Amend the law to facilitate reclamation of Victoria Harbour: Alice Mak

Lawmaker Alice Mak Mei-kuen has proposed to introduce a private bill to amend the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance to facilitate reclamation within Victoria Harbour. 

When first enacted, the ordinance applied only to the central part of Victoria Harbour. In December 1999, the law was amended to expand its scope to cover the whole of the harbour. 

Mak, however, wanted to reverse the process. She plans to table a private member's bill to Legislative Council to reverse the scope of the ordinance to the 1997 version – meaning only the central part of the harbour would be protected from reclamation. 

That would allow the Chief Executive in Council to carry out reclamation for public purposes.The relevant works must still follow the established town planning procedures and environmental assessment process, Mak said. 

She believed that the amendment will help provide more land for diversified uses, improve Hong Kong's urban planning, and facilitate the development of infrastructure at coastal areas.

Angus Ho Hon-wai, executive director of Greeners Action, found it astonishing to see Mak propose a reversal of existing policies regarding the Victoria Harbor as they passed after a lot of discussion at that time.

“There were already a lot of reclamations before, and many joked that the harbor is turning into a river. A reversal in policy will deal a huge blow to environmental protection as it overturned citizens and councillors’ expectations and views,” Ho said.

“In fact, the environmental assessment cannot actually protect the environment, but just for clearing procedures. Allowing further reclamation of the harbor will also deteriorate the water pollution within the harbor,” he said. 

The Court of Final Appeal also made it clear in a judgement in 2004 that there must be overriding public needs before a reclamation can take place, and Mak’s proposal is running contrary to the judgement, he said.