(The Standard
P.2 11 Sep 2013) Cutting up country parks to make room for
housing is "unthinkable," a former Hong Kong Observatory director
said.
Lam Chiu-ying was reacting (反應) to ideas floated(提出) by development chief Paul Chan Mo-po.
Lam, who helped draft Chief Executive Leung
Chun-ying's environment policy before the election, said the idea is like
"a tumor (腫瘤)" - and once one hectare (公頃) of country park is used for housing,
another will follow.
He said Chan's question whether using country
parks to meet housing demands is an entirely (完全地) "untouchable" idea is a
"cancerous (像癌的) tumor of thoughts."
"The idea should not cross our
minds," Lam told a radio program.
"If an inch is
given away, another foot will be given away in the future. It is a matter of
values."
Country parks are
"a space for different classes of Hongkongers in this international city
to breathe," he said.
Lam pointed to many other alternatives (替代的), such as land previously (以前) used for industrial purposes and old car parks.
Meanwhile, former
lawmaker Lee Wing-tat urged the government to consider building homes on rural
land (農地).
Lee, who now runs
policy think-tank Land Watch, said village lands cover 900 hectares and will
not be used up until 2047 as there are only 3,000 to 4,000 applications to
build village homes each year. "If the government considers developing
country parks and reclamation (開墾), then it should also consider village lands for
housing development," he said.
He claimed the
government is avoiding this as it is afraid of offending(觸怒) the Heung Yee Kuk and
indigenous residents (原居民).
Kelly Ip
Hong Kong is a wonderful place. It is a famous international financial center. Also, there are many nice country parks and trails for hiking. The views where are very beautiful. Many people like to go countryside on holiday as they enjoy the moment which is far from busy and noisy city to breathe. Therefore, those parks attract hikers who are not only locals but also tourists to go. Parents like to choose Family Walks to hike with their kids. It is good for them to develop their relationship and makes them be close to nature.
回覆刪除The country parks are Hong Kong’s precious natural resource. We should treasure and be kind to them. However, the secretary for development Paul Chan Mo-po has an idea of cutting up country parks to make room for housing. It is a poor strategy for housing development and can harm the natural environment. The bad plan cannot solve the property problems. Paul Chan should have good plans which can satisfy the housing demands and remain the worthy country parks.
Lam Chiu-ying, former Hong Kong Observatory director, suggested using the old car parks meanwhile a former lawmaker, Lee Wing-tat urged the government to consider building homes on rural land instead. Those subjections may ease the living problem.
A study shows that there is 35% of land which is not used such as the old car parks and the waste collection fields and so on. Some suggested Paul Chan who should use those lands for housing but not cutting up country parks.
If the country parks are once used for housing, it will be a disaster as some property developers may follow the government to do. They may build many private housing and luxury apartment on the parks where is full of nice view and may stand up some fens to deny hikers to close them. Also, there may be many shops such as supermarkets and convenient stores existed. If so, we won’t have a space to breathe and relax. I believe that most Hongkongers do not want to see that Paul Chan’s idea of cutting parks for housing will take effect in the future.
Ken Chan
Tutor's comments : (1) http:/zello.me/Q97M (2) http:/zello.me/Z97M
回覆刪除Thank you for tutor's comments . I revised my article as below:
They may build many private housing and luxury apartment on the parks where is full of nice view and may stand up some fens to deny hikers to close them.
It should be:
They may build many private flats and luxury apartments on the parks where is full of nice views. Hikers may therefore lose such good places for hiking.