Latest news with #ProtectionoftheHarbourOrdinance
The Star
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Hong Kong group focused on protecting Victoria Harbour disbands after 30 years
An advocacy group that has fought to protect Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour for nearly 30 years has announced its disbandment more than two months after the government amended a law which the organisation said may pave the way for large-scale reclamation. The Society for Protection of the Harbour said on Friday that it had ceased operations the day before, after the Legislative Council approved changes to the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance in May. 'Our society is aiming to protect the harbour under its legal basis, but that has disappeared with the legal amendment,' said Winston Chu Ka-sun, the group's founder and vice-chairman. 'I am not sure about the future of the harbour.' The 85-year-old lawyer said that it was now in the hands of the younger generation and the public to continue efforts to push for the harbour's protection. He added that winding-up procedures were going on and were expected to continue for the next few months. Chu also specifically thanked former chief executives Tung Chee-hwa and Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor for providing support to protect the harbour. Chairman Lok Kung-chin said that the society had consulted a few lawyers on ways to protect the harbour but they believed that they no longer had the ability to do so in the same way as before. Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn Hon-ho previously said the government often faced 'soft resistance' when planning projects and amending the harbour ordinance. But she did not name any specific group. The bureau previously rejected comments on the ordinance by the group, a leading voice against the amendment, saying they were inconsistent with the facts. Chu dismissed suggestions that the society's disbandment was related to the 'soft resistance' comment, saying members had decided more than a year ago on the move. 'She has misunderstood us,' he said, adding that Linn lacked knowledge about the work the society had done before she took up the post in 2022. 'How can we stage soft resistance? We are following the government's own plans,' Chu said, adding that the group did not disagree with reclamation projects that were in the public's interest. In a reply to the Post, the Development Bureau said that it had noted the disbandment and expressed its gratitude to the society. The bureau said the ordinance amendment would reinforce the regulation of large-scale reclamation. But the bureau did not comment on the issue of 'soft resistance'. Chu founded the society in 1995 to protect the harbour against excessive reclamation, leading to the enactment of the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance in 1997. The existing legal regime bans reclamation in Victoria Harbour unless the government proves to a court that a project has an 'overriding public need' and is supported by 'cogent and convincing materials'. But in May, the ordinance was amended to allow projects involving small-scale reclamation of no more than 0.8 hectares (1.97 acres), including the construction of structures for harbour enhancement, such as piers, boardwalks and moorings. The new mechanism allows the chief executive and his advisers to decide if large-scale reclamation projects in Victoria Harbour can proceed. Vincent Ng Wing-shun, former chairman of the Harbourfront Commission, acknowledged the society's contribution to protecting the harbour. 'No organisation can last forever,' he said, describing the society's departure as quitting while it was ahead. Ng said the harbour was still being protected under the ordinance. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
HKFP
24-06-2025
- Politics
- HKFP
‘Soft resistance' may arise during Hong Kong development, official warns
Hong Kong needs to guard against 'soft resistance,' which may emerge during the city's development process, a government official has warned. 'Soft resistance' may arise in areas such as land development, compensation for resettlement, and reclamation projects, Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn told Beijing-backed newspaper Wen Wei Po in an interview published on Sunday. The development chief was among high-ranking officials who gave media interviews addressing 'soft resistance' and national security concerns in recent days, ahead of the fifth anniversary of the Beijing-imposed national security law on Monday next week. Linn said the Development Bureau must 'think from the national security perspective' in its work and make 'timely clarifications' when misunderstandings about the government's development plans arise. She cited the San Tin Technopole development plan, which has drawn concerns from environmental groups over its impact on what they described as the largest remaining intact coastal wetland ecosystem in the Greater Bay Area. The tech hub's planning zone, which was expanded in May 2023 to over 600 hectares, involves wetlands, and thus the project would 'easily provoke opposition' from environmentalists, Linn said. 