Submitted by Executive Counsel:

The Baroque on Lamma Stakeholder Engagement Forum

Executive Counsel Limited has recently been engaged by The Baroque on Lamma (BoL) to openly hear the concerns of local and wider interest and green groups on their planning proposals through a public forum.

We understand the generous feedback previously shared by all groups to date and only intend to briefly provide new information and updates. More importantly, we wish to provide a public opportunity for all parties to speak and share their concerns and opinions on the proposals and the newly submitted information.

For your information, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study Brief was issued by the Environmental Protection Department on 27 July 2011 and it is currently available online: http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/english/alpha/aspd_629.html. Today (8 September 2011), BoL will also submit additional information to the Town Planning Board (TPB) to respond to questions and concerns raised to this Board to date, and we will briefly share details of both at the forum.

Additional information submitted to TPB:

• Supplementary planning information
• Conceptual Ideas on Conservation Corridor
• Social Impact Assessment (SIA) Report

Thus, we have recommended to BoL that we arrange and will facilitate a bilingual event with simultaneous interpretation. We have recommended that the three-hour workshop should comprise only around 30 minutes of their planning and environmental consultant's new information/update and, thereafter, will make the floor open for around two hours to all views. BoL will be present simply to listen to views at first hand but will not participate in presentations, which will be conducted by their consultants.

Importantly, we wish all available parties to attend and participate in the forum, irrespective of the views they hold. Please also note that participation in the event does not indicate any support for the proposals or project whatsoever.

Finally, Executive Counsel Limited will also prepare forum minutes for agreement by participants to ensure a record of all concerns and views.

Details of the forum are as follow:

Date: 8 October 2011, Saturday
Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm
Venue: St. James Settlement
No. 85 Stone Nullah Lane, Wanchai, Hong Kong (map attached together with Registration Form in Eng. and Chin..)

To participate the workshop, please fill in the Registration Form attached and reply by email: ec1@execounsel.com or by fax: 2868 0805 on or before 5 October 2011 (Wednesday).

Should you have any enquires about the workshop, please contact the undersigned. Also, please feel free to forward this invite to any other parties that may be interested in participating in this forum.

Yours sincerely,

Mavis Ma
Executive Counsel Limited<HR>

敬啟者：

南丫島博寮港計劃公眾諮詢會

博寮港有限公司日前聘請毅信顧問公司籌劃公眾諮詢會，以聆聽及了解社會各界對南丫島博寮港計劃的關注。我們非常感謝各界人士近日對本計劃提供的寶貴意見，是次諮詢會將提供新資訊讓公眾更深入了解對有關計劃 。

環境保護署已於2011年7月27日批出南丫島博寮港計劃環境影響評估之研究概要，其內容已上載於 http://www.epd.gov.hk/eia/english/alpha/aspd_629.html 供公眾查閱。而博寮港有限公司亦於今天2011年9月8日提交附加資料予城市規劃委員會 （城規會）以回應城規會對此計劃的關注和提問，有關內容將會於諮詢會中作簡單闡述。

已提交城規會的附加資料包括：
• 規劃補充資料
• 保育走廊概念
• 社會影響評估報告

諮詢會將以雙語形式舉行，並提供中英即時傳譯。另外，諮詢會當日將由南丫島博寮港計劃之環境及規劃顧問以約30分鐘介紹計劃的最新資訊，及提供約2小時予參與者發表意見。南丫島博寮港有限公司之代表屆時將出席諮詢會聆聽各方意見，但各項新資訊將由其顧問公司作闡述。

我們希望閣下能撥冗出席諮詢會聆聽及發表意見，而參與是次諮詢會並不反映參與者之立場為支持上述計劃。

毅信顧問公司將會紀錄各界人士於會上發表的關注及意見並於稍後整理諮詢會會議紀錄。

南丫島博寮港計劃公眾諮詢會詳情：
日期： 2011年10月8日（星期六）
時間： 下午 2 時至 5 時
地點： 聖雅各福群會
香港灣仔石水渠街85號 （地圖隨登記表格附上）

如閣下有意參加南丫島博寮港計劃公眾諮詢會，請填妥隨信附上的登記表格，並於2011年10月5日或之前電郵至 ec1@execounsel.com 或傳真至2868 0805。如對諮詢會有任何查詢，請與本人聯絡。與此同時歡迎閣下轉寄此邀請信予其他對本諮詢會有興趣之人士。

毅信顧問公司
馬靜琳 啟

2011年9月8 日<HR><HR>
For some background, have a look at this very informative summary by Damon Wong of the 1,107 submissions (93% objections) received by the Town Planning Dept. on the Baroque application:

http://www.interlocals.net/?q=node%2F377

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

I find it hilarous that the Mr Chow that is quoted about the greedy devolopers ruining their land for profit is no doubt the same Mr Chow that continues to build as many houses as possible in Tai Yuen with no regard for the environment and also refuses to allow the goverment to do the necessary works to fix the flooding outside Yan Yan's!!!

