This govt. notice appeared a few days ago on all the dragon boats, kayaks and outrigger canoes stored in-between Power Station beach and the 2nd Cable Route, under the trees where boats have been stored for decades w/o any major problem so far.
Somebody seems to have complained about the boats; one single complaint is usually all it takes to spur the govt. into action, even after decades of complacency.

Any advice on what can be done about this?
Who's got experience in applying for an extension of this notice,
how to get a proper license for storing most of these boats on what is technically govt. land,
or any other ways to solve this very serious problem?

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maybe everyone could keep them in the lilly pond.

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wooooooooooooooooh

Email from Jo Wilson, Secretary of Living Lamma to Albert Chan, LegCo:

"Dear Albert,

"Congratulations on your election win. Though we know you are now back in the thick of things, we were hoping you might have some time to help us with a very unfortunate action by the Lands Department that affects our community.

"The Lands Department has posted a notice requiring all boats to be removed from where they have been stored in between the trees at Tai Wan To (Power Station) Beach. I have attached the notice for your reference.

"These boats (including dragonboats, kayaks, windsurfing boards and sails, outrigger canoes, etc) are kept there by local people who launch them from the beach. There are also some clubs (outriggers and dragonboaters) who keep their equipment there.

"People have kept their boats there for years. One person who I spoke to has a dinghy that he has kept there for 10 years. The beach is not managed by the government. There are no facilities. In fact, many of the people who keep their boats there are the ones who help to keep the beach clean. The boats do not cause an obstruction or eyesore to anyone.

"On Sunday, Lamma hosted the Lamma 500 International Dragonboat Festival on Tai Wan To beach. An amazing event to rival Stanley, this year they had 40 teams and coverage in the SCMP (also on Lamma.com.hk). The event brings a lot of business to Lamma and is a great family day. The Lamma Dragons keep their new boat at Tai Wan To beach and are one of the groups affected by the Lands Department notice. They are also a cornerstone of the Lamma 500.

"Some time ago you came to Lamma to talk about facilities. There are no alternatives for water sports enthusiasts, no storage for boats on an island surrounded by water. It is also unfeasible for people to store boats or boards in their flats. Even if they have space (which most do not), they cannot be expected to carry the equipment to the beach every time they want to go out on the water.

"People were quite happy to store their boats under the trees off the path out of the way of the general public, but it seems the government is not happy with this arrangement. Can you help us investigate and find a solution? Would it be possible at least to get an extension to the June 4th to give time for discussions with the Lands Department to go ahead?"

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Before we get all teary eyed about boat owners not having a free place to store their pleasure craft due to some malicious complainant, it should be noted that there has been a recent mini construction boom on the beach. Several metal storage sheds have been erected. Racks and steel framed tents have been put up to store boats.

That I think is what stimulated the government into action. Maybe their staff noticed it during some inspection related to the boat races. It wasn't just the several boats that have been left there to rot for months or years.

Of course, if permission was gained for these structures before they were built on the public foreshore then there isn't a problem.

Alan, the notices arrived before the Festival.

G ..

They may well have done a site check earlier, before the races.
It's not really important what brought it to the government's official attention though; now it has and the paperwork has been issued I doubt that "ignore it" is an option.

In any case, I do think that the "structures" are the reason the situation couldn't be tolerated any more. That made a statement of permanence. And if they issued notices for them, they had to for everything else on the beach.

All I read in the newspapers nowadays is the 'debate' on the minimum wage for local HK workers!!

It's a disgrace IMHO what the local Chinese are paid here, in their own city.

So I have thought of a solution.... instead of throwing money ..... lots of money to the Lamma Island council to build/erect completely useless things that do not benefit the community, and just destroy nature,..

why doesn't the Lamma council (one person... our wonderful representative) give the money back to HK Island where it is needed, to pay for other things which ARE necessary?? ie a decent living wage for locals.

As for the beach and the boats.

I'm not a disgruntled 'Dragon boater' etc...... (even though I fully support an amazing group which raises money for charity)... but I am a regular Power Station Beach/Tai Wan To beach goer, regardless of the weather for a good swim or a walk with dogs.

I have NEVER been inconvenienced by boats being there. Let's get real, how could anyone?? They are hidden under the trees way off the few paths that lead to the beach.

It's so ridiculous.

I AM inconvenienced by the 'TOFU' Place at weekends at the entrance to the path to the beach, as I can't get down the path due to tables out on PUBLIC land, but this inconvenience only lasts around 6 seconds whilst I make my way around lots of tourists.

