In response to a public procession today (March 26) on the provision of six public facilities at the waterfront off Tseung Kwan O Area 132 (TKO Area 132), a spokesman for the Development Bureau said:
The development of TKO Area 137 and Area 132 seeks to make good use of the land to create a new liveable community, including the development in TKO Area 137 with 50 000 housing units with population intake starting from 2030 onwards. We propose to make available about 25 hectares of newly created land off TKO Area 132 to relocate two existing public facilities in TKO Area 137 and accommodate four location-specific public facilities that all require marine frontage for daily operations. These public facilities are necessary to support the daily needs of the community, especially the eastern part of Hong Kong.
We respect the right to freedom of expression. We have reached out to local residents to listen to their views through various channels. In addition to attending the Sai Kung District Council meetings in February and March, we held more than 10 consultation sessions with residents and at their invitation attended meetings organised by local leaders, including the one held last Sunday (March 19) and the one yesterday (March 25), to impress upon them the need to provide the six public facilities, as well as the related mitigation measures to reduce the impact, including the fact that such facilities will be located at least 1 kilometre away from the nearest housing estates.
In addition, we will study the possibility to reduce the scale of reclamation by slope-cutting, as well as the feasibility of relocating part of the facilities into caverns. We will also ensure that the design, facade and operations of the six facilities are not obtrusive and will not bring any nuisance to the community.
Ends/Sunday, March 26, 2023
Issued at HKT 16:26
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