Surely if he has submitted an objection the government department that claims they cannot contact him regarding the flooding will have access to his address!!!

Don't forget to send in your comments until the 14th!

Deadline tomorrow, Friday, Oct 14, for your submission (or re-submission) to Town Planning Board about the rezoning of land in Tung O Wan:

http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/en/plan_application/Y_I-LI_1.html

_________________
Click here for Lamma-zine stories and recent Lamma Spotlights of the Week:
Photo, Video, Person, Wildlife, Bird, Artwork.

Send your Baroque objection to tpbpd@pland.gov.hk


Info here from Martin Williams of hkoutdoors.com and Living Seas:

The Baroque on Lamma development, hasn't died. The developer has made yet another submission to the Town Planning Board, we really need to stop this one before it is too late. A quick summary:

1. Huge property and marina development on the South Side of Lamma, right next to the last remaining green turtle nesting beach in HK and encompassing important terrestrial ecosystems, that support indigenous species such as Romers Tree Frog.

2. The developer is applying for rezone from "Agriculture", "Conservation Area", "Coastal Protection Area" zones to "Comprehensive Development Area"

3. The developer has amended their plans, to incorporate certain mitigation approaches, however it is just green washing, this is not a suitable site..

4. 14th October is a deadline for sending in responses and comments to the Town planning board. I invite you all to submit comments and to show your objections to the plan. Our email, which we sent to the following email address "tpbpd@pland.gov.hk", can be found at the end of this note.

Please feel free to use this, please do edit it, as I have noticed a couple of TYPOS..!

You can find out more on the application at the following website http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/en/plan_appl ... -LI_1.html

Your help on this is much appreciated.

Regards
Dod
Chairman
Living Seas Hong Kong

"On behalf of Living Seas HK, we are writing to object to the development on Lamma as proposed by the project proponent on the basis of insufficient evidence that coral communities will not be affected and also that the construction and ongoing increase in boat traffic in the areas will cause willful disturbance to the marine turtle nesting beach at Shum Wan.

In Hong Kong established coral communities of any size are regarded as important habitat types in Hong Kong as defined in Annex 8 of EIAO-TM.

There is evidence to suggest that coral communities exist in Tung O wan and along the Ngai Tau Headland and that neither the EIA or any recent memorandums show the extent of coral loss, mitigation or any attempts to translocate corals in order to protect these species.

The beach at Sham Wan, Lamma is the last remaining nesting beach for the endangered and protected green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in Hong Kong waters. This species and the Sham Wan nesting beach is protected under the Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Chapter 170) Under the ordinance it is illegal to willfully ?disturb a nest or egg of any protected wild animal?. The construction process, increased lights and increased boat
traffic will willfully disturb these protected animals from nesting.

On these grounds Living Seas HK object to the development named as Baroque."

Email I've sent:


I write to again object to the plans for the Baroque on Lamma.

The area of and near the proposed project is of considerable conservation, scenic and leisure value, and should be protected overall (not just SSSI here, and some slight protection there).
It is quite wrong for a project like this, which is aimed squarely at benefitting developers, not at all for the good of Hong Kong.

Marine life will suffer, including coral communities and nesting turtles.
Hong Kong people will suffer yet more destruction of their home, removing a place that can benefit the majority of people both now and long into the future.

_________________
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.

_________________
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.

Thanks foreign body, my sentiments exactly.

Never try to teach a pig to sing. It is a waste of your time, and it annoys the pig.
and that's what I'm thinking right now.

Ewald, you are of course entitled to your own opinion, but I'm a tad concerned that you are a bit delusional.

Do you really believe that the Baroque on South Lamma, will do all the great things for the environment that they say they will? Do you honestly believe all that? Take a look around you. The environment and quality of living are declining, and the Baroque is all about greed and concrete, so it's hardly going to help everyone.

Nature, goats, chickens, etc.. will be no part of this. Although they may plant fig trees, who knows.

I found it quite worrying reading your post. You seem to be 'out of touch' as to what Lamma residents need or want.

Ewald, those demons at Baroque must have fed you some good stuff. If you see that man again,

Beware! Beware!
His flashing eyes, his floating hair!
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey-dew hath fed,
And drunk the milk of Paradise.

_________________
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.