The Fate of Hoo Hok Wai and Long Valley

Other Specified Use (OU) is probably a new magic trick. Its bracket behind would inadvertently conjure up many possibilities and elaborations. In the previous consultations on Frontier Closed Area (FCA) and North East New Territories New Development Areas, OU demonstrated its super magic power by transforming Hoo Hok Wai (HHW) and Long Valley (LV) into an area catering not only for wetland but also low density development. However, would you be deceived by such kind of tactics?

Scanning the consultation document on FCA, you would notice that the wetlands in San Tin and HHW is “an integral part of the ecological system of Deep Bay that is worth preserving”. Zoning this entire area of high ecological value as OU, however, would bring in a troublemaker – the developer – to the wetland core. It no longer provides a better protection to the existing wetland habitat and is definitely not acceptable. If the government insists on development, it should be confined to the adjacent slope near Ma Tso Lung to reduce ecological impact. After all, HHW is an ecologically more sensitive site, so stricter works on gate-keeping, such as height and plot ratio restriction, are absolutely important when developing the adjacent area. Current town planning guideline within the Deep Bay Area, including the designation of Wetland Conservation Area and Wetland Buffer Area, should also be applied to the above area.

Under the proposed OU, LV would become “Comprehensive Development & Nature Conservation Enhancement Area” (CDNCEA), while the core area of LV was also designated. If you have noticed the previous CA newsletter, you should quite understand the ecological importance of LV. Similar to HHW, introducing development opportunity in a piece of wetland of such high ecological importance would only let slip the future of LV. Hence, no development should be allowed within LV area.

Indeed, under the New Nature Conservation Policy in 2004, the Administration has already defined the boundary of LV and Ho Sheung Heung as one of the “12 Priority Sites for Enhanced Conservation”, and it should be taken into consideration. While development should be prohibited within LV wetland and mainly concentrated outside LV, any planning restrictions should be ready so that the ecological core area can be preserved in full. OU perhaps can be used effectively, as the Administration should remember the suggestion of OU (Nature Park) in early 1999 and 2000 owing to the ecological importance of LV. The primary concern, however, should protect the ecological value of the core area and preserve local agricultural character in LV. Surely, the core area of LV should not be the small portion stated in the consultation document. The entire core should cover all instead of part of the important wetland habitats in LV.

  

Heritage in Frontier Closed Area (FCA) and Kwu Tung North New Development Area

Provided you have a chance to stroll along Frontier Closed Area (FCA) and Kwu Tung, you will certainly be proud of rich cultural resources in our rural area. After the opening of Kwu Tung and turning Kwu Tung into New Development Area (NDA), can we still hear the stories voiced by the local historical buildings?

Current proposal on cultural and heritage trails has linked most of the rural villages in FCA, but the cultural resources in FCA did not limit only to those traditional villages. In fact, from designating to opening FCA, the boundary fence and control points can be said to witness the security history of FCA. The Administration can undertake a study on its historical value and implement conservation in different extents. It can also be linked with other facilities for security use to enrich the content of the trails, finally resulting in areas with different heritage groups.

For Kwu Tung, if you have joined our eco heritage tour in LV, you should have deep impression on Ho Sheung Heung, with a cultural landscape comprising village setting and farmlands. Besides those historical resources from walled-village culture in Ho Sheung Heung and Yin Kong, Kwu Tung also contains proposed graded buildings owned by private sectors, such as Yeung Garden[1], Yan Wah Lo[2], and so on. Concerning about the private heritage conservation, it is expected that the Administration can at first get in touch with the affected owners and try to formulate appropriate conservation measures and plans for heritage.