Liber Research Community spent the past year mapping brownfield sites – such as open car parks, storage depots and recycling yards – across Hong Kong using geographical information tools like Google Earth and Google Maps.
ALLEN.AUYEUNG@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Sunday, 27 December, 2015, 6:52pm
UPDATED : Sunday, 27 December, 2015, 7:31pm
Paul Chan Mo-po repeatedly stressed some brownfield sites had economic value. Photo: Edward Wong
The government should introduce a policy to prioritise the development of more than 1,200 hectares of brownfield site land in the city, an urban planning concern group said yesterday.
Liber Research Community spent the past year mapping brownfield sites – such as open car parks, storage depots and recycling yards – across Hong Kong using geographical information tools like Google Earth and Google Maps.
It found 1,192 hectares of brownfield sites spread out across nine areas in Yuen Long, Tuen Mun and the North District – equivalent to more than 1,192 football pitches.
“We need a comprehensive policy framework on brownfield land, but the government doesn’t have one,” said Chan Kim-ching, one of the researchers.
He said the government should always develop and unveil initiatives to restore brownfield sites first and find ways to transform the existing industries to be more environmentally friendly.
Chan also criticised the government for failing to engage with green groups properly, resorting to indirect exchanges on internet blogs.
The government currently aims to clear at least 347 hectares of land in Hung Shui Kiu, Yuen Long South and Kwu Tung North, according to Eric Ma Siu-cheung, undersecretary for development, in a letter to the Postlast month.
But, the administration had recently been under fire from conservationists for suggesting green belts in the city were not untouchable.
In response, development minister Paul Chan Mo-po repeatedly stressed that the government was only looking to develop 150 hectares – or about 1 per cent – of the city’s green belt land, primarily those with low ecological value.
He also reiterated some brownfield sites had economic value, providing jobs to those who worked in the logistics sector.
Separately, in a school debate held this month, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, said cleaning up contaminated brownfield sites could take time.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/1895404/developing-brownfield-land-size-nearly-1200
