A message from Living Islands in Hong Kong
Dear members and friends,
You may recall that a developer applied for a zoning change to pave the way for the construction of a huge-scale columbarium in Mong Tung Wan in February this year. (Mong Tung Wan is the village near the Jockey Club Youth Hostel on Chi Ma Wan peninsula.) The original plan was not supported by the Planning Department. The developer withdrew the application, modified the plan and has resubmitted it. Now the Town Planning Board is inviting public comments prior to the committee meeting in October.
You can send your comment on-line to the Town Planning Board
It is crucial that we send our comments separately and individually to stop this application being approved.
Deadline for receipt of comments is September 2.
Key points of the plan and proposal:
- The applicant proposes to build 13 buildings to house 55,000 niches (original plan was 66,000) on the site area of 6,000 m2.
- The applicant is offering to give away 25,000 niches to the government and 5,000 to Heung Yee Kuk as sweetener.
- It is estimated that more than 30,000 people will visit during Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festivals. However some argue that this number is too conservative and it could be well over 100,000.
- The applicant is now proposing ferries as the main mode of access and proposes to use a “barge pier” for embarking/disembarking around 800 passengers per hour from both Mui Wo and Cheung Chau to Mong Tung Wan pier.
- The applicant claims the development will create 50 permanent jobs, drastically reduced from original 800.
Points you may wish to include in your comment:
- The site is located in a scenic, remote area with pristine beach and is not accessible by public transport except a footpath from Ham Tin through South Lantau Country Park. Hikers, walkers, anglers, swimmers etc highly value its natural beauty, tranquility, habitat and clean air.
- It is in Green Belt zone and development within the zone should be restricted. Also the site is located on Chi Ma Wan Peninsula which is broadly identified for conservation, recreation and green tourism initiatives under the Revised Concept Plan for Lantau. Columbarium development is incompatible with the zoning intention and contrary to the Concept Plan.
- Prior to the application, there was illegal clearance of vegetation and slopes, and tree felling in the area as well as illegal footpath widening in the country park. It is a typical case of “destroy first, develop later.” If the application to change the zoning from Green Belt to "Other Specific Usage – Columbarium” is approved, it will set an undesirable precedent and send the wrong message to developers all over Hong Kong.
- The applicant emphasizes ferries as the main mode of transport and estimates that about 1,600 visitors per hour will arrive at the site by ferry from Mui Wo and Cheung Chau. It proposes the use of a boat that accommodates 300 passengers and 3 sailings per hour between each site and Mong Tung Wan pier. We understand that the pier was originally built for small boats and is not capable of coping with such heavy traffic. Also, there is a potential for accidents caused by the narrow steps and the substantial sea swell.
- In place of a proper pier, it proposes to use a barge as temporary pier in Mui Wo and Cheung Chau. Max 600 passengers would be held in this barge pier to embark and disembark from the ferry to/from Mong Tung Wan pier. Passengers’ safety and comfort are questioned.
- Despite the change of emphasis to transport by ferry, it is predictable that a significant number of visitors would choose land transport. That will add pressure to the already congested Chi Ma Wan road and as a result residents of Ham Tin and Shap Long areas will suffer - as well as users of the South Lantau Road.
- Although the applicant stresses that the potential impact on the environment, ecology and habitat could be minimized by mitigation measures both during construction and operation periods, based on the applicant’s demonstrated “destroy first, develop later” attitude and waste/building materials/rubble dumping practice observed on Lantau, we are not confident that builders and workers will follow suggested methods and procedures.
Please take the time to write to the Town Planning Board to help to stop this monstrous development.
Thank you.