CA Comments on the Revised Concept Plan for Lantau

The Conservancy Association thinks that the Administration’s revision of the Concept Plan on Lantau is not substantial and cannot facilitate genuine sustainable development.

CA believes that the Administration should put conservation on top priority in the plan. Before starting any development projects on Lantau Island, the Administration should submit a need study to justify why Hong Kong needs such development and how it can benefit the community. Moreover, a site selection study should be undertaken to explain why the chosen site is Lantau instead of others. The Administration should also carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for all proposed infrastructure. After the EIA report is completed, consultation needs to be adequate for the public to decide whether the development plan should go ahead.

Although the Administration has decided to promote ‘green tourism,’ we have to point out that ‘green tourism’ is not equal to ‘eco-tourism’. Whether a site is suitable for tourism should depend on its carrying capacity and not its scenic value alone. Otherwise, ‘green tourism’ would merely destroy the local ecosystem.

CA also suggests that the construction of cycling tracks should be along the current hiking trails and the nearby catchwater drains to minimize the impact on the environment. We have strong reservation about the proposed resort facilities as large-scaled infrastructure construction such as sewage treatment facilities and roads would impose pressure on the neighboring ecological system.

CA worries that excuses such as ‘regarding Lantau as a whole’ and ‘concerning about development stress on the north’ would be used by the Administration again to build the north-south access of Lantau, resulting in the destruction of the entire Lantau ecosystem.