Revise Harbour Protection Law For Reclamation: Govt

The Development Bureau on Sunday said it wants to revise an ordinance preventing reclamation in Victoria Harbour to make it easier to push through harbourfront projects.

The Protection of the Harbour Ordinance discourages reclamation to protect the harbour, but projects can go ahead if they fulfil an "overriding public need" requirement.

Harbourfront Commissioner Leonie Lee wrote on her blog that some waterfront improvement projects have not been pushed forward because of the ordinance, including some abandoned piers in Kai Tak and To Kwa Wan.

Lee said the ordinance has a high threshold, so she hopes to simplify procedures under it to implement the projects as soon as possible.

She added her team will hand its suggestions to the Legislative Council and the Harbourfront Commission. A public consultation will also be held.