HKBWS Suet Mei

【南生圍闖關30年迎最終章】

南生圍發展與保育角力 30 年，城規闖關路上爭議不斷。繼 2022 年南生圍濕地高樓發展方案 (A/YL-NSW/242)，獲城規上訴委員會有條件通過「開綠燈」後，其環評報告喺上個月 (2 月 21 日) 正式公開，為期 30 日嘅公眾諮詢隨即展開。

項目擬建168幢住宅（包括 28 幢 19 至 25 層高住宅大樓和140 幢三層獨立屋）、長者中心、公眾公園暨旅客中心及一條連接南生圍及元朗工業邨並橫跨山貝河的道路橋，預計涉人口 6,500 人，旅客人數不明。

項目申請人於2012年就南生圍住宅發展提交環評工程項目簡介，環保署於2012年5月7日發出環評研究概要。相隔13年，申請人根據13年前發出的研究概要完成環境影響評估報告（環評報告）。然而，該環評報告主要採用2021-2022年的基線數據進行評估，未能因應遲來的環評程序補充最新的生態基線資料和影響評估，導致環評報告低估發展對生態和后海灣濕地完整性的負面影響。我們促請署長及環境諮詢委員會否決南生圍住宅發展環評報告，理由如下。

⚠️項目自稱已符合政策規定，選在生態敏感度較低位置發展住宅，但事實上項目會導致11.6公頃「濕地保育區」的生境永久損失，環評甚至承認當中九成屬生態價值高的濕地。這明顯不符政策要求。
⚠️項目將導致7公頃蘆葦濕地的直接喪失，而環評嚴重低估發展對依賴該生境的鳥種的影響，例如黃葦鳽、大麻鳽、草鷺、白骨頂、綠翅鴨、針尾鴨等高本地滅絕風險物種。
⚠️環評根據2021年的普通鸕鷀晚棲地制定兩大措施，包括避免在晚棲地對外150米內興建建築物，和將高樓避開晚棲鸕鶿主要飛行路線，自稱能有效緩解影響，從而推斷發展對普通鸕鷀影響低。我們認為上述措施無助緩解發展帶來的嚴重光害、噪音、人為干擾及對飛行廊道的影響。再者，晚棲地範圍在2019年已向發展區伸延，而最近三年，晚棲地距離擬議建築區僅60米，離高樓只有100米，當年的措施和推論是否仍然適用？發展商一直堅稱150米的緩衝和高樓佈局屬有效措施，卻未有及時修定建築大綱圖，更加令人質疑其措施的有效性。
⚠️項目在保育區內興建28 幢高樓，對干擾敏感度極高和空間需求極大的猛禽影響重大。例如白腹隼鵰，牠是香港稀有的留鳥，但由於棲息地喪失及食物減少而導致此物種有高本地滅絕危機。近年后海灣白腹隼鵰的記錄集中在南生圍一帶，其生境和空域亦應視為重要棲息地，應當進行獨立調查以限制發展強度和相應生態措施。然而，環境影響評估報告未提及此鳥種的最新關鍵資料。此外，環評亦未將烏鵰、白肩鵰和白尾鷂等高本地滅絕風險、國家級保護和全球受脅鳥種納入補償影響考慮。
⚠️項目將興建一條橫跨山貝河並接駁南生圍及元朗工業邨的行車橋連單車行人徑，損山貝河與整個后海灣濕地的生態連結，威脅黑臉琵鷺、鶴鷸、青腳鷸等有本地滅絕風險的物種，更會大幅增加南生圍的人流、干擾及發展壓力，恐致生境質素下降。
⚠️住宅發展緊貼香港特有米埔屈翅螢的繁殖地，但環評未對擬議發展及近年在附近獲批的住宅項目，進行電腦模型分析和評估，低估人造光害對螢火蟲繁殖的直接和累積影響。
⚠️南生圍項目位於濕地保育公園的潛在範圍。發展一旦通過，整體保育公園面積將再度縮減，而高樓引致致嚴重景觀視覺污染及生態影響，與政府提倡的南生圍保育主題「候鳥天堂」有抵觸，亦偏離積極保育原意。

以非原址換地方式保育重要生態在香港已有先例，例如2022年7月，政府向發展商批出大埔船灣一幅可建高爾夫球場的土地，換取發展商向政府交還沙螺洞具高生態價值的私人土地，證明仍有其他發展與保育兼容的方案，更有效地達致濕地的長遠保育及管理目標。

環評公眾諮詢已於 3 月 22 日 (六) 結束。

環評報告全文：https://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/register/report/eiareport/eia_3102024/cover.html
香港觀鳥會的意見書：https://cms.hkbws.org.hk/cms/phocadownload/submissions/EIA/20250322_NSW_EIA_HKBWS.pdf

[ Last edited by HKBWS Suet Mei at 27/03/2025 15:22 ]

HKBWS Suet Mei

The battle over Nam Sang Wai conservation and private development has been continuing for 30 years, along with the town planning process. In 2022, the Appeal Board conditionally approved the Nam Sang Wai Wetland high-rise development plan (A/YL-NSW/242) by a vote of three to two, giving the green light under town planning mechanism. On 21 February this year, the environmental impact assessment report was officially released and a 30-day public consultation also started on the same day. This EIA application marks the final statutory procedure with public monitoring throughout the Nam Sang Wai's land development process.

Nam Sang Wai consists of diverse wetland habitats such as reed beds, wet grasslands, operating fishponds, and abandoned fishponds, providing nesting, roosting and foraging spaces for various waterbirds with different habitat requirements, holding high ecological value. It is an indispensable part of the Deep Bay wetland, an internationally recognized wetland of importance. The developers plan to construct nearly 170 buildings, including 28 residential towers ranging from 19 to 25 stories and 140 three-storey houses within the "Wetland Conservation Area" of Nam Sang Wai, bringing 6,500 population. Such development would bring the following environmental issues.

- The project is situated in the wetland core area, leading to a permanent loss of 11.6 hectares of habitats where over 90% are wetlands.
- High-rise buildings, a population of 6,500, and tourism developments are immediately adjacent to the HK’s largest night roost of Great Cormorant and the breeding ground of the endemic Mai Po Bent-winged Firefly, and close to the roosting and breeding habitats of ardeids, which will unavoidably cause enormous disturbance to these sensitive species.
- The project proposes to construct a vehicular bridge over Shan Pui River, connecting Nam Sang Wai and Yuen Long Industrial Estate, which will further undermine the ecological connectivity and integrity of Shan Pui River and the entire Deep Bay wetland.
- Multiple wetland development projects in Deep Bay are going to commence simultaneously, leading to significant wetland loss and cumulative impacts that may result in irreversible ecological consequences.
- The Nam Sang Wai development project overlaps with the area that is potentially included in the wetland conservation park. This development will mean a further reduction in the size of the conservation park system, contradicting the original intention of proactive conservation.
- The high-rise building cluster will create landscape and visual pollution, and undermine the ecological resources, obstructing the government from establishing a wetland conservation park themed as a "Bird Paradise" in Nam Sang Wai.

Once the environmental impact assessment is approved, the construction can proceed upon completing the remaining procedures like land premium issue. Permanent harm to the ecological integrity of the Deep Bay wetlands will probably be caused. The environmental consultation ended on 22 March, which marks the final opportunity to protect Nam Sang Wai.

Full EIA Report：https://bit.ly/43uYGwr
HKBWS's submission: https://cms.hkbws.org.hk/cms/phocadownload/submissions/EIA/20250322_NSW_EIA_HKBWS.pdf