LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 15 July 2011 14489 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Friday, 15 July 2011 The Council continued to meet at Nine o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN IR DR THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND HO CHUNG-TAI, S.B.S., S.B.ST.J., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FRED LI WAH-MING, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE MARGARET NG THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG MAN-KWONG THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS SOPHIE LEUNG LAU YAU-FUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG DR THE HONOURABLE PHILIP WONG YU-HONG, G.B.S. 14490 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 15 July 2011 THE HONOURABLE WONG YUNG-KAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MIRIAM LAU KIN-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW CHENG KAR-FOO THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LI FUNG-YING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE LEE WING-TAT DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG HOK-MING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 15 July 2011 14491 THE HONOURABLE CHIM PUI-CHUNG PROF THE HONOURABLE PATRICK LAU SAU-SHING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KAM NAI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LAM TAI-FAI, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PRISCILLA LEUNG MEI-FUN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE THE HONOURABLE WONG SING-CHI THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE IP WAI-MING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE IP KWOK-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PAN PEY-CHYOU THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. 14492 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 15 July 2011 DR THE HONOURABLE SAMSON TAM WAI-HO, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE WONG YUK-MAN MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE TIMOTHY FOK TSUN-TING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE AUDREY EU YUET-MEE, S.C., J.P. PUBLIC OFFICER ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE MRS CARRIE LAM CHENG YUET-NGOR, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MS PAULINE NG MAN-WAH, SECRETARY GENERAL MISS ODELIA LEUNG HING-YEE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 15 July 2011 14493 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Good morning, Members. Council shall now continue with the motion debate on "Perfecting Harbourfront Planning and Management in All Districts of Hong Kong". MEMBERS' MOTIONS PERFECTING HARBOURFRONT PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT IN ALL DISTRICTS OF HONG KONG Continuation of debate on motion which was moved on 14 July 2011 SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT (in Cantonese): President, good morning. As the last motion debate on "Bidding Farewell to the Legislative Council Building" to be held later does not require attendance of public officials, I am deeply honoured to be the last public official who speak in the last meeting of the Legislative Council held in this Building. As the Antiquities Authority and the public official in charge of heritage conservation policies in Hong Kong, I am also glad to see that this declared monument will later be converted into the Court of Final Appeal Building, so that this historic architecture shall continue to bear witness to Hong Kong's development and service the people. Upon the relocation of the Court of Final Appeal, the vacated Former French Mission Building will become another focus of the "Conserving Central" initiative. The Legislative Council Building is not alone in bearing witness to Hong Kong's development; it is also joined by the subject of today's motion debate ― the Victoria Harbour and its harbourfronts. To me, this last motion debate attended by Member and public officials in the Legislative Council Building is particularly meaningful because the original motion proposed by Prof Patrick LAU as well as the amendments proposed by the four Members are all in line with the Government's stance. There is no need for any argument. The reason is simple; we all agree that harbourfront planning and management in all districts of Hong Kong must be perfected. I firmly believe that it is also the common aspiration of the people at large. Although some Members have used expressions that are rather critical in the preamble of their amendments, such as "plans only one step ahead", "a lack of foresight", "failing to progress with the times", "lack overall planning and management" and "overall planning for the development of harbourfront land is still inadequate", I 14494 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 15 July 2011 think they are all well-intended criticisms. As a matter of fact, our work in the past was inadequate because we lacked a clear position on harbourfront development. As Miss Tanya CHAN has said, we must identify clear objectives for every initiative we make and hence, the policies and measures that follow will be more reasonable. In the past, the Victoria Harbour was regarded as a readily available source of land supply through reclamation. We had no idea when the final shoreline on both sides of the Victoria Harbour would emerge. As such, no major effort had been made on harbourfront planning, management and beautification. But the situation has changed completely. After the dispute surrounding the legal case of the Victoria Harbour in 2004, the SAR Government made a high-profile statement that there would be no further reclamation on both sides of the Victoria Harbour upon completion of the last reclamation project in Central and Wan Chai to cater for the construction of the Central-Wan Chai Bypass. For the same reason, the "zero reclamation" approach is also adopted for the Kai Tak Development Area. In other words, the final shoreline on both sides of the Victoria Harbour will soon appear before our eyes. That is also why we must, as suggested by today's motion, perfect the planning and implementation for harbourfront beautification. The subject of Prof Patrick LAU's motion covers major initiatives of the present and the future on harbourfront development. I am also happy to have this opportunity to give Members of the Legislative Council an overall briefing on the work undertaken in the past, initial results achieved so far, as well as the challenges ahead. The Victoria Harbour is Hong Kong's symbol as well as our most precious public natural resources. We strive to protect, conserve and enhance the harbourfront on both sides of the Victoria Harbour. In his policy addresses for 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, the Chief Executive had stressed repeatedly that we must beautify the Victoria Harbour and create a world-class harbourfront area on both sides of the harbour. As a matter of fact, the Development Bureau has a set of clear strategies on harbourfront development. We strive to promote the enhancement of the harbourfront and improve its accessibility. Through effective allocation of resources and subject to the actual circumstances of the harbourfront sites, we would gradually construct various harbourfront promenades on both sides of the Victoria Harbour for public enjoyment. Our vision is to create a vibrant, green, accessible and sustainable harbourfront. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 15 July 2011 14495 Suggestion is made in both the original motion and the amendments that we can make reference to appropriate overseas experience. Undoubtedly, by making reference to overseas experience in harbourfront development, we can learn from their merits to overcome our shortcomings, so as to perfect our harbourfront enhancement initiatives. Whenever I conducted an overseas duty visit in the past few years, I would incorporate harbourfront planning and management into the programme. The places I visited which have harbourfront, harbourfront or even riverfront planning include the Sydney Harbour and Melbourne's Yarra River in Australia, the Wellington harbourfront and Auckland harbourfront in New Zealand, riverfronts on both sides of the Thames in London, Han River and Cheonggyecheon in Seoul, Marina Bay in Singapore, Tokyo Bay in Japan, Oslo's harbourfront in Norway, as well as Battery Park City in New York which Prof Patrick LAU has visited recently. The former Harbour-front Enhancement Committee (HEC) and my colleagues of the Harbour Unit in the Development Bureau have also visited many overseas cities including Liverpool, London, Singapore, Sydney, San Francisco and Vancouver to study their harbourfront developments, and conduct exchanges with local authorities and persons responsible for harbourfront development.