Hong Kong developer will return part of wetland site to government management: report

A Hong Kong developer behind a controversial housing estate at a major wetland will return part of the site with ecological value to the government and provide one-off funding for long-term conservation, according to an environmental impact assessment report.

The 11.6-hectare (28.7-acre) development site is spread across Nam Sang Wai and Lut Chau, wetland areas in the northwest New Territories. The former is considered ecologically important and serves as a stopover for migratory birds, while the latter borders the Mai Po Nature Reserve.

The controversial development plan, part of the government’s Northern Metropolis blueprint, aims to offer 2,521 residential homes, including 140 houses and 2,381 flats in 28 blocks. It was approved by the Town Planning Board in 2021 with conditions.

Nam Sang Wai Development proposed a “Balanced Master Plan for Responsive Conversation” aimed at a zero net loss in wetland function and area. It said 154.4 hectares of enhanced wetland would be provided in a few years and added to the protected network.

The report on the plan’s environmental impacts, conducted by consultancy firm Mott MacDonald Hong Kong and released on Friday, said the developer intended to fulfil rules on the public-private partnership scheme in completing the wetland enhancement works.

“The requirements … are that, inter alia, (i) a lump sum contribution be made to the government, and (ii) the conservation portion be surrendered to the government for management by the government,” the report read, adding the government would be responsible for long-term conservation work.