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Please object to the application for Columbarium in South Lantau Country Park. Takes a few minutes. Object to illegal tree felling in a Country Park.

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  1. #1

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    Please object to the application for Columbarium in South Lantau Country Park. Takes a few minutes. Object to illegal tree felling in a Country Park.

    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.


  2. #2

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    done

    I sent a writing to them. Thank you for posting this. I hike Chi Ma Wan every weekend or Long Shap. I completely enjoy this area. Would be sad to see part of it destroyed. As a Mui Wo resident I do not wish to see increased ferry traffic on temporary barges. Thats silliness.


  3. #3

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    Original Post Deleted
    Probably best to put that in your objection! They won't be able to build any more homes here if they build the planned columbarium!

  4. #4

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    Original Post Deleted
    Only because the Government insists on shipping thousands of mainlanders in to live off welfare. With a more sensible immigration policy HK's population would probably be falling slowly.
    dear giant and Gatts like this.

  5. #5

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    Around 80% according to a 2007 China Daily article, back then approx 55,000 intake per year which has increased. Link Hong Kong a magnet for mainland Chinese

    I'd assume higher now but can't link anything else while mobile.

    dear giant likes this.

  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by jaykay:
    Around 80% according to a 2007 China Daily article, back then approx 55,000 intake per year which has increased. Link Hong Kong a magnet for mainland Chinese

    I'd assume higher now but can't link anything else while mobile.
    Allow DHs to get PR and that statistic will turn on its head!!

  7. #7

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    For one year. And then it will revert to normal, because even if the existing DHs who have been here 7+ years are able to apply for PR the government will immediately change the rules to stop any more qualifying.

    dear giant likes this.

  8. #8

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    Original Post Deleted
    Is this actually the case? I haven't been able to find reliable, current data on this but I suspect there is surplus of homes to families in HK and a percentage of flats remain unoccupied (because some investors do not think the rental income is worth the hassle of renters, etc) and owners are waiting for the market value to increase. There is probably a shortage of decent size homes at affordable price levels though.
    dear giant likes this.

  9. #9

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    Original Post Deleted
    Indeed. It is also located pretty much in the middle of nowhere (near the Youth Hostel on the Chi Ma Wan peninsular).

    The developer has already (illegally) cleared a large amount of country park to support the application and illegally widened the country path, until the AFCD errected steel posts to stop the widening.

    If you study the supporting transport feasibility for this application it is so clearly flawed. For example, the traffic flow on the footpath states the footpath is 2.5 meters wide (wide enough for people to pass with ease). In no place is it close to this width being 1m - 1.2m wide. No way can this handle traffic of 2,000 people an hour and this also takes no account of the fact the footpath is not flat, rather winds up and down some fairly steep hills.

    The proposed mini bus terminus for the Columbarium is required to handle a mini bus every 3 minutes. However it is at the end of a single track lane with limited passing places. This would result in grid lock and accidents - to which the emergency services would not be able to attend.

    The ferry numbers are based on a ferry docking, unloading and fully loading again in a matter of minutes. They based the capacity on one ferry 1/3 loaded docking in perfectly smooth waters.

    The developer looks set to pocket around $500m if successful. That might explain why the developer is offering free sections of the site to the government.

    Ultimately, if this application succeeds it will continue to send out the message that green belt can be destroyed to support a planning application, will continue the gradual erosion of green belt, and hence country parks in Hong Kong and will demonstrate how a completely inaccurate and flawed study can be put before the Town Planning Board and succeed.

    Even if you have never been to Lantau or hiked around Chi Ma Wan, I do suggest, if you have any interest in the preservation of Hong Kong's green spaces, to take a look at this application. Success of this type of application will only increase the pressure on HK's green spaces and country parks.

    Of course, please form your own conclusions after reading the application as to whether you choose to object however, bear in mind the issues mentioned above.
    bookblogger and Football16 like this.

  10. #10

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    Quote Originally Posted by hkshane:
    I sent a writing to them. Thank you for posting this. I hike Chi Ma Wan every weekend or Long Shap. I completely enjoy this area. Would be sad to see part of it destroyed. As a Mui Wo resident I do not wish to see increased ferry traffic on temporary barges. Thats silliness.
    They are also proposing a significant increase in traffic along the south lantau road.

    Please do forward the link to as many people as possible and ask them to object if they feel this is the right thing to do.

    Thanks

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