The government recently held an operation which saw officers conduct a series of raids at 9 recycling sites in Hung Lung Hang in the New Territories’ North District. This “blitz” was designed to check whether the sites were in compliance with the relevant legal requirements on pollution control, fire safety and land planning.

The government recently held an operation which saw officers conduct a series of raids at 9 recycling sites in Hung Lung Hang in the New Territories’ North District. This “blitz” was designed to check whether the sites were in compliance with the relevant legal requirements on pollution control, fire safety and land planning.

In response to the government’s action, WWF-Hong Kong investigated enforcement records from the Planning Department, finding that unauthorized development has affected 60 hectares of land in Hung Lung Hang and the surrounding area – equivalent to the size of 84 standard-sized football pitches[1]. This round of government operation just addresses the tip of the iceberg in terms of this issue.

According to the Planning Department’s records, the majority of unauthorized development in and around Hung Lung Hang involves the transformation of agricultural land into open storage, container yards and recycling sites. Such activities not only destroy the natural environment and drastically reduce arable land; the waste water and chemicals also contaminate the soil and when it rains, the pollutants flow into streams and rivers, further poisoning downstream areas.

WWF urges the Hong Kong government to proactively implement a “brownfields first” housing policy and take serious actions to halt widespread unauthorized development activities in the New Territories. In the longer term, the government should establish a comprehensive land database. This database will help monitor the occupation of government land, keep track of unauthorized development incidents and prevent the spread of brownfields, thereby help conserve our precious – and shrinking – natural habitats and the rural environment.

Surprisingly, Hong Kong has yet to develop a complete land database. WWF research shows that many brownfield sites, which are now either junkyards or container yards, occupy land which can – and should – be used for agricultural or residential purposes. Over 100 hectares of brownfield sites are already found in the northern New Territories, with the “undetermined zones” being the hardest hit.

This long-standing problem of misuse of our precious land has led some people and groups to state – incorrectly – that there is a shortage of developable land and that our country parks should be sacrificed to meet Hong Kong’s housing need. WWF recommends the setting up of a complete land database and properly monitor the use of land and the abuses. We also urge the authorities to strictly enforce the Town Planning Ordinance to address unauthorized development and eco-vandalism.

[1] A World Cup standard-size football pitch is approximately 7,140 sq. m.

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WWF's response to the Government’s Operation to Combat Irregularities at Recycling Sites in Hung Lung Hang

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