hkskyline
June 22nd, 2005, 07:52 PM
New Stanley park could see just 100 trees cut down
Chloe Lai
21 June 2005
South China Morning Post
The Housing Department has proposed scaling back plans to chop down trees to create a horticultural park in Stanley, but still intends to allow 100 trees to be felled despite law experts questioning the project's legality.
District councillors and green activists who attended a recent meeting with the department said yesterday that officials claimed the best they could do was to reduce the felling in the latest version of the controversial gardens.
Legislators expressed regret that the project was going ahead and vowed to have Legco's housing and environmental panel discuss the issue.
Under the original plan, the 48,000-square-metre site would be granted to the Ding Yuen Arboriculture Foundation under a public-private partnership.
Senior barrister Audrey Eu Yuet-mee and University of Hong Kong law lecturer Eric Cheung Tat-ming have said the authority may have violated the Housing Ordinance because it only had power to dispose of land for housing purposes rather than tourism. The department then put the project on hold after the controversy.
Officials met Southern District councillors, the Conservancy Association and representatives of the foundation last Wednesday on the project's progress. They were told that the scaled-back version would keep all key features, according to district councillor Chai Man-hon.
Mr Chai, of the Democratic Party, said: "The officials told us they're determined to build the park and are prepared to find new partners if the foundation refuses to [depart from the original plan]."
But he said the foundation rejected the scaled-back plan and insisted on sticking to the original plans.
Choy So-yuk, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said: "The department should scrap the idea."
Ms Choy said she would try to have Legco's housing and environmental panels discuss the issue.
Conservancy Association chief executive Lister Cheung Lai-ping said the forest could be saved easily by moving the proposed buildings to nearby areas that had already been cleared of trees.
The department said no final decision had been made.
Chloe Lai
21 June 2005
South China Morning Post
The Housing Department has proposed scaling back plans to chop down trees to create a horticultural park in Stanley, but still intends to allow 100 trees to be felled despite law experts questioning the project's legality.
District councillors and green activists who attended a recent meeting with the department said yesterday that officials claimed the best they could do was to reduce the felling in the latest version of the controversial gardens.
Legislators expressed regret that the project was going ahead and vowed to have Legco's housing and environmental panel discuss the issue.
Under the original plan, the 48,000-square-metre site would be granted to the Ding Yuen Arboriculture Foundation under a public-private partnership.
Senior barrister Audrey Eu Yuet-mee and University of Hong Kong law lecturer Eric Cheung Tat-ming have said the authority may have violated the Housing Ordinance because it only had power to dispose of land for housing purposes rather than tourism. The department then put the project on hold after the controversy.
Officials met Southern District councillors, the Conservancy Association and representatives of the foundation last Wednesday on the project's progress. They were told that the scaled-back version would keep all key features, according to district councillor Chai Man-hon.
Mr Chai, of the Democratic Party, said: "The officials told us they're determined to build the park and are prepared to find new partners if the foundation refuses to [depart from the original plan]."
But he said the foundation rejected the scaled-back plan and insisted on sticking to the original plans.
Choy So-yuk, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said: "The department should scrap the idea."
Ms Choy said she would try to have Legco's housing and environmental panels discuss the issue.
Conservancy Association chief executive Lister Cheung Lai-ping said the forest could be saved easily by moving the proposed buildings to nearby areas that had already been cleared of trees.
The department said no final decision had been made.