With the commissioning of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in the middle of this year, Phase 1 of the Runway Park inside the Kai Tak Development Area will be opened in stages. Along with Phase 2 of Kwun Tong Promenade to be completed by next year, the whole Kai Tak Development Plan will provide an 11-kilometre promenade for the community to enjoy, marking a step forward for our large-scale enhancement works on both sides of the Victoria Harbourfront.
Victoria Harbour is Hong Kong’s precious natural resource, an asset that belongs to all of us. It has witnessed every moment of Hong Kong’s growth from a small village to a great metropolis. We treasure our harbour. We want to protect it and access it easily to enjoy the refreshing open space and the splendid waterfront views.
We understand the community’s expectations and we are endeavouring to develop more attractive and lively promenades on both sides of Victoria Harbour, making the harbour the symbol of beautiful Hong Kong.
In fact, we have a Harbour Planning Strategy. In 1999, the Town Planning Board (TPB) announced the Vision Statement for Victoria Harbour, “to make Victoria Harbour attractive, vibrant, accessible and symbolic of Hong Kong - a harbour for the people and a harbour of life.” In 2003, the Planning Department completed the “Planning Study on the Harbour and its Waterfront Areas” to provide a framework to implement the Vision Statement and formulated the Harbour Planning Framework.
However, in order to fulfill the community's aspirations to enhance our harbourfront, public engagement is crucial. In 2004, after the end of the disputes and lawsuits over Victoria Harbour, and in response to concerns over reclamation within the harbour and changing expectations on harbour planning, the Government established the Harbourfront Enhancement Committee.,, Comprising representatives from different sectors, the Committee re-formulated the Harbour Planning Framework at both the strategy and district level, setting out 22 action areas on both sides of the harbour. It formulated a set of Harbour Planning Principles and Harbour Planning Guidelines to guide the sustainable planning, preservation, development and management of Victoria Harbour and harbour-front areas. These principles and guidelines are still widely adopted by the Government and the professions.
With the suggestions made by the Harbourfront Enhancement Committee, the Government established the Harbourfront Commission. Most of its members are non-official, including 12 institutional members from professional institutes, civic and environmental groups and the business sector, and eight individual members from different sectors. The Commission’s role is to be the overarching, high-level champion for harbourfront issues. It set up the (1) Task Force on Harbourfront Developments on Hong Kong Island; (2) Task Force on Kai Tak Harbourfront Development; (3) Task Force on Harbourfront Developments in Kowloon, Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing; (4) Task Force on Water-land Interface, to propose short, medium and long-term enhancement options for the 22 action areas. Moreover, the Commission seeks wider participation by the community and the private sector in creating a number of harbourfront areas which integrate leisure, entertainment, cultural and social activities for everyone to enjoy.
In recent years, several short-term projects have been completed on both sides of Victoria Harbour and opened to the public, including Kwun Tong Promenade Phase 1, Hung Hom Promenade, Central & Western District Promenade- Sheung Wan Section and Central Section, the open space in front of Central Pier No.9 and No.10 and Quarry Bay Promenade. Do take a leisurely walk there when you are free or on holiday.
In the coming years, we will launch a number of large-scale harbourfront enhancement projects. Other than the promenade inside the Kai Tak Development Area mentioned above, we are going to : (1) Build a recreational landmark that will reflect Kai Tak's unique aviation, maritime and transportation history - “Kai Tak Fantasy” - at the former runway tip in the Kai Tak Development Area; (2) Based on the suggestions made in the Hung Hom District Study, use the waterfront site of the MTRC Freight Yard and International Mail Centre to develop a waterfront area with a wide range of tourist facilities and attractions; and (3) Based on the Urban Design Study for the New Central Harbourfront, develop the 20-hectare reclaimed land gradually as the New Central Harbourfront after the Central-Wan Chai Bypass project is completed.
Before implementing long-term development plans for the new Central Harbourfront, we are launching a series of short-term projects so that the public can enjoy the harbourfront as soon as possible. The preliminary work on the promenade was completed last year. A 500-metre-long promenade connects Central Pier with Tamar Park. The first major recreational activity there - Hong Kong Philharmonic’s “Symphony under the Stars”- was staged successfully in November last year. An audience of some 15,000 relaxed on a large lawn to enjoy the orchestra’s performance next to Victoria Harbour. This year we will lease out some of the waterfront sites on short-term tenancies, to provide entertainment facilities such as a ferris wheel and temporary venues for various large-scale activities. Part of the site will be designed as a pet park and also temporary open space. These temporary uses are supported by the Central and Western District Council and Harbourfront Commission. They are expected to be implemented this year to energize our harbourfront.
Furthermore, the Government welcomes the Harbourfront Commission's proposal for setting up a dedicated statutory “Harbourfront Authority” to press ahead with harbourfront development in a holistic manner with an innovative mindset and a more flexible management approach. The Development Bureau and the Commission will launch public engagement on the proposal this year. If the proposal is supported by the public, the Government will take forward the legislative work and secure the necessary funding. This will be a milestone to create a beautiful Victoria harbourfront for us all. We hope you will express your views actively during the public engagement and give us your ideas for the future development of the harbourfront.
14 April, 2013
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