I can't recall any signs posted for the business owners to keep the path clear.

But there is one to move boats that have been there for years, and have never been a problem for anyone.

How can anyone even notice the boats at the beach??

Who made this decision?? Is there anyone? Local representative? The same person that decided that huge amount of money was needed for a digital clock??

Please enlighten me.

This is a disgrace.

Wow we have a Governmental Official that has decided to use his/her attention for this matter. Not often you get someone using his Gvmt status to get something done...... but now we have it, or a really pathetic situation.

I would love for this persons name. Someone has used all of their 'hard work' to take away a community spirit with complete pathetic rules., and move boats, etc... from under the trees .. that no one sees.

I would like this persons name if possible, so that each time there is a REAL issue with life on Lamma, etc.. then I would like to contact him/her

I will email him/her with every illegal structure built, every path being blocked by locals with their illegal restaurants on the path, rubbish louts using public land for junk, etc.. etc... etc...

If the boats go, and the teams go from Power Station beach go, then I'm going to contact the government each time I see that there is 'illegal' stuff going on which they ignore.

Lai Kwok-wai
It's on the notice in Lammagung's post, along with contact details.

I've been asked to issue an all-points-bulletin to all boat users/owners on Tai Wan To, Power Station Beach. They have several names already, but nothing compared to the number of dozens of boats and canoes lying around.

Let's issue a short notice requesting any and all boat users at PS Beach to get in touch with Oliver (olipenny@netvigator.com) at 9139 7305 and discuss their view on the beach cleanup notices and what can be done about this urgent crisis of water sports in North Lamma.

Just ten more days till the June 4 deadline of removal of all boats and equipment stored there! No extension has been granted so far, just vague remarks of an unspecified "Beautification" exercise by the LCSD.

Contact Oliver urgently if you have ANYTHING stored on the foreshore of Power Station Beach!

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One month more, that's all the time you've got to remove your water sports equipment from the offshore of Power Station Beach!

The Lands Dept. agreed to an extension of tomorrow's June 4 deadline to clean up the entire area. New storage arrangements somewhere else are being considered, but nothing is confirmed yet.

Contact Oliver above urgently, if you have anything stored anywhere in that area.

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Hi LG,.. have the 'Powers that Be' or the 'People that have asked you to issue a bulletin' ... actually explained 'WHY' these boats need to be removed??

This is not a 'gazetted beach' so I'm rather peturbed that the Government is doing this now, as they haven't paid much attention to this beach in the past, and it's the local Lamma people that keep it clean.

I have tried calling the number outlined in the Government Notice' but to no avail. Fair enough, I don't have time to sit at a desk 'business hours' to make calls, but I have been unable to contact a human during my 'time frame' of being able to call.

Was any reason given?

Yes, I shall contact Oliver to find out what is going on. In the meantime, do you have any idea why this is happening?

It's on the notice : The boats and storage facilities are occupying "Government land" without permission.
They don't need a reason beyond that, under the law.

Specifically, as the notice says,
Chapter 28: LAND (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ORDINANCE, Section:6 Unlawful occupation of unleased land gives all the details.

However, as we all know, the Lands Department somehow seems to ignore the letter of the law when the occupiers have the right connections. The boaters don't seem to have the right friends to enable them to get away with this.

Tigger, just to clarify my maybe not clear enough words. I have NOT been asked by the "Powers That Be" to issue a bulletin, but by Oliver the former Dragonboat team captain, who's trying to find the owners of the boats so to warn them of the impending removal. I'm helping him via this forum and the Lamma-zine to locate the owners.

I put up the notice on this website after taking a picture of it from a noticeboard as I usually do when I notice a new, important one.

I'm not involved in the current negotiations about the future of all the boats and don't know the reasons for the removal yet. But one single complaint is all it usually takes for the govt. to check it out. If they take action or not afterwards depends on a number of factors. They don't care about the WHY but it's simply "unlawful occupation of unleased land" and that's all the WHY the bureaucrats need to enforce the law and put up notices.

But WHO and WHY that might have been is usually anonymous and difficult to find out if the complainant wants to remain secret. It doesn't change the facts that a solution needs to be found within one month from today, June 4.

Talk to Oliver for more info. I promised not to publish details of the on-going negotiations and potential solutions till he's OK with announcing them in public.

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Another historic Lamma photo gallery, pictures of something that will soon change dramatically: the foreshore of Power Station beach, the boat storage under the trees between the beach and the Cable Route.