'The process of development may easily stir up different emotions and opposition. Some objections are reasonable, some arise from misunderstandings, and some are deliberately manufactured with ill intent. We have to handle it carefully,' the minister said. Linn went on to say that reclamation development in the city was often met with 'soft resistance,' citing the amendment to the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance, which was passed by the city's opposition-free legislature last month. The new law made it easier for the government to create new land through reclamation in the city's famed Victoria Harbour despite objections from environmental activists. Without naming a group, Linn said in Sunday's interview that some organisations had spread 'false images' online claiming that the government planned large-scale reclamation in Victoria Harbour. She said the government had issued a 'timely rebuttal,' adding that the claims were not misunderstandings but rather 'deliberate provocation.' In January, the Development Bureau issued a statement on social media to 'seriously refute misleading remarks by the Society for Protection of the Harbour.' The statement came hours after the environmental group held a press conference expressing opposition to the ordinance amendment. Its representatives, including harbour protection advocate Paul Zimmerman, questioned whether the legal amendment paved the way for large-scale reclamation and raised concerns that Victoria Harbour could become 'Victoria River.' The bureau rejected the group's claims, saying they were 'factually incorrect.' The bureau also accused the group of using 'fictitious images' to support its claims. In a press release issued by the Society for Protection of the Harbour in July, the group included an image of Victoria Harbour alongside the slogan 'Save Our Harbour' and the phrases 'Stop Reclamation' and 'Danger.' The same image was shown at the group's press conference in January. Since 2021, government officials have cited 'soft resistance' as a threat to national security, although they have not provided a clear definition of the term. The phrase was repeatedly used by government officials in their recent media interviews leading up to the national security law anniversary. Last week, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law said the government will strictly vet applications for event subsidies and performance venues, as well as exhibition content and library collections, to prevent 'soft resistance.' Monday, June 30, marks five years since the national security law came into effect. The legislation was inserted directly into the Basic Law, Hong Kong's mini-constitution, in 2020 following months-long pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
RTHK
07-05-2025
- Business
- RTHK
Law relaxing Victoria Harbour reclamation ban passed
Law relaxing Victoria Harbour reclamation ban passed The government said the new laws provide a more solid legal basis for improving the harbourfront. File photo: RTHK Lawmakers on Wednesday approved legal changes that relax a general ban on reclamation in Victoria Harbour. Before changes to the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance, any reclamation in the harbour is forbidden unless it is proven to have an "overriding public need". After the change, a new system will be set up such that the Chief Executive in Council is empowered to make the call on whether or not large-scale reclamation for roads and infrastructure satisfies such a need. Developers will also need to present reports to the public. Harbour improvement works smaller than 0.8 hectares will be allowed, such as the construction of ramps, spaces for boat repairs and wave-absorbing infrastructure. Temporary reclamation works smaller than three hectares will also be possible, provided they are completed within seven years, and have gone through stakeholder consultations and obtained government approvals. Development chief Bernadette Linn said officials will still protect the harbour while allowing projects that improve the harbourfront to take place. "We hope that through the streamlined mechanism, we will be able to promote more works that will benefit the public," she said inside the Legco chamber. "This bill will give us a more solid legal basis for improving the harbourfront so that we can build a harbour that we can all be proud of." The vast majority of lawmakers who spoke supported the change, saying the public will in future be able to enjoy the harbourfront quicker – because improvement works will no longer be subject to lengthy procedural delays. The DAB's Starry Lee described the change as a milestone achievement that would lift restrictions on harbourfront development, allowing the people to reach the shore across different districts easier, rather than only fragmented segments of it. The Federation of Trade Union's Bill Tang supported the bill but said officials should narrow down the definition of "harbour" protected by the law. He called on officials to reconsider his proposal that places like Rambler Channel and Kai Tak shouldn't be considered as part of Victoria Harbour that needs special protection. Third Side lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen, meanwhile, abstained from voting, saying he has grave reservations that the new system will allow the chief executive to vet reclamation proposals made by his or her own governments. Linn stressed in response that officials will make proposals based on existing laws, and people who oppose future reclamation plans can still file a judicial review.
