Society for Protection of the Harbour Limited

(19 April 2005)  

Views of The Society

Presentation to the Harbour Business Forum

Objective – To protect and preserve Victoria Harbour in its existing natural form and to promote the environmental, social, emotional, aesthetic, and economic values of the harbour for the benefit of future generations.

Enhancing the Harbour-front – To plan the existing harbour-front for public enjoyment of the harbour and for easier access to the harbour.

Clean-up the Harbour – To clean up the harbour and improve its water quality by reducing pollution and contamination at source.

Need For Reclamation - The Government must not do anything to create the need for more reclamation such as:-

• Re-zoning the existing harbour-front open spaces and facilities for development so as to create the need to provide for their replacement; and

• Planning further developments to create the need for more roads and transport infrastructures.

Genuine Public Consultation – Any public consultation undertaken by the Government should be genuine so that the public will have full information as well as the benefit of studies undertaken by the Government for a minimum or no reclamation option.

Planning Principles:-

• The Government should adopt a policy of planning for the people and not planning for financial reasons.

• Town Planning should be ‘bottom up’ and not ‘top down’ with proper public consultation and participation.

Legal Duty – The first legal duty is to obey the law. The Government and everyone in authority should comply with the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance and the Court of Final Appeal Judgment which prescribed an Overriding Public Need Test and which pronounced that what remains of the harbour is to be protected, preserved and treasured.