Press Release
4 October 2013
‘Save Our Country Parks’ Open Forum, Saturday 19th October, 10:30 to 1:30pm, Sai Kung Town Hall
Today Mr. TANG King-shing, the new Chairman of the Country and Marine Parks Board, and Mr. Alan Wong Chi Kwong, the Country and Marine Parks Authority and Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department have been invited to speak at the ‘Save Our Country Parks’ forum to discuss plans to excise land from Country Parks for development, and the zoning of village enclaves inside Country Parks for small houses. The campaign also submitted a list of questions regarding the protection of the country parks.
"Save Our Country Parks" campaign is supported by environmental and conservation groups.We organize activities to promote balanced development and public awareness of the values of environmental conservation. We hope our events stimulate constructive proposals for sustainable development, protection of our natural ecology and landscapes and enhance our ranking as a world-class city.
Recently, voices have been heard calling for designating country park land for housing and other development.Despite promises in 2010 to protect country parks from development of enclaves of private land, plans are afoot which permit large numbers of small houses.
The “Save Our Country Parks” campaign is worried about these threats to the integrity of our Country Parks. Once developments proceed, the impacts and encroachment of our country and marine parks will be unstoppable. The damage caused to the natural ecology, landscape and geomorphology of country parks, coastlines and adjacent marine resources is irreparable.
If boundaries of Country Parks are no longer sacrosanct, will this be the start of the end of Country Parks? Will this be unstoppable and spread like a cancer? Does the community need a new agreement on what land to protect, and on how much land to protect?
Permitting New Territories Exempted Houses (a.k.a. Small Houses) challenges the integrity of the ecology and landscape of our country parks. What is the carrying capacity of our Country Parks and surrounding waters? Do we let the chaos of villages spread inside country parks? What solutions are there?
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“Save Our Country Parks” includes:Ark Eden, Association for Geoconservation, Hong Kong, Designing Hong Kong, Friends of Hoi Ha, Friends of Sai Kung, Friends of Tai Long Wan, Friends of the Earth (HK), Greeners Action, Green Communities, Greenpeace, Green Power, Green Sense, Hong Kong Bird Watching Society, Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, Hong Kong Outdoors, HKWildlife.net, Lantau Buffalo Association, Living Seas Hong Kong, Sai Kung Tai Long Wan Concern Group, Society of Hong Kong Nature Explorers, The Conservancy Association, WWF Hong Kong
Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/saveourcountryparks