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 Objection to Proposed Lok Ma Chau Railway Spur Line through Long Valley An Open Letter to the Chief Executive, The Honourable Tung Chee-Hua 22 June, 2000 Dear Mr. Tung We are united in objecting to the gazetted routing of the KCRC Lok Ma Chau Spur Line through the core area of the freshwater flood plain known as Long Valley. The potential loss of Long Valley in its current state has raised protest in all sections of Hong Kong society as well as from international conservation bodies and eco-tourism operators who regularly visit Hong Kong. It is our belief that the original justification for the construction of the spur line - the short-term alleviation of pressure on the Lo Wu Border Crossing is very weak, extremely costly, and that viable alternatives coming from West Rail instead of East Rail are possible. We are also concerned that in the fast-tracking process undertaken to meet a 2004 completion date that the Transport Bureau has contravened both internal government procedure and the spirit of the EIA Ordinance and taken advantage of the Railways Ordinance to act outside the purview of the Town Planning Ordinance. This project-led approach fails to recognize the value of Long Valley, rather than sustainable planning-led development, which takes the significance of Long Valley into account. Despite recognising the ecological significance of Long Valley as the most important freshwater wetland in Hong Kong, KCRC has made the unacceptable and unilateral decision that, for the purposes of the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line, the ecological and heritage value of Long Valley has to be sacrificed in favour of the meeting of a deadline which is claimed to be non-negotiable. In the 1999 Policy Address you stated the importance of sustainable development and protecting our countryside, while Long Valley was cited for protection by the then Secretary for Planning, Environment, and Lands, Mr. Gordon Siu in the plans for Kwu Tung North New Town. The current alignment of the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line seriously compromises both these commitments and the credibility of the original statements. Furthermore, with plans for Railway Development Strategy 2000 currently tabled it is our belief that KCRC and the Transport Department should not be free to act without reference to the EIA Ordinance and Town Planning Ordinance in mapping out the future of Hong Kong's railways. Now is the time to seriously address these issues. In the short term we believe the damage caused by the construction process, as is currently being witnessed at KCRC's site at Kam Tin, will negatively impact the ecological value of the site. In the longer term, and taking into particular account the seriously flawed proposals for mitigation, the railway will significantly detract from the value of Long Valley as a planned open area for ecological preservation, education and recreation for the people of Sheung Shui and the Kwu Tung North New Town. Since your government has already agreed to the realignment of the Fanling Bypass Highway outside the boundaries of Long Valley, why not realign the railway too, making efficient use of land through a shared transport corridor? This will allow Long Valley to be preserved as an example of environmentally sensitive sustainable development in Hong Kong. WWF and Hong Kong Bird Watching Society have applied for the rezoning of Long Valley as a Conservation Area, creating a freshwater, inland Mai Po, actively managed by government to preserve both the birds and their habitat - the traditional wet agriculture vegetable fields. The long-term vision of you and your Government in putting in place such a reserve (transcending sectional, commercial and departmental agendas) would win local and international applause.
In Support:
Copyright 1999, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society.
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