Policy Comments & Advocacy

A public consultation has been launched on the legislative proposals for dedicated legislation to accelerate the development of the Northern Metropolis (NM). Green Power, a local green group, would like to draw your kind attention to our responses to this proposed dedicated legislation.

1. Green Power opine that the proposed dedicated legislation would be a timely opportunity to further accelerate and steer the sustainable development of Northern Metropolis in the aspects including

(a) reinstating statutory control on incompatible, disordered and inefficient land uses that hinder sustainable development, degrade environmental and living quality,

(b) strengthening the "urban-rural integration" and avoiding community segregation in the process of urbanisation,

(c) coordinating the establishment of newly emerged economic and/or industrial activities that might not be clearly covered under existing legislations,

(d) promotion of innovative climate resilience infrastructures such as natural slopes, river corridors and blue green infrastructures.

Sustainable Landuses

2. Large area of lands in the boundary of NM is currently occupied by brownfield operations that constitute incompatible, disordered and inefficient land uses and hinder organised town planning and degrade environmental and living quality. Proposed dedicated legislation should reinforce land-use control towards sustainable development.

3. In order not to trigger the spillage of brownfields to the nearby rural areas and countryside, a proper legal framework should be formalised to reallocate and settle the existing brownfield operations in the early stage before the construction phase to prevent expansion of incompatible and uncontrollable land uses at the periphery of the NM.

4. The proposed dedicated legislation should also restrict construction of vehicular access connected to ecologically sensitive areas to avoid proliferation of brownfield sites and illegal dumping to these areas.

Urban-rural Integration

5. In reference to precedent cases such as West Rail Line (currently Tuen Ma Line) and Route 3 Highway in Kam Tin area, previous access and paths between many villages were cut and realigned due to these infrastructures that caused segregation of rural communities. Such segregation not only disintegrated the social unity and disconnected the social activities of these areas, but also generated inconvenience in short-distant travel.

6. On the other hand, good quality farmlands neighbouring villages can promote urban-rural harmony and integration, relieve urban heat island effect and support biodiversity. The proposed dedicated legislation should consider village settlements and farmlands/fishponds as a whole in context of urban-rural integration.

Climate Resilience

7. NM is prone to urban heat island effect. The living quality and health issue of NM residents and commuters, and energy consumption for air conditioning are of concern in view of past frequent records of extraordinary high ambient temperature.

8. Proposed dedicated legislation should facilitate incorporation of measures to relieve UHIE in the major infrastructures (such as roads, and land leases for developments), provision of sustainable facilities to reduce direct exposure of the public under extremely high temperatures or inclement weather conditions.

9. Owing to the low-lying topography of NM and altered local precipitation pattern under climate change, no river channels should be decked because decking of river/stream channels escalates flooding risk in view of increased surface run-off due to reduced surface permeability as a result of urbanisation.

10. Residential buildings, roads should locate further distant from the major river courses to lower the risk of loss of life and property due to flooding. Also, this arrangement can lower the contamination of river water by refuse and polluted surface run-off.

11. District-wide proposal to reduce energy consumption and wastes should be promoted. Energy efficiency of buildings, renewable energy and public transportation should be promoted to lower carbon footprint. Sufficient land space should be allocated for waste collection, transportation, recycling to support and sustain waste reduction.

Supporting Blue-green Cityscape

12. Deep Bay is limited in its self-purification power and has already been overloaded with pollution. Since the NM is within the watershed of Shenzhen River which feeds into Deep Bay, the proposed dedicated legislation should be in line with "zero discharge policy" for Deep Bay. Discharge of wastewater and any chemicals into stormwater drainage and natural streams should be prohibited.

Eco-tourism

13. As eco-tourism will be promoted in NM, the proposed dedicated legislation should protect the natural assets of eco-tourism taking into consideration of environmental and ecological carrying capacity.

Thank you very much for your kind attention.