Saving the last frontier

Thank God, the red flag was raised in time to stop bulldozers from further destroying one of Hong Kong's top 10 scenic spots, Sai Wan.

But sorry, environment minister Edward Yau Tang-wah doesn't deserve a pat on the back even though he pulled the plug on the massive excavation work on the 10,000-square-meter site along the coast of Tai Long Wan, in a remote part of Sai Kung.

That's because Yau only woke up after an outcry by more than 37,000 netizens on Facebook over the past couple of days, protesting against what they saw as wanton destruction.

Their frustration, along with the concerns of green groups, are understandable, as they were shocked to learn that a wealthy businessman was quietly transforming an abandoned village he bought into a private lodge.

The netizens are angry because they care about the beautiful scenery of Sai Wan - especially since it's Hong Kong's last natural scenic spot.

The beach is famous for its fine sand and clear blue water. Sai Wan is considered one of the city's Four Wonders, and is highly recommended by the Hong Kong Tourism Board as a green travel destination.

So, one wonders how come such a natural wonder isn't under proper protection. Netizens also want to know why the rich can develop a site without considering the environment.

To be fair to the businessman, he has done nothing wrong legally. His only offense may have been chopping down a number of trees since - according to the law - one must apply for permission to cut down trees.

But this may be hard to prove. As Yau said yesterday: "In the preliminary checking, including my personal visit there, I have seen that there are some excavation works done, but there is not much tree felling when we compare the [site with] aerial photos taken some years ago. That site might have been an abandoned field. I have not seen very clear evidence of vegetation destruction." Simon Lo Lin-shing, chairman of Mongolia Energy Corp, and Vision Values Holdings, acquired the Sai Wan site for more than HK$16 million. He was quoted as saying it will be turned into an organic garden, but local villagers say it will be a private lodge with artificial ponds, a tennis court and a separate apartment with a helipad.

The abandoned village is in a remote area surrounded by the Sai Kung East Country Park, but isn't part of the park. There's no road and it's only accessible on foot or by boat. The bulldozers were barged in.

Literally, Lo can do whatever he likes with his own land, as long as it's within the law. He has every right also for a large piece of land nearby, which wasn't included in the outlying zoning plans - without a specific land use. This means the government's hands are tied.

Hong Kong has enough legislation governing land use. Therefore, the main problem here is the law regarding land in the New Territories - a long-running issue. The government has to be very careful in dealing with the current issue.

I, for one, don't want to see a repeat of the King Yin Lei saga in 2008, when the government was forced to swap valuable land with the owner under the name of preservation.

英文虎報
Central Station | By Mary Ma