Only a few weeks left before the Lands Dept. has threatened action after July 4 to remove ALL the boats. Furious negotiations to find a solution are in progress right now between all the involved parties, but this area will definitely change dramatically very soon.

I think personally that it looks pretty nice, almost idyllic, and quite orderly right now. Have a look yourself on a sunny day, like I did, a piece of "Typically Lamma!" and a good example of decades of laissez-faire.

Click for photo gallery:

<img src="http://www.compunicate.com/Lamma-zine/PG-2/PSBeach-Boat-Storage/!DSC_4931-banner-wp.jpg" border=1>

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I guess this has already been investigated, but the guy on the other side of the road from the beach has a large property, unused farmland and quite a few buildings, and it looks like he is already storing some boats there. He might be interested in offering a service for a consideration.

Also I noticed that the big fridge he kept next to the beach for seling drinks on holidays has gone, he probably got a notice to move that too.

Appeal submitted by the dragonboaters/outriggers:

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

FOR A BEACH CLEANUP. 9:30 till 1:30 THIS SATURDAY MORNING,
July 24, Power Station Beach

Many of you have been suggesting the idea of a group beach clean-up for some time now. So now’s the time. During recent talks with lands department they indicated that the primary trigger for the removal notices was a desire to tidy up. So we would very much appreciate it if you could join us down at the beach on Saturday morning to get stuck in. This is the chance for us to clear out the rubbish around our own boats as well as give each other the help to remove unwanted items from under the trees. Several individual boat owners have had various items stolen or ‘moved’.

The Lamma outriggers have had their shed broken into twice and several thousand dollars worth of equipment stolen. This included paddles, life vests and first aid kits. Obviously there will need to be basic ground rules. (suggestions please!)

None of us want to be accused of chucking away anyone else’s stuff.

So we are only looking to remove what is clearly rubbish or completely derelict.

Clean the areas around boats and straighten things out. There should be absolutely no intention to move or remove anyone’s personal possessions without their permission. On the flip side we all have a responsibility to keep the beach looking tidy so if you are there it will be a great deal easier. Thanks for all your help. Please call, text or e-mail me if you have any concerns.

Oliver - 9139 7305 - olipenny@netvigator.com

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I just got this email from a Power Station Beach regular:

"Please can you post something about the dead boats that have been dumped on power station beach for about 3 months. There was a big hue and cry from boat owners who store their boats and equipment at the beach in what?... May, June? Seems to protect their right to store stuff on government land they weeded through the boats and dumped the ones not in use in the middle of the beach, washed their hands and decided problem solved.

"Why dump them on the beach? surely it would have been just as easy to put them on the road where someone would have removed them by now. Instead the rest of us have had to look at them for months. Aesthetics aside, disintegrating fibre glass is not very beach friendly. Has anyone called any government department to deal with them? Has anyone given any thought to what is going to happen when this typhoon hits and buries them under sand and makes it impossible to ever get rid of them?”

I've asked Oliver who's been co-ordinating the boat cleanup effort for comment:

"The mess hasn't been forgotten. Unfortunately the process has been slowed because of responsibility and ownership problems.

Whether these dead boats are half-buried in the woods or stacked in a pile on the beach they are still the personal property of someone.

They can’t just be arbitrarily thrown away without some effort to establish ownership.

At the very least the owners have to be given reasonable opportunity to reclaim these items should they wish to.

There is a real risk of someone popping out from nowhere and demanding a replacement catamaran etc.

We have of course contacted government and identified several departments who potentially have the remit for this type of clean-up work.

…………so of course nothing has actually happened.

Given that Lamma Fun day approaches there is a clear and pressing need to remove them from the beach."<HR>
"The problem of long term storage of the boats at the beach is far from being resolved but it seems to have gone quiet for the moment.

We have not had any further requests or notices to remove our boats in the meantime.

Of course we would like to formalize our occupation but will require several rounds of application and consultation.

More importantly it needs acceptance from the local community."

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They wouldn't have a leg to stand on, after illegally storing their boats on government land for months or years and ignoring notices to remove them.

The government confiscates and destroys bikes left on the pier a few times a year after giving a week's notice without any drama.
But they put up notices on PSB several months ago and have done nothing to enforce them.

How about taking photos of the unclaimed boats and putting them here?
if not claimed after a week or two, dump them.
The photos would show that the boats were worthless junk should anyone complain.