Restoration of the filled marshland at Shuen Wan (6/4/1999)

The Planning Department will soon take actions under the Town Planning Ordinance to restore the filled marshland at Shuen Wan, a spokesman for the department said today (Tuesday).

The Administration has already set up an inter-departmental working group which includes the Planning, Drainage Services, Housing and Homes Affairs Departments, and the Police to provide assistance to the restoration actions.

The destroyed marshland, about 2 hectares in area, is located near Ha Tei Ha Village at Shuen Wan. It is zoned 'Conservation Area' on the statutory Ting Kok Outline Zoning Plan.

In view of the adverse environmental effects and the flooding risk, the Planning Department has issued Stop Notice on November 5 last year requiring the landowners and the concerned parties to remove the deposited earth from the site before December 3 last year. Up till now, the deposited earth has not been removed.

The spokesman said, "The deposited earth has to be removed from the site to avoid causing adverse environmental and drainage impact to the Shuen Wan area. The Drainage Services Department warns that the illegal filling up of the marshland would increase the flooding risks of the area."

The flood storage capacity of the Shuen Wan Marshland is reduced by the deposited earth. The low-lying areas including Ha Tei Ha, Tung Tsz, Wai Ha, San Tau Kok and Treasure Spot Garden would be susceptible to flooding.

It is estimated that hundreds of residents and villagers may be affected and the traffic connections of the Shuen Wan area would be disrupted in the potential flooding. The Drainage Services Department is concerned that erosion of deposited earth will cause blockage to the nearby Wai Ha River which further aggravates the flooding situation and advises that the deposited earth should be removed from the marshland before the rainy season.

The Planning Department issued the last warning to the landowners and the concerned parties on March 25 demanding them to remove the deposited earth in accordance with the Stop Notice immediately. The department is also considering further enforcement and prosecution actions against the landowners and concerned parties for failure to comply with the Stop Notice.

The spokesman said, "As the wet season is coming, the Department is in its full gear in the preparation for entering the site under the Town Planning Ordinance and restore the destroyed marshland.

"About 45,000 cubic metres of earth deposited at the Shuen Wan marshland would be removed. The works would commence shortly for completion before the wet season."

The expenditure for the works is tentatively estimated in the region of $5 million including supervision charges of concern departments. All the expenses incurred will be recovered from the landowners and concerned parties.

End/Tuesday, April 6, 1999