In 2017, former Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying announced in Policy Address that Robin’s Nest (Hung Fa Leng) would be officially designated as a Country Park. However, in 2008, the Planning Department has already proposed the designation in the feasibility study of the Land Use Planning for the Frontier Closed Area. The Conservancy Association (CA) urged the government to speed up designation process to protect the important natural resources of Robin’s Nest.
In May 2019, CA together with 15 concern groups released a joint statement on the expectations for Robin’s Nest Country Park, proposing a 1,120-hectare Country Park to protect sites with high ecological, historic, cultural and landscape values. More than 95% of the suggested area belongs to government land.
The recommendation provides protection for Robin’s Nest, its associated areas (Shan Tsui, San Kwai Tin, Heung Yuen Wai, Wo Keng Shan, Lin Ma Hang and Man Uk Pin) and important natural resources including secondary forests, streams, lowland grasslands, narrow-range fish - Chinese Rasbora, important bat colony, vulnerable Chinese Grassbird, etc. Additionally, Robin’s Nest is a terrestrial ecological corridor between Hong Kong and mainland China. It enables movement of animals between two areas of their home range while maintaining ecological connectivity.
Remarkable historic buildings and landscapes could also be seen in Robin’s Nest. For instance, MacIntosh Forts (Grade II historic building) were used for guarding the frontier during combat; while the Lin Ma Hang Lead Mine has beheld the history of mining in Hong Kong. These historic resources should be properly protected. Robin’s Nest has gradually become a popular attraction for recreational activities ever since the opening of Frontier Closed Area so the recreation potential of the area should not be underestimated.
In order to provide protection and management for Robin’s Nest effectively, the group requested the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) to define the boundary for Robin’s Nest Country Park according to the “Principles and Criteria for Designating Country Parks (2011)”. Conservation value, recreation potential as well as landscape and aesthetic value are key elements of the “Principles and Criteria” and the group hopes that the government would not exclude sites with high values merely on the grounds of “private lands”.
