The previous government proposed to develop the "Northern Metropolitan Area", and planned to recover about 700 hectares of private wetlands and fish ponds, and re-delineate the boundaries to establish a multi-functional wetland conservation park.
However, the development has not been disrupted as foreseen. Greenpeace and the Local Research Institute have found that since the government announced the development of the northern metropolitan area last year, there have been 135 newly expanded brownfields within the scope, with a total area of about 38 hectares, which is equivalent to about two dimensions. Among them, more than 10% of the new brownfield sites are located in coastal conservation areas, wetland conservation areas or buffer zones.
For example, they pointed out that in the area south of Tin Shui Wai Wetland Park near the Hengzhou Service Reservoir, a large area of vegetation was shoveled away in August, forming a rectangular brownfield; by November, it was found that the area of the brownfield had changed from 0.5 hectares, expanded to 1.3 hectares.
The group believes that the authorities' "release" to re-demarcate the wetland boundary may become an inducement for landlords to "strike first" and destroy the land they hold first, so as to avoid being included in the scope of conservation in the future.
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Greenpeace and Indigenous Research Institute used Google Earth satellite images, field surveys, and aerial photography to examine the brownfield expansion and illegal operations in the northern metropolitan area after news broke.
The survey found that the area of newly expanded brownfields in the past year reached 38 hectares, of which 5 hectares were located in coastal conservation areas, wetland conservation areas or buffer zones, and 10.5 hectares were located in the area of the proposed additional transportation infrastructure in the metropolitan area.
Wetland damage doubles in three months
Regarding the destruction of wetland conservation areas or buffer zones, the research team found that a rectangular brown field appeared in the wetlands near the Wang Chau Service Reservoir in the south of Tin Shui Wai Wetland Park in August this year, and the vegetation was also cleared.
The team visited the site again in November this year and found that the green space along the dirt road had been shoveled into an oval-shaped brown field, which was connected to another newly-added brown field near Shengwu Village outside the southeast.
Chen Kechun, senior project director of Greenpeace, pointed out that in just three months, the damaged area of the wetland has more than doubled from 0.5 hectares, and the damaged area also spans the wetland conservation area and the wetland buffer zone: " The road is sunned, and the damage is multiplied every minute."
Chen Kechun believes that the main reason for the brownfield invasion of wetlands is precisely because the government "released the wind" to redraw the boundaries of wetlands earlier, which became an incentive in disguise, prompting landlords to accelerate the destruction of wetlands in the area.
(Photographed by Huang Jinqi)
More than four hectares of brownfield sites were added near the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point
As for the vicinity of the planned additional transportation infrastructure, a large amount of land has been destroyed and turned into brownfields.
For example, the research team pointed out that more than 4 hectares of brownfields were newly added around the Heung Yuen Wai Port, including a piece of land of about 2.8 hectares that was destroyed by the Ta Kwu Ling Gang Kiln, and next to it was the Gang Kiln in the "Special Farmland Restoration Plan" arranged by the government. Recultivate farmland.
Chen Kechun pointed out that the recultivation plan reflects the potential of the agricultural land in the area: "The government instead condoned the illegal operations to level the agricultural land."
Chen Kechun believes that the main reason for brownfields to invade wetlands is precisely because the government "released the wind" to redraw the boundaries of wetlands earlier. , its development is limited, but the wetland is facing a greater crisis: "For the owner, it is destroyed, and the re-demarcation guarantees that it will not be included in the conservation area." She urged the government to take back the destroyed wetland. and other private lands with ecological value, which will be restored and then conserved.
The government must also continuously review the status of brownfield sites, including reviewing the latest status of brownfield sites on a quarterly or half-period basis.
The northern metropolitan area is a panacea, but we all see a tendency to exacerbate the spread of brownfields.
Chen Kechun, senior project director of Greenpeace
The Environmental Protection Agency replied that since September 2021, it has learned that the vegetation in the vicinity of the Hengzhou Distribution Reservoir has been eradicated, and has continued to monitor, including the use of drone patrols, to check whether there are engineering activities in violation of environmental protection laws in the relevant area.
The Department pointed out that inspections showed that although there were signs of vegetation removal in some places, no construction was found, and it emphasized that it would continue to monitor the situation, and would take corresponding enforcement actions if any construction activities that violated environmental protection laws were found .
However, the Planning Department did not directly respond to whether the above-mentioned vegetation removal was illegal. It only pointed out that it would conduct on-site inspections in conservation areas from time to time, and would use unmanned aerial vehicle systems to monitor whether there were illegal developments in relevant areas and collect evidence.
As for Ma Tso Lung, several locations in Ho Hok Wai and the area around Ta Kwu Ling Kong Kiln, etc., the department said that appropriate enforcement control actions had been taken.
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