Hong Kong’s Harbour – Hong Kong’s Harbour – Unlocking its PotentialUnlocking its Potential

Nicholas BrookeNicholas Brooke

ChairmanChairman12 May 200512 May 2005

Professional Property ServicesProfessional Property Services LimitedLimited

Victoria Harbour Waterfront – Victoria Harbour Waterfront – A century agoA century ago

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Background and ContextBackground and Context

Historically – economic growth the Historically – economic growth the paramount driverparamount driver

Impact on Waterfront = price of Hong Impact on Waterfront = price of Hong Kong’s developmentKong’s development

Reclamation essential to provide new land Reclamation essential to provide new land for both development and infrastructurefor both development and infrastructure

Community in transient rather than Community in transient rather than ownership modeownership mode

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Background and ContextBackground and Context

Mid 90’s saw growing awareness of Mid 90’s saw growing awareness of importance of harbour and environmental importance of harbour and environmental issuesissuesEmergence of Society for the Protection of Emergence of Society for the Protection of the Harbour (“SPH”)the Harbour (“SPH”)Culminating in Protection of the Harbour Culminating in Protection of the Harbour Ordinance Ordinance Presumption against reclamation in main Presumption against reclamation in main harbour areaharbour area

Boundary of Harbour as defined in the Boundary of Harbour as defined in the Protection of the Harbour OrdinanceProtection of the Harbour Ordinance

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Background and ContextBackground and Context

Major initiative by the Town Planning Major initiative by the Town Planning Board to set a framework for the future Board to set a framework for the future planning of the waterfrontplanning of the waterfront

Promoted New VisionPromoted New Vision

– To make Victoria Harbour attractive, To make Victoria Harbour attractive, vibrant, accessible and symbolic of vibrant, accessible and symbolic of Hong Kong – a harbour for the people Hong Kong – a harbour for the people and a harbour of lifeand a harbour of life

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Town Planning Board – GoalsTown Planning Board – Goals

To bring the people to the Harbour and To bring the people to the Harbour and the Harbour to the peoplethe Harbour to the people

To enhance the scenic views of the To enhance the scenic views of the Harbour and maintain visual access to Harbour and maintain visual access to the harbour-frontthe harbour-front

To enhance the Harbour as a unique To enhance the Harbour as a unique attraction for our people and touristsattraction for our people and tourists

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Town Planning Board – GoalsTown Planning Board – Goals

To create a quality harbour-front through To create a quality harbour-front through encouraging innovative building design encouraging innovative building design and a variety of tourist, retail, leisure and and a variety of tourist, retail, leisure and recreational activities, and providing an recreational activities, and providing an integrated network of open space and integrated network of open space and pedestrian linkspedestrian links

To facilitate the improvement of the water To facilitate the improvement of the water quality of the Harbourquality of the Harbour

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Town Planning Board – GoalsTown Planning Board – Goals

To maintain a safe and efficient harbour To maintain a safe and efficient harbour for the transport of people and goods and for the transport of people and goods and for the operation of an international hub for the operation of an international hub portport

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Court of Final Appeal (CFA) JudgmentCourt of Final Appeal (CFA) Judgment

The CFA handed down its judgment on 9 The CFA handed down its judgment on 9 January 2004 in respect of the judicial January 2004 in respect of the judicial review on the Draft Wan Chai North OZP review on the Draft Wan Chai North OZP (S/H25/1).(S/H25/1).According to the CFA judgment, the According to the CFA judgment, the presumption against reclamation specified presumption against reclamation specified in the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance in the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance can only be rebutted by establishing an can only be rebutted by establishing an overriding public need for reclamation. overriding public need for reclamation.

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Court of Final Appeal (CFA) JudgmentCourt of Final Appeal (CFA) Judgment

Overriding public need must satisfy the Overriding public need must satisfy the following requirements:-following requirements:-– CompellingCompelling– PresentPresent– PublicPublic– MinimumMinimum– No Reasonable AlternativeNo Reasonable Alternative

The need must go far beyond something The need must go far beyond something which is “nice to have”, desirable, preferable which is “nice to have”, desirable, preferable or beneficialor beneficial

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Latest DevelopmentsLatest Developments

Government and Business Community Government and Business Community has responded in two ways:-has responded in two ways:-

(a)(a) Creating the Harbour-front Enhancement Creating the Harbour-front Enhancement Committee (“HEC”), an advisory body to Committee (“HEC”), an advisory body to GovernmentGovernment

(b)(b) Setting up the Harbour Business Forum Setting up the Harbour Business Forum (“HBF”), a coalition of diverse businesses (“HBF”), a coalition of diverse businesses and professionals and professionals

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HEC – Vision & MissionHEC – Vision & Mission

VisionVision– Victoria Harbour : A harbour for the people, Victoria Harbour : A harbour for the people,

a harbour of lifea harbour of life

MissionMission– To transform Victoria Harbour and its harbour-To transform Victoria Harbour and its harbour-

front areas into an attractive, vibrant, front areas into an attractive, vibrant, accessible and sustainable world-class assetaccessible and sustainable world-class asset

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HEC - Harbour Planning PrinciplesHEC - Harbour Planning Principles

Preserving Victoria Harbour as a Preserving Victoria Harbour as a Natural, Public and Economic AssetNatural, Public and Economic Asset

Victoria Harbour as Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour as Hong Kong’s IdentityIdentity

