The controversy about “Country Park Enclaves” was sparked off by the large-scale excavation of a private lot in Tai Long Sai Wan in July 2010. The site was surrounded by the Sai Kung East Country Park. Under the effort of environmental groups and the public, the Administration issued a “Development Permission Area Plan” (DPA Plan) for Tai Long Sai Wan, and later incorporatedthe site into the Sai Kung East Country Park.
After the Sai Wan incident, the Administration prepared DPA Plans of some enclaves. Enclaves such as So Lo Pun, Pak Lap, Hoi Ha, Pak Tam Au and To Kwa Peng are of high ecological or scenic values, but the Administration merely replaced them with Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) rather than incorporating them into country parks. CA urged the Administration to include these country park enclaves into country parks.
We also noted that the proposed “village type development” (“V”) zones were too large and lacked justification. The authorities showed no interests in evaluating the 10-year small house demand forecasts provided by village representatives. We wrote to Town Planning Board (TPB) and attended TPB public hearing to urge for substantial decrease of “V” zone areas in order to protect the ecological and landscape integrity of country parks.
Tai Long Sai Wan
In July 2010, A private land in Tai Long Sai Wan was subjected to large-scaled excavation. Under the effort of the environmental groups and public, the Administration had issued “Development Permission Area Plan”(DPA) for Tai Long Sai Wan. In late 2013, the proposal to incorporate Tai Long Sai Wan into Sai Kung East Country Park was submitted to Legco for discussion. In 5th November, CA and various environmental groups issued a joint statement to urge support from Legco members. This was to form a positive precedent for other Country Park enclaves. However, in the Subcommittee on Country Parks (Designation) (Consolidation) (Amendment) Order 2013, Legco member, also the chairman of Heung Yee Kuk, Lau Wong Fat opposed the proposal and insisted that incorporating Tai Long Sai Wan into Country Park would harm the right of indigenous villagers.
Before Legco decision on the revised motion by Lau Wong Fat, “Save our Country Park” alliance had organized a hiking event in Tai Long Sai Wan and “picnic” outside Legco in December 2013 to reiterate our support to incorporate Tai Long Sai Wan in Country Park. In 4th December, the revised motion by Lau was rejected. Tai Long Sai Wan was finally included in Country Park.
Panorama of Tai Long Sai Wan
