Hong Kong Science Park to get extra 60 hectares of reclaimed land over 6 years for innovation and technology drive
- Area to be reclaimed will span more than three Victoria Parks
- Project marks a first since environmental impact law amended last week
The Hong Kong Science Park is expected to receive an additional 60 hectares (148 acres) of land through reclamation over the next six years for innovation and technology developments, marking the first such project since authorities amended the law on environmental impact assessments last week.
An environmental study submitted by the Civil Engineering and Development Department to the Environmental Protection Department revealed plans to reclaim a stretch of water along the Science Park and Chinese University to the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works facility, to be completed in phases from 2029.
The project is the first to be screened by the Environmental Protection Department after amendments were made to the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance last week to speed up the review process. The reclaimed land will cover an area of more than three Victoria Parks.
‘Hong Kong must do more to ensure technopole’s success, learn from past mistakes’
The proposal is in line with former chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor’s 2021 policy address, stating the government was reviving the Ma Liu Shui reclamation project to make more room for Science Park expansion.
“Taking on board the recommendations of Hong Kong 2030+, the 2021 policy address announced the government would revive the [Ma Liu Shui] reclamation project … so as to strengthen the development of the Eastern Knowledge and Technology Corridor with I&T as a major economic function,” the department said in the proposal.
“Hong Kong 2030+” is the city’s long-term land development strategy. Under the scheme, vacant land after the Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works is relocated will also be used for future IT developments together with the newly reclaimed area.
Mil Mill, Hong Kong’s science park make breakthrough in moving recycling plant
The paper did raise issues such as potential “water quality, ecology, fisheries and visual impacts during the operation phase”, including effects on “flora and fauna species of conservation importance”, such as coral communities in Tolo Harbour waters, as well as water birds in Penfold Park.
In Tolo Harbour and its nearby areas, there would also be temporary and permanent loss of fishing grounds and important nursery areas for commercial fisheries, according to the paper, while mangroves there may also be affected.
The study also noted nearby residential buildings including Chinese University student dormitories, public housing estate Kam Tai Court and several private housing schemes might face air and noise pollution during construction work.
The document recommended using non-dredge reclamation methods as much as possible while conducting marine construction, an approach that avoids digging out mud, and is deemed less damaging to the environment. However, dredging would still be necessary for ground treatment for sea wall construction and construction of shafts, the department said in the paper.
Conservation group WWF-Hong Kong said it was “strongly concerned” about the project, pointing to Tolo Harbour’s important status as a fisheries spawning ground for decades.
“Tolo Harbour and channel are a semi-enclosed sea inlet with a narrow outlet. Marine sediment containing toxins and heavy metals is more likely to accumulate due to this landscape feature,” a spokeswoman said.
“WWF reinforces that reclamation creates irreversible loss of habitat and should be considered as a last resort.”
7 top innovations President Xi Jinping saw at Hong Kong Science Park
Replying to Post inquiries, the Environmental Protection Department said it had received the report on Monday, and was accepting comments from the public regarding the brief until July 17.
A spokeswoman said the director of environmental protection would take into account feedback from the community when drafting his own study brief, along with information provided by the civil engineering department.
The Ma Liu Shui reclamation project was originally shelved in 2019 after the government faced fierce resistance from locals over traffic congestion concerns.
Under the amended ordinance, the time to complete an impact assessment is expected to be halved to 18 months for smaller projects and two years for bigger schemes. The threshold for conducting an impact assessment is also lowered. Only developments involving 50 hectares or more must go through an assessment, rather than 20 hectares.
