The Full Document of the Revised Concept Plan
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Table of Contents Page Executive Summary iii 1. Background 1 2. The 2004 Concept Plan – Themes and Development Proposals 2 3. Public Consultation – Key Comments and Responses 5 4. Studies and Projects Affecting Lantau – An Update 7 5. The Revised Concept Plan 11 6. Broad Development Themes and Proposals 16 7. Assessments 32 8. Implementation 37 Revsed Concept Plan for Lantau Page List of Plans 2.1 The 2004 Concept Plan 3 5.1 Development Themes 11 5.2 Revised Concept Plan 12-13 6.1 Nature Conservation 17 6.2 Heritage Conservation 18 6.3 Landscape Conservation 20 6.4 Economic Infrastructure and Tourism / Recreation Development 22 6.5 Conservation, Recreation and Green Tourism Initiatives 24 6.6 Cycle Tracks and Mountain Bike Trails 26 6.7 Triathlon Race Course at South Lantau 27 6.8 Facelift of Mui Wo 29 6.9 Improvement Works at Tai O 30 6.10 Beachfront Enhancement of South Lantau Coast 31 7.1 External and Internal Transport Network 36 Annex Conservation Strategy for Lantau Executive Summary The Concept Plan for Lantau In 2004, the Lantau Development Task Force formulated a Concept Plan for Lantau (the 2004 Concept Plan) to provide an overall planning framework for a balanced and co- ordinated development of Lantau. In November 2004, a three-month consultation exercise was launched. During the public consultation, different sectors of the community were engaged. In late 2005, a Public Consultation Report summarizing the public comments, the Administration’s responses and key issues was released. Taking into account public comments and suggestions, as well as the latest status and findings of relevant studies and projects, we have reviewed and updated the 2004 Concept Plan. Shaping Future Lantau – The Revised Concept Plan The Revised Concept Plan is at Plan 5.2. The overall planning vision and broad development concepts remain unchanged (i.e. to promote sustainable development by balancing development and conservation needs; and to focus the development of major economic infrastructure and tourism uses in North Lantau, preserving the rest of Lantau for nature conservation and environmentally sustainable recreational and visitor uses), with some updates to the original development themes and proposals. A number of new development proposals and suggestions raised by the public, which are compatible with the planning intention of the area, have been incorporated as appropriate. Revsed Concept Plan for Lantau Broad Development Themes and Proposals under the Revised Concept Plan A) Meeting Conservation Needs Conservation on Lantau is of the utmost importance. We have substantiated and consolidated the conservation proposals under the 2004 Concept Plan to cover all three main aspects – nature, heritage and landscape. B) Economic Infrastructure and Tourism / Recreation Development In line with the general consensus emerging from the public consultation exercise, we will continue to focus major economic infrastructure and tourism / recreation development in North Lantau. Development proposals aiming to enhance Hong Kong’s economic competitiveness include the Lantau Logistics Park and its possible extension, a cross boundary transport hub, a leisure and entertainment node at Sunny Bay, and a long-term option of developing a theme park / major recreational uses at Tung Chung East. The synergy effect of the tourism proposals above and the existing tourist attractions will help to strengthen Lantau as a major tourist hub. C) Conservation, Recreation and Green Tourism Initiatives We have consolidated proposals such as the enhancement of key points of interests and the provision of eco / heritage and country trails, and the development of a history and heritage museum, an eco-tour centre and camp sites. The objective is to capitalize on the natural, cultural and heritage resources of Lantau, enrich educational experience, complement the major tourist attractions and improve the local economy. D) Enhancing the Countryside Recreational Potential of Rural Lantau To further complement the green tourism initiatives and strengthen Lantau as an island for tourism and recreation, we have refined and further developed the cycle track / mountain bike trail proposals, and included a new proposal for a triathlon race course in South Lantau. E) Area Improvement of Rural Townships and Villages We have formulated more comprehensive land use concept plans and proposed additional improvement works for Mui Wo and Tai O. We will conduct detailed feasibility studies for these proposals. Taking into account the comments and suggestions from the public, and the conservation intention, local character and infrastructure capacity of the area, we have prepared a comprehensive enhancement proposal for South Lantau Coast