Prioritized Northern Link is more sustainable than
Lok Ma Chau Spur Line
 
In recent years, the Association has been involving in a number of transport issues which have substantial environmental impacts. The most influential issue could be said to be the Sheung Shui to Lok Ma Chau Spurline.  

The major campaigns start off since the official announcement of the Spur Line in 1997. The Association has taken a number of actions to convince the policy makers, project manager, KCRC as well as the public that the Spurline is not a sustainable solution to the cross border congestion. Instead we have proposed Prioritized Northern Link (PNL) (which is proposed to link the West Rail Phase I to Lok Ma Chau) which would better serve the purpose. Our proposal is proved by our analysis including a comparison between the Spur Line and PNL and also a cost-benefit analysis

Unfortunately, the government and KCRC have decided to go ahead the Spur Line option.

Benefits?
-Not as much as that of the PNL proposal but face of KCRC and the government is saved.

Cost?
-Congestion at East Rail is still unresolved. Bottleneck at Sheung Shui Station.
-Redundant when Northern Link is taken place in 2011.
-A total of 10 billion will be wasted.
-Long Valley is still not saved.
-Inferior financial return.

 

The Conservancy Association 's Long Valley Campaign

Date

Events
09-01-2003 Demonstration : Northern Link A More Sustainable Solution (press release)
14-6-2002 Executive Council endorsed Spurline critised by green groups to be a white elephant (press release - Chinese Only)
18-04-2002 Met KCRC chairman Michael Tien, Chief executive Officer KY Yeung and Senior Director, Finance and Management Samuel Lai. A financial analysis of the spur line and the PNL was conducted and a powerpoint presentation was prepared.
25-03-2002 Attended the Hearing of the spur line gazettal objection
11-03-2002 Press release – Responding to Approval of Lok Ma Chau Spur Line EIA Report
Mar-2002 Appeal to Chief Executive, Exco, Legco, District Councils and public to support a sustainable railway network by replacing the spur line with PNL
01-03-2002 CA wrote to Chief Secretary for Administration to request a meeting
28-02-2002 CA attended interview with Highways Department on the objection to the spur line gazettal
05-02-2002 CA wrote to EPD to express views on spur line (tunnel option) EIA and lodge objection to the report
05-02-2002 CA lodged objection to the spur line gazettal.
24-01-2002 CA further conducted a cost-benefit analysis of PNL and presented it to Legco Council and certain District Council.
Jan-2002 CA circulated the PNL proposal among certain District Councils and successfully sought support from them
24-1-2002 Attended the Legco Panel on Environmental Affairs and Legco Panel on Transport joint meeting on "Protection of wetlands in Long Valley in light of the latest development of the spur line project” 
13-12-2001 Attended Legco Environmental Affairs Panel meeting on " Protection of wetlands in Long Valley in light of the latest development of the spur line project " and "Mechanism of EIA"
07-12-2001 Albert Lai chairman of CA wrote an article on SCMP headlined Long Valley-Victim of a Non-existent Conservation Policy (Please see attachment 4.)
06-12-2001 CA called a joint meeting with Environment and Food Bureau amd Transport Bureau
06-11-2001 Green groups called on wider options to spur line
16-10-2001 Organized the Forum on Conservation & EIA: What After the Long Valley? With all parties including engineers, conservationists, legal advisors etc participated
06-10-2001 Met with Transport Bureau
12-09-2001 Prepared educational materials on Long Valley case study for schools
17-08-2001 Met with North District Council Members to discuss the ecological park proposal
30-07-2001 CA issued its own response to EIA Appeal Board's verdict expressing welcome of the decision urge to the government to work our a conservation policy
30-07-2001 Organized a green groups joint press conference right after the Long Valley Appeal hand-down
19-01-2001 CA wrote a letter to Chief Executive with Catholic "Messengers of Green Consciousness", Green China Foundation, Green Power and Hong Kong Bird Watching Society to seek appropriate action against appeal of KCRC to DEP's decision
16-10-2000 CA responded to Director's refusal to the EIA report in the form of press release
08-10-2000 Received support from over 10 organizations and jointly sent an open letter to the SAR government titled "Say No to Capital Punishment to Long Valley”
08-10-2000 Organized the Green Ribbon Campaign (Chinese ver. ) which had collected over hundreds of green ribbons and over a hundred citizens participated to put up the ribbons at Hung Hom KCRC station
05-10-2000 Wrote to N W F Ng, former Secretary for Transport, to request him to retract his remarks made on 4 Oct 2000 which were reported to have alluded to the environmental impacts of the Spur Line and the issuing of the environmental permit by the Director of Environmental Protection
21-07-2000 CA responded to Advisory Council on the Environment's conclusion to the EIA report
20-07-2000 Supported Hon Law Chi Kwong's Legco member signature campaign and received 18 Legco members' objections to the Spur Line
14-07-2000 Sent comments to the EIA report to KY Yeung, former chairman of KCRC
10-07-2000 CA submitted its comments on the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Environmental Impact Assessment report and objection to issuing environmental permit to the Director of Environmental Protection
08-07-2000 Facilitated the march of Joint University Save Long Valley Group
30-06-2000 Facilitated the set-up of the Joint University Save Long Valley Group which presented a position paper, initiated a website for releasing news of the Long Valley and an online signature campaign
29-06-2000 CA's article on KCRC's arbitrariness published in Economic Journal
23-06-2000 A joint press conference was also organized.
23-06-2000 CA led a coalition and sent an open letter to the Chief Executive to lodge objection to the Spur Line.
20-06-2000 Met Transport Bureau with Hon Emily Lau and Hon Lee Cheuk Yan and other green groups
03-06-2000 Ng Cho Nam, former President of CA, expressed his concern for the Long Valley in the radio programme "Letter to Hong Kong"
16-05- 2000 Organized a press conference with The Hong Kong Bird Watching Society and World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong to present alternative alignments for Lok Ma Chau spurline
30-01-2000 Organized a site visit enabling participants to appreciate the beauty and ecological value of Long Valley