Delay In Plan For Landfill Usage Angers Lawmakers

Lawmakers took the government to task on Monday over the slow progress in implementing a plan to help NGOs and sports clubs turn 13 restored landfill sites into recreational facilities.

The landfills are scattered around Hong Kong and take up around 300 hectares of land altogether. They had all gone through restoration work by 2006, and almost half of them have already been fully developed for public use.

But in a recent report, the Director of Audit noted that while the government earmarked HK$1 billion to launch the funding scheme for sports clubs and NGOs in 2014, authorities were still processing the first batch of applications as of the end of last year.

Lawmakers at a Legco public hearing blasted officials over the scheme's implementation, which is way behind schedule.

"From 2014's policy address to 2017, we even have a new Chief Executive now. But the first batch of applications haven't even been granted, and we don't even know which landfills would be included under the second and third batches. It's hard to accept your explanation for the delays," said real estate sector lawmaker Abraham Shek.

Opposition lawmaker Kenneth Leung also was critical. "HK$1 billion is not a small sum ... Why hasn't a single cent been spent over these four years?" he asked.

But Betty Cheung, an assistant director of the Environmental Protection Department, told the lawmakers that it takes time for officials to give enough detailed information to interested applicants, including site visits.

Then these plans have to discussed with district representatives also, she said, explaining the delay.

The Secretary for Environment, Wong Kam-sing, said the government accepts the report's findings and will make improvements. But he added that there are technical difficulties and limitations when developing these restored landfill sites.