to optimize the recreational potential of the area. v Assessments We have conducted broad-brush assessments on the sustainability, environment, social and transport implications of the Revised Concept Plan. The assessments, in general, indicate that proposals under the Revised Concept Plan should contribute positively to the development of Lantau and Hong Kong. Implementation of the proposals would inevitably have environmental implications. The impacts of individual project should be further studied in detail, with suitable mitigation measures to be proposed. Implementation Most of the proposals in the Revised Concept Plan are conceptual in nature. They are subject to detailed studies to establish their feasibility and implementation requirements, as well as requirements under the relevant ordinances such as the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance. In accordance with the overall planning concept of balanced development and conservation, priority will be accorded to those projects that can stimulate the local economy and improve people’s livelihood. For other projects with implications for the long-term economic development of Hong Kong, the implementation model and timetable will be deliberated according to actual circumstances. We will continue to involve the community in the development process and will take into account public views as individual proposals progress. v (BLANK) . Background 1.1 With more than half of its land devoted to Country Parks and much of its coastline still in a natural state, Lantau Island has long been recognized for its conservation and recreational values. At present, it has a total population of about 106,000(1). Nearly 80% of this population live in Tung Chung, with the rest concentrated at several major settlements including the residential suburbs at Discovery Bay, the rural township of Mui Wo, and village clusters at Tai O and South Lantau. Other than the North Lantau New Town (i.e. Tung Chung), which is planned for a total population of about 220,000, no substantial growth is envisaged for the other major settlements in view of significant conservation concerns and limited transport and infrastructure capacities. 1.2 With the recent completion of various major economic and tourism infrastructures, Lantau offers considerable development potential. Since the opening of the Hong Kong International Airport in 1998, there has been a steady growth in the air traffic for both passengers and cargo. Currently, the airport has an annual capacity of 45 million passengers and 4 million tonnes of cargo. It will increase to an annual capacity of 87 million passengers and 9 million tonnes of cargo. According to the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2020, in addition to AsiaWorld-Expo and SkyPier, which have already opened, there will be a continuing expansion of facilities, including the SkyCity Phase 1 and additional cargo handling facilities. Furthermore, the opening of new attractions such as Hong Kong Disneyland, Ngong Ping 360 and Wisdom Path has boosted Lantau’s potential for tourism development. 1.3 Pursuant to the 2004 Policy Address, the Lantau Development Task Force (Task Force) was set up to provide a policy steer on the economic and infrastructure development on Lantau. Initially, the Task Force drew up a Concept Plan for Lantau (the 2004 Concept Plan), which aimed to provide a balanced, integrated approach to development and conservation and a coherent planning framework for Lantau as a whole. In November 2004, a three-month consultation exercise was launched to invite comments on the 2004 Concept Plan proposals. During the public consultation, different sectors of the community were engaged and a lot of comments and views were received. In late 2005, a Public Consultation Report summarizing the public comments, the Administration's responses and key issues was released. (1) Figure based on the 2005-based projection of the Working Group Population Distribution for 2007. Revsed Concept Plan for Lantau . The 004 Concept Plan – Themes and Development Proposals 2.1 In preparing the 2004 Concept Plan, we had made reference to a number of territorial and strategic planning studies, including the Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy (HK2030 Study); the South West New Territories Development Strategy Review – Recommended Development Strategy; and other studies and project proposals related to Lantau. A number of factors, including long-term territorial demands, the strategic context of Lantau, its development opportunities and constraints, and local concerns were also taken into account. 2.2 The overall vision of the 2004 Concept Plan was to promote the sustainable development of Lantau by balancing development needs and conservation, with the major economic infrastructure and tourism development