Two letters to SCM Post re the mad plans:
The website of the Hong Kong Tourism Board features a prominent section on "Great Outdoors Hong Kong", citing "breath-taking natural scenery … far from the city's restless pace".
How can it be, then, that the so-called Development Bureau can come up with a reclamation plan that would involve the destruction of much of this natural scenery in an attempt to meet supposed land bank targets?
The latest plan contains gems of imbecility, such as the proposed joining of Beaufort and Po Toi islands, which indicate a staggering level of contempt for every effort that is currently being made to conserve the natural wonders and clean up the environment in this "special" zone.
Special indeed, if such ludicrous suggestions are even permitted to see the light of day.
How alarming that there would appear to be no sense of judgment within the bureau on the practicality of its own proposals and how shameful that such destructive proposals can even be considered.
Still, as long as these bureaucratic minions can meet their planning targets, who cares about the consequences?
Asia's world city? What a joke.
Mike Tinworth, Lantau
Destruction, not genuine development
The government lost the battle over the destruction of Victoria Harbour. So now it has decided to ruin, whoops, "enhance land supply" elsewhere.
In case it is not clear quite what level of destruction is thought possible by our "can't see beyond a shopping mall" leadership, consider the implications.
Apart from its batholithic beauty, Lo Chau Mun (the Beaufort Channel) is the deepest part of Hong Kong waters. To fill it in will require doing what's known as a Chek Lap Kok.
What I mean by that is, destroying Lo Chau (Beaufort Island), and no doubt much of Po Toi too, to fill the hole.
To reclaim between Peng Chau and Hei Ling Chau will require the levelling of both those islands, and so on. Not the mere Comprehensive Environmental Degradation Department then; more, the Complete Environmental Destruction Department.
As Tom Holland eloquently argued ("Hong Kong's government planners are out of control", January 6), there's been enough of the Civil Engineering and Development Department.
Stephen Davies, Tai Hang