A Vibrant HarbourA Vibrant Harbour

An Accessible HarbourAn Accessible Harbour

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HEC - Harbour Planning PrinciplesHEC - Harbour Planning Principles

Maximizing Opportunities for Public Maximizing Opportunities for Public Enjoyment Enjoyment

Integrated Planning for a World-class Integrated Planning for a World-class HarbourHarbour

Sustainable Development for the HarbourSustainable Development for the Harbour

Early and Ongoing Stakeholder Early and Ongoing Stakeholder EngagementEngagement

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HBF – Mission StatementHBF – Mission Statement

Harbour is core to Hong Kong’s heritageHarbour is core to Hong Kong’s heritageWish to see Harbour as a vibrant, Wish to see Harbour as a vibrant, accessible and sustainable world class accessible and sustainable world class assetassetProvision of diverse leisure and business Provision of diverse leisure and business opportunitiesopportunitiesTo achieve consensus amongst business To achieve consensus amongst business community and to engage stakeholders community and to engage stakeholders and Government and Government

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HBF – Mission StatementHBF – Mission Statement

The development and implementation of The development and implementation of an integrated plan to reflect and articulate an integrated plan to reflect and articulate the common vision for the Harbourthe common vision for the Harbour

Consider the establishment of an authority Consider the establishment of an authority with responsibility for the planning, with responsibility for the planning, implementation and management of Hong implementation and management of Hong Kong’s Harbour and harbour front Kong’s Harbour and harbour front

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The Key IssuesThe Key Issues

No single body to take responsibility for No single body to take responsibility for the coordination, implementation and the coordination, implementation and management of the master plan for the management of the master plan for the HarbourHarbour

Moved from little public involvement to Moved from little public involvement to selected consultation to much wider selected consultation to much wider community participation community participation

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The Key IssuesThe Key Issues

Many competing uses for waterfront, some Many competing uses for waterfront, some essential, some incompatible. Consensus essential, some incompatible. Consensus can only be taken so far. In final analysis, can only be taken so far. In final analysis, difficult choices have to be madedifficult choices have to be made

By who and how should that be done By who and how should that be done

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Sheung WanSheung Wan

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Sheung WanSheung Wan

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CentralCentral

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CentralCentral

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CentralCentral

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QueenswayQueensway

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QueenswayQueensway

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Wan ChaiWan Chai

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Wan ChaiWan Chai

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Wan ChaiWan Chai

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Fortress HillFortress Hill

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North PointNorth Point

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North PointNorth Point

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TsimshatsuiTsimshatsui

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TsimshatsuiTsimshatsui

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TsimshatsuiTsimshatsui

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TsimshatsuiTsimshatsui

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Immediate ChallengesImmediate Challenges

Central / Wanchai waterfrontCentral / Wanchai waterfront– Epitomy of the challenge of balancing traffic Epitomy of the challenge of balancing traffic

and infrastructure options with public access and infrastructure options with public access and enjoyment considerationsand enjoyment considerations

– Brings into play wider issues in terms of Brings into play wider issues in terms of transport policy, planning and pricingtransport policy, planning and pricing

– Also raises fundamental issues on land use Also raises fundamental issues on land use determination, presently decided by TPBdetermination, presently decided by TPB

Extract from Wanchai & Adjoining Areas Extract from Wanchai & Adjoining Areas Public Engagement KitPublic Engagement Kit

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Immediate ChallengesImmediate Challenges

Future of Kai TakFuture of Kai Tak– Ongoing envisioning exerciseOngoing envisioning exercise– No reclamation option No reclamation option – Maintenance of spirit of Kai TakMaintenance of spirit of Kai Tak– Possibility of cruise terminalPossibility of cruise terminal– Preference for blend of leisure tourism and Preference for blend of leisure tourism and

quality housing quality housing – But raises whole issue of territorial But raises whole issue of territorial

requirements and their distribution requirements and their distribution

Kai Tak – The Situation TodayKai Tak – The Situation Today

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Immediate ChallengesImmediate Challenges

West KowloonWest Kowloon– Ongoing consultation on three development Ongoing consultation on three development

optionsoptions– Even if one of these schemes is chosen, who Even if one of these schemes is chosen, who

will monitor implementation and management will monitor implementation and management of community facilitiesof community facilities

– Serious possibility that Government will Serious possibility that Government will decide to revisit financial model and decide to revisit financial model and undertake fresh exercise to secure greater undertake fresh exercise to secure greater community support for ultimate solution community support for ultimate solution

Potential Site for West Kowloon Potential Site for West Kowloon Cultural DistrictCultural District

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Immediate ChallengesImmediate Challenges

Other ongoing initiativesOther ongoing initiatives– Ferry piersFerry piers– Tsimshatsui waterfrontTsimshatsui waterfront– Yau Tong BayYau Tong Bay

AND A LOT MOREAND A LOT MORE

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Issues For DebateIssues For Debate

Where do we go from here and is there a Where do we go from here and is there a role that ULI can play and proactively role that ULI can play and proactively contribute to the enhancement of Hong contribute to the enhancement of Hong Kong’s waterfront?Kong’s waterfront?How do we bring together the various How do we bring together the various diverse interests and move forward within diverse interests and move forward within the framework of the Harbour Ordinance the framework of the Harbour Ordinance and the decision of the Court of Final and the decision of the Court of Final Appeal?Appeal?

Thank youThank you

Professional Property Professional Property Services LimitedServices Limited

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