Last updated: May 2001
 | Long Valley |
| SE NE New Territories Development Strategy Review |
| Past Conservation News |
 Long Valley
|
By Mike Kilburn
The last few months have seen the dramatic acceleration of the campaign to save Long Valley from the insensitive alignment of the KCRC railway spur line. At the time of writing KCRC had refused to consider any alternatives to the line going right across the heart of the valley on the grounds of engineering convenience and cost. We firmly believe that alternative routings to the north of the valley are viable. They would save Costs and land resumption through sharing track with the planned West Rail Phase II extension, and would leave Long Valley intact as a unique wetland habitat and a site preserving wet agriculture as a part of Hong Kongˇ¦s agricultural heritage.
The Society is currently preparing a request to have Long Valley rezoned as a Conservation Area ˇV it is currently zoned as agricultural land, which government bizarrely does not recognize as having a value for wildlife!
Formal Objection
The previous issue of the bulletin focusing on Long Valley ˇV No. 174 ˇV shows the different stages of the objection process. So far we are waiting to receive a formal response from
government to the formal objection we made. If, by the time you receive this letter, government have not responded, under the Basic Law, the Society has the right to go to the
ombudsman to demand a response. At this stage we hope for the opportunity to open a meaningful dialogue with KCRC and the Transport Department about our proposed alternative routings.
By now the reasons for preserving Long Valley are well established in the minds of Hong Kong people, thanks to continued interest from the media. Society activities encouraging this include a press conference, which led to articles in several newspapers including an editorial and a full-page article in the South China Morning Post in mid May.
What you can do to help
Members are encouraged to write to the media and to call in to radio talk shows expressing their views on Long Valley. Keeping the issue in public eye is an effective way of maintaining the
pressure on the Hong Kong SAR Government to act positively to save Long Valley. Within the next 6 weeks, the new plans submitted by KCRC will be released to the public for their
examination and comment. This is the time to make your views known both as a Society member and as a private citizen. Listed below are some of the ways in which you can help.
We are conducting a signature and letter writing campaign. You can write to the Chief Executive via the Society home page (www.hkbws.org.hk/lvalley/celetter.html). You simply have to go to the Long Valley section of the homepage and click on the big button on the introduction page. Our intention is to show the amount of support for Long Valley, so the more letters are sent to the Chief Executive, the better. You could also help further by forwarding the web address with a brief explanation to friends who you think will support the campaign.
We are currently trying to extend the letter-writing campaign by using personal contacts of society members. Already we have made contacts with a number of schools and a teachersˇ¦ organization, overseas conservation organizations, local chambers of commerce, politicians, legislators and related interest groups such as the Antiquities and Monuments Office and the Royal Geographical Society. If you have contacts with people who may be able to help in circulating the appeal please contact Mike Kilburn.
Funding the campaign
Running campaigns of this kind costs money. A fund of HK$26,000 has been allocated to the campaign, which pays for such things as hiring rooms for press conferences, paying for colour
copying of maps and preparation of other publicity materials. If you would like to contribute to the fund please contact either Carrie Ma at the Hong Kong Bird Watching Society office
(hkbws@hkbws.org.hk), 2377 4387 (tel) or 2314 3687 (fax). Or you can contact Mike Kilburn at mkilburn@hkstar.com or 2555 6237(H).
Further information on Long Valley is available on the website and at another site created by a concerned member at: www.long-valley.ust.hk 2926 8232.
| SE NE New Territories Development Strategy Review
|
Mr. C. Y. Lam and Ms. Fiona Lock attend the Planning Departmentˇ¦s NE NT Development strategy consultation last October and have suggested off-shore island in the study area
should be protected from human disturbance, for its unique and fragile habitat and with a presence of a range of bird species. It was suggested to designate these areas as Conservation Areas,
including Wong Nai Chau, Wang Chau, Basalt Island, Jin Island, Ping Min Chau, Steep Island, Town Island, Bluff Island, Bay Islet, Shelter Island, Trio Island and the Ninepin Group.
Responding departments replied that some of these islands have been designated as country parks or have been proposed in the study as protection or conservation areas.
| Past Conservation News |
