關注團體及環保組織就傾倒泥頭和填土問題的聯合聲明
在保育地區和農地上傾倒泥頭和填土的行為，一直影響香港的自然生境、生態及生物多樣性。關注團體及環保組織對此深切關注，但政府缺乏預防和執法的措施去阻止這些未經批准和規劃的土地用途。
我們要求政府移除就法例、執法和公開資料上的阻礙：
1. 修改廢物處置條例第354章第16條第(2)(c)項
• 刪去受豁免的「惰性廢物」。所有廢物傾倒（包括建築廢物）都必須先申請許可證。
• 在私人地或官地上進行任何拆建廢料處置活動前，必須獲得法定許可，並需考慮對環境的保護及保育價值。
2. 加強管制建築廢物處置的措施
• 如將運載紀錄制度強制應用於私人工程，並採用全球衛星定位系統(GPS)追踪泥頭車
• 除了土地業權人和司機外，工地工程師亦須為由工地運走的所有建築廢物負上責任。
3. 修改城巿規劃條例第131章第20條第(2)項
• 刪除第20條第(2) 章或將其修改為「除非得到行政長官另行指示，規劃委員會不得將根據本條例包括在或先前已根據本條例包括在圖則中的任何地區指定為 發展審批地區。」
• 有關修改將會允許城巿規劃委員會為鄉郊地區覆蓋發展審批地區圖，包括現已覆蓋了分區計劃大綱圖的土地。此舉能保護和保育鄉郊地區，有關地區包括撇除現時和規劃中的巿鎮或巿鎮擴展區及已受到郊野公園條例保護外的所有土地。發展審批地區圖能賦予規劃署執法權力。
4. 設立公開和透明度高的數據庫
• 政府應設立一個全面和透明度高的數據庫，包括土地現狀、業權、土地用途、生境類型、地形及地面特徵，為恢復受破壞的地點提供基線資料。
5. 設立保育執法專責小組
• 設立跨部門的自然保育執法專責小組（包括主要的執法部門，如漁護署、環保署、地政署、規劃署和食環署），互相合作和監察所有違例發展的案件，並確保受破壞的地點已妥善恢原。政府亦應增加每個部門執法團隊的資源和人手，包括環保署、漁護署、規劃署、屋宇署和地政署。
6. 政府有需要釐清城市規劃條例第131條
• 泥土通常是指地面表層，能讓植物生長，包含有機物、黏土和岩石顆粒的深褐色混合物。填土一旦包含了泥土以外的物質，便應該視為土地用途更改。惰性物料和用混凝土等物料鋪平地面怎能視為泥土？
• 休閒農場和水耕農場或以建築廢料填土、鋪平土地，然後架設建構物。這類的用途不應在預留作農業的土地上輕易獲得批准。這類用途是否需要額外設立特定的土地用途？
• 在甚麼的情況下需要把已破壞土地恢復原狀？需要恢復到怎樣程度才視為恰當和滿意？另外，如果土地沒有進行復原，政府會如何介入和復原土地？
• 裁判官條例第227章第26條列明，檢控需於所涉事項發生後6個月內提出，包括觸犯城規條例的違例發展。由於違例發展並非「可公訴罪行」，若相關案件長達6個月以上，政府便無法作出檢控。我們是否需要進行修改法例以提高檢控率？還有其他法例上的阻礙嗎？
聯署團體：
土地正義聯盟
長春社
創建香港
守護大嶼聯盟
香港地貌岩石保育協會
香港觀鳥會
本土研究社
香港大學學生會理學會環境生命科學學會
Joint statement regarding dumping and land filling by concern groups and environmental NGOs
Dumping and land filling on land reserved for conservation and agricultural uses continues to impact Hong Kong’s habitats, ecology and biodiversity. Concern groups and environmental NGOs are deeply concerned over the lack of preventive and enforcement action by government against unauthorized and unintended land uses.
We urge government to remove the following obstacles in respect of legislation, enforcement and open data:
1. Delete the Waste Disposal Ordinance s16 (2)(c) Cap 354
• Delete the exemption for dumping of "inert waste“. All waste dumping including construction waste should require a permit.
• Require statutory permits which take into account environmental protection and conservation values prior to allowing any C&D waste disposal activities on private or government land
2. Enhanced control measures against C&D waste disposal
Application of the mandatory trip-ticketing system to private projects and adopting GPS applications to track dump trucks
• Apart from landowners and drivers, the works site engineer should also be liable for any waste from the works site.
3. Amend the Town Planning Ordinance Cap 131, S20(2)
• To delete S(20)2 entirely or to amend it as follows: “The Board shall not, unless otherwise directed by the Chief Executive, designate as a development permission area any area that is or was previously included in a plan under this Ordinance”
• This change will enable the Town Planning Board to prepare Development Permission Area plans (DPAs), including for land already covered by an Outline Zoning Plan. Protection and conservation of rural land - defined as all land excluding existing and planned towns/town extensions, and excluding land already protected under the Country Park Ordinance - requires enforcement powers for the Planning Department. DPAs provide the Planning Department with such enforcement powers.
4. Establish a public and transparent database
Establish a comprehensive and transparent database with details such as land status, ownership, land use, habitat type, topography and ground features, so as to provide baseline information for the reinstatement of damaged sites.
5. Establish a Conservation Enforcement Task Force
Set up an inter-departmental nature conservation enforcement task force (including key implementing departments such as Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Environmental Protection Department, Lands Department, Planning Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department) to co-ordinate and oversee all enforcement cases and ensure all damaged sites are properly restored. Furthermore, to increase budgets and headcount for the enforcement teams of government departments, including EPD, AFCD, PlanD, BD and LandsD.
6. Clarifications of the Town Planning Ordinance Cap 131 (TPO) are needed
• Soil is normally the upper layer of earth in which plants grow, a dark brown mixture of organic remains, clay and rock particles. Land filling with any substance other than soil should thus be considered a material change in the use of that land. How is that inert materials and paved surfaces are tolerated as soil?
• Leisure farms and hydroponic farms involve the filling and paving of land with C&D waste and erecting structures. Such use should not easily be allowed on land reserved for agriculture. Should land for such uses be reserved a separate dedicated zoning?
• When is reinstatement demanded? What reinstatement is considered appropriate and satisfactory? And when reinstatement is not implemented, when will the government enter and reinstate the land?
• The Magistrates Ordinance Cap 227 s26 deems that prosecution should commence within 6 months including for unauthorized land use offences under the TPO. As these offences are not indictable, prosecution can’t be started if the crime took place more than six months earlier. What law reform is needed to improve the prosecution rate? What are other obstacles?
Co-signatories:
Land Justice League
The Conservancy Association
Designing Hong Kong
Save Lantau Alliance
Association of Geoconservation, Hong Kong
Hong Kong Bird Watching Society
Liber Research Community
Environmental Life Science Society, SS, HKUSU
