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Press Releases and Statements

Protecting the Harbour - A Difficult Balancing Act

Hong Kong is a pluralistic society. We cherish our freedom of speech and we take pride in the fact that within our community a diversity of views exists, some of them poles apart. In the past few weeks, there have been heated debates on the harbour reclamation works. I fully appreciate this passion to protect and preserve Victoria Harbour, which is an invaluable natural asset of the people of Hong Kong. Some have advocated that the reclamation be brought to a halt at all costs. Others are less sanguine. But let us ask ourselves a question: is it reasonable to scrap the reclamation in Central altogether?

As a responsible government, we promote rational discussion of important issues like harbour reclamation. Different members of the community have different views. It is our duty to balance competing interests and to identify what is in the best interest of the community as a whole. We must act in a legitimate, fair and reasonable manner.

In only a few decades, Hong Kong, a dot on the world map, has grown from a small enclave into an international metropolis. To meet the need for economic development, housing and transportation, considerable reclamation works have been carried out on both sides of Victoria Harbour. Undeniably, this has allowed Hong Kong to develop but it has taken place at the cost of altering the harbour which we have always treasured. Until very recently, this trade-off had never been a major bone of contention.

We love Hong Kong and we choose to live and work here. Victoria Harbour is a distinctive Hong Kong landmark. No one wants to see the harbour getting narrower and narrower as a result of successive reclamations. The case for preserving the harbour, not just for ourselves but for future generations as well, is self-evident.

Gone are the days when economic development necessarily took precedence over the need to preserve the harbour. The present reclamation works in Central are actually one of the last two phases of the Central-Wan Chai reclamation programme which started in the 1990s. We are now talking about two small reclamation projects in Central and Wanchai North, whereupon the programme will be complete and there will be no more reclamation along the northern shores of Hong Kong Island.

Only one other project has been proposed which could necessitate some reclamation. That is the Southeast Kowloon development on the other side of the harbour. We are currently reviewing the project to determine if reclamation is needed and, if so, how much.

These three projects - two in Central-Wanchai and one in Southeast Kowloon - represent the sum total of planned reclamation works within the harbour limits. In order to further allay the concerns of the public, we will go through all of the town plans that have a bearing on the harbour in accordance with established procedures to ensure that there will be no more encroachment on the harbour areas.

The last phase of the Central Reclamation project is transport-led; it is not, as some have suggested, part of another commercial development. The main purpose of the reclamation works is to provide land for a new trunk road - the Central-Wanchai Bypass and other related road systems. These new arteries are badly needed to relieve the serious traffic congestion on the north side of Hong Kong Island, especially the Central business district. Since the Central-Wanchai Bypass will be built underground, we will take the opportunity to develop a beautiful world-class waterfront in Central, including a well-designed promenade, for public access and enjoyment.

Balancing competing needs and demands is always a delicate task. It is impossible to please every member of the community. However, I hope that the majority of the people of Hong Kong will appreciate that the scale of reclamation in Central has already been substantially reduced. The decision-making process has been characterised by detailed discussion and extensive consultation, conducted in compliance with the statutory town planning procedures. However, if it is now judged that the public mood has changed, the community will have to forge a new consensus against a background of divergent views and an on-going engineering contract.

On October 6, the High Court considered the application by The Society for Protection of the Harbour for an injunction to stop the reclamation works in Central. The judge ruled that on the balance of convenience in the wider public interest, the reclamation works should be allowed to continue.

The Government upholds the rule of law and respects the judgement of the Court. However, we must take into view not only the legal aspect but the needs and demands of the community as well.

Since the High Court rendered its judgement, the Government has resumed only certain advance reclamation works, such as dredging and back-filling with rocks, and these on a restricted scale. Piling works have been suspended. The judge accepted that continuance of the reclamation works pending the outcome of the judicial review proceedings would not cause irreparable damage to the harbour. Moreover, the Government has already conducted an environmental impact assessment which concluded that the environment would not be harmed by the reclamation works. We believe our present course of action is in the best interests of the community.

As with other public issues, this one is something of a balancing act. Ultimately, we must decide one way or the other. We await the judicial review on the Central reclamation scheduled for next February. In the meantime, we will maintain a dialogue with the parties concerned. We sincerely hope that a public consensus can be reached early and peacefully on how to strike a balance between our transportation needs and our aspirations to protect and preserve the harbour. Let's work together for Hong Kong's interests.

29 October 2003