鄉議局破壞郊野公園 土地已售予發展商 Country Parks under attack from the Heung Yee Kuk

【鄉議局破壞郊野公園 土地已售予發展商】

上週末，鄉議局破壞了西貢郊野公園的不包括土地內的濕地，藉此抗議政府將該該處和鄰近土地劃為保育用地。

他們聲稱政府將私人土地劃為保育用地會限制復耕和丁屋發展潛力。這種說法非常荒謬。第一，農耕在保育用地上是經常准許的用途，即使在郊野公園的農地亦被允許。第二，我們的調查發現，慘遭破壞和斬樹的土地大部份已在2012年賣予數個發展商。原居民早已放棄了他們土地的業權，何談復耕？

鄉議局真正目的是破壞土地後，獲得在郊野公園內興建丁屋的權利。售賣鄉郊土地，毀去林木，使政府規劃上傾向給予更多發展用地以套丁建屋，這種戲碼在新界各處不斷上演，甚至蔓延至郊野公園內。

丁屋政策是不可持續的，龐大的潛在利益更會導致貪污和其他非法活動，以及更多損害環境的發展。鄉議局不斷推動在郊野公園不包括土地興建更多丁屋，將會對郊野公園及與之相連的海洋生態，帶來無法逆轉的破壞。由2010年大浪西灣事件開始，創建香港聯同其他保育及行山團體一直對抗郊野公園的發展威脅。

揭穿鄉議局「復耕」謊言

上週末在高塘下洋慘遭破壞的季節性濕地有超過6成土地屬於榮登拓展有限公司。該公司由陳麗明持有，並由范惠玲擔任秘書，在2012年2月以$6,702,008購入鄰近多個地段。我們到訪該公司的註冊地址，發現現址為“New Hall Design Limited” 的建築設計公司，同樣由陳麗明持有。職員稱公司擁有高塘下洋的土地，但負責人正在休假。她們會在下週聯絡我們，以得知鄉議局是否合法地取得業主同意下斬樹。

創建香港就大灘、屋頭、高塘和高塘下洋的研究可瀏覽：http://goo.gl/QJPt4B

大灘、屋頭、高塘和高塘下洋疑似套丁相關新聞：

蘋果日報: http://goo.gl/Bpsr5n
香港01: http://goo.gl/syAgc6

高塘下洋村民斬樹清植被報導：
蘋果日報: http://goo.gl/V0EQ7U
NOW: https://goo.gl/JfsJ0F

【Country Parks under attack from the Heung Yee Kuk】

Last Sunday, the Heung Yee Kuk felled trees and removed vegetation on wetland deep inside the Sai Kung Country Park.

It was a protest against Government’s plan to zone the area for conservation. The Kuk claimed the zoning would restrict farming on this enclave of private land. This is nonsense for two reasons. First, farming is always allowed, even on agricultural land in country parks. Secondly, our investigation has now revealed that the land in question was sold to developers in 2012. The indigenous villagers long gave up their interest in farming.

What the Heung Yee Kuk is really after is the right to build small houses on private land in country parks. The pattern of the sale of village land to developers, destruction of vegetation, the push for rezoