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Written by: Lao Minyi
2020-09-03 07:33
Last update date: 2020-09-03 07:33
Pui O is a buffalo habitat. Why is this land piled with brick walls, erected fences, and even built into camps, and the wetlands are as dry as grass?
A reporter from "Hong Kong 01" went there in 2016, and the water buffalo can still be bathed to cool down. In 2018, we revisited some of the wetlands and they were filled with mud. We will inspect again this year and found that this water buffalo paradise has been built in some places. The brand new camping facilities are advertised with heating and cooling, jacuzzi, outdoor barbecue, "Happy with the Cow" and Teng Liming punch-in photos.
However, the camp was warned twice this year that it would not be demolished or that it would be "fixed", but the person in charge said it was in talks with the authorities.
Another 400-square-meter wetland next to the camp has also been filled with earth to build brick walls. The application for conversion to farmland was rejected. The wetland has not been restored. Tomorrow, I will go through the border with the City Planning Commission and apply for conversion to a holiday Camp, but received 5,000 objections, and the Planning Department also stated that they did not support it.
This entire wetland, about 100 meters away from Pui O Beach, has gradually turned into grassland in just a few years. Regardless of whether it is "blessed" by the city plan, the buffalo paradise is no longer there.
▼Apply for rezoning vacation camp wetland and nearby habitat▼
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Two years ago, the failure to break through and rezoning agricultural land led to a battle between the Urban Planning Board and the Environmental Protection Agency
The wetland, 100 meters away from Pui O Beach, was originally a paradise for buffalo.
One of the 411 square meters of wetland, the owner, Ouyang Jinping, applied to the Town Planning Board for rezoning into a holiday camp in mid-July this year. Four campers and four tents are proposed to be rented to accommodate 20 people and operate 24 hours a day .
The application stated that there is no need for a large amount of infrastructure, which will cause less damage to the environment. Visitors can also learn about the local ecology through the nature tour of the camp.
In 2017, the site was rejected for rezoning for farmland. A reporter from "Hong Kong 01" discovered that the wetland had been filled with mud.
The city planning will be closed, but the Environmental Protection Department gave the green light to issue a confirmation letter for the project, and then changed its dictum. If someone is found to be breaking the law, it will take legal action.
The reporter returned to the scene last month and found that the brick wall two years ago was still there. The wetland was full of dryland plants such as white flowers Bidens and other dryland plants were occupied by modified containers. A large area of wetland was also fenced nearby. The buffalo habitat narrows.
The blue framed area is the wetland where the holiday camp has been rezoned, and the yellow framed area is the "Beilang Camp" operated in violation of regulations.
(Geographic Information Map)
In the past, water buffalo dipped the swamp to cool down and has now turned into grassland
A reporter from "Hong Kong 01" visited the Pui O Wetland in 2016 and witnessed the buffalo paradise being swallowed.
Li Shaowen, Senior Public Affairs Manager of Changchun News Agency, recalled that in the past, water buffaloes could immerse their bodies in swamps to cool down, and only their protruding heads could be seen from a distance. However, the area of wetlands was significantly reduced. The difference is that "it looks like grassland is more than one wetland." According to visual observation, more than 80% of the wetland has become dry.
The Town Planning Board receives 5000 objections, and the Planning Department indicates that it does not support
The application has received more than 5,000 public opinions expressing objections or concerns, and it is tentatively scheduled to be discussed at the Town Planning Board tomorrow (4th).
Many government departments have reservations about the application, and the Planning Department also expressed their disapproval, believing that it is inconsistent with the original plan of the coastal protection area, and it has not been able to prove that the development will not have a negative impact on the ecology and water quality. Approval will set a bad precedent for similar applications .
▼Illegal operation of Beilang Camp▼
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Teng Liming, a holiday camp in the wetland, made a solicitation
Across a road and within the same wetland area, a well-equipped holiday camp "Beilang Camp" suddenly appeared this year, offering BBQ packages and camping services, claiming that it can "play with cattle."
Among them, the "luxury leisure area for 8 people", Shenghui 3,200 yuan for one night, there are hot and cold constant temperature air-conditioning, toilets, hot water massage bathing equipment, game room, etc. The official facebook also uses the photos of artist Teng Liming's visit to promote it.
Although it is a wetland area, there are cows grazing nearby, but the camp is full of weeds early on, and there are modular houses and floors in the area.
The original buffalo paradise looked like grass at first glance, partly even bare.
The Lands Department twice warned that the demolition might be deed
However, the Lands Department earlier discovered that there were unapproved structures in the area that violated the terms of the land lease. It issued warning letters twice this year to request clearance. However, the Department still found violations during inspections and would take actions including "deed nailing".
The Planning Department also stated that it had not received the development plan and planning application for the site.
Directors operate construction and decoration companies separately
According to the company registry, the camp was established by Beilang Campsite Co., Ltd. in February this year. The directors are Zhang Jingan and Liu Junhao. Zhang serves as the director of four companies, including the construction company "Weiji International Development Co., Ltd.". Liu serves as the director of three companies, including Decoration company "AOB DESIGN CO. LIMITED".
Beilang Camp can still make an appointment. The company said it will apply to the Town Planning Board for rezoning to place modular houses and is in discussions with the department.
The spokesperson of the company, who claimed to be an indigenous inhabitant, explained that the social environment and atmosphere have been poor in recent years, and many people feel unhappy and difficult to travel abroad. Therefore, they use private land to set up camps for everyone to have fun. It is also said that the previous generations depended on cattle for their livelihoods, so they love it For cattle, in order to prevent them from not having enough food in winter, they also buy horse grass to feed buffalo regularly.
▼2018 01 Directly hit the fill mud ▼
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No more development approval plans, the City Planning Board has no authority to supervise filling and excavation
The Pui O Wetland is zoned as a "Coastal Protection Area". It was originally intended to preserve the vulnerable natural coastal environment and is not suitable for development. If it is used as a "vacation camp" and "tent camp", the city planning must first be filled or excavated. Will apply for planning permission.
However, since the site concerned is not covered by the DPA Plan, the Planning Authority has no power to exercise control there.
Pui O accounts for the largest number of environmental damage cases on Lantau
As of September last year, there were 73 environmental damage cases on Lantau Island, covering an area of 13.26 hectares, and nearly 40% of them involved Pui O, reaching 2.1 hectares.
The Secretary for Development, Wong Wai-lun, quoted an ecological consultant in his blog in April this year, pointing out that Pui O is rich in biodiversity, with more than 500 species of animals and plants recorded, such as the rare golden bird butterfly and long-toed frog. Lowland freshwater wetlands with a representative area provide habitat and feeding grounds for wild animals, especially birds and amphibians that rely on wetlands.
The government’s "Ecological Research on Pui O, Shuikou, Tai O and Its Adjacent Areas" is about to be completed. The Sustainable Lantau Office stated that the research consultant has confirmed that the area of Pui O wetland covers about 13 hectares, including freshwater marshes and seasonal wetlands. Since there has not been a comprehensive study on the ecological conditions of Pui O in the past, there is not enough baseline information to compare the ecological and wetland areas.
▼Buffalo can soak in the Pui O Wetland in 2016▼
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Only the landlord’s consent and notification to the Environmental Protection Department are required for dumping mud
Wu Xiwen, the public affairs manager of Changchun News Agency, pointed out that in recent years, some land owners in South Lantau have changed from operating campers to holiday camps. The land was leveled beforehand, mud and concrete were laid. The ecology and wetland hydrology were greatly damaged, causing the coast. The protective effect of protected areas exists in name only.
He believes that South Lantau should have been protected by the government and actively crack down on illegal activities, but the Lands Department's enforcement has been very slow and it is difficult to act as a warning.
In the existing "Town Planning Ordinance", places that have an "Outline Zoning Plan (OZP)" can no longer be covered with DPA, so the Planning Department stated that it has no power to exercise control.
In the "Waste Disposal Ordinance", only the consent of the private landlord and the notification of the Environmental Protection Department are required for mud dumping and filling.
Wu Xiwen pointed out that the Environmental Protection Agency is not evaluating whether the application has an impact on the ecology from an environmental perspective, so it believes that the two loopholes in the above-mentioned laws must be amended to truly effectively prevent the spread of the dumping problem.
The Development Bureau and the Planning Department previously stated that they would review the possibility of amending the Town Planning Ordinance to control landfilling, dumping of waste and related development activities that damage the environment in the high ecological value areas of Lantau. They plan to brief the Legislative Council in the second half of this year.
(Profile picture / Photo by Liang Pengwei)
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Wetland ConservationLantau Development Planning Department Lands Department Environmental Protection Department Town Planning Board
