner of Kom Tong Hall has been reached in late February. The Government will acquire Kom Tong Hall at a cost of $53 million and convert it into Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum. CA had involved in lobbying the Kom Tong Hall owner and the Government since 1992. We believed that this win-win situation is indeed what we cherish. The success has shown the community's higher value towards our heritage.

Noting the recently released Review of Built Heritage Conservation Policy Consultation Document, CA is of the view that the Government should make use of this opportunity and seek more public support and opinion on heritage preservation.
 
Harbour Reclamation
 
CA, with 15 universities, professional bodies, communities and green groups have formed a coalition called “Citizen Envisioning@Harbour” in an attempt to build a platform for Hong Kong citizens to participate in designing our harbour. A series of activities including an exhibition, charette, citizen hearing and press conferences were successfully held from last November. On 21 March, the coalition held a Roundtable Dialogue on Victoria Harbour, after the announcement of the establishment of an Advisory Committee on Enhancement of the Harbourfront, to discuss how the new advisory committee can truly represent the wide spectrum of public interests in this important issue through an engaging process. Mrs. Carrie Lam, Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning & Lands, was invited to speak and listen to our views.

For information on Citizen Envisioning@Harbour events, please visit http://www.live-arch.net for further details.
 
Construction Works on Rivers in Hong Kong
 
Panel on Planning, Lands and Works and Panel on Environmental Affairs of Legislative Council held a joint meeting on the captioned on 23 February 2004. CA was invited to express its views.

In view of the recent incidents at Tung Chung River and Sha Kok Mei, CA calls for an immediate review of the existing policy on the protection of local streams and rivers with the aim of rectifying the continuous neglect and controlling the frequent destruction of such an important habitat type in Hong Kong.

CA stressed a "presumption of conservation principle" which has also been imposed under the Harbour Protection Ordinance. Any works affecting natural rivers and streams must have a good cause and this good cause should be put to public consultation or hearing.

CA also proposes a central register of all rivers and streams in Hong Kong and empowerment of local conservation of local rivers and streams.

You may refer to Legco's website for details of the discussion.

Lam Tsuen River, before (top) and after (below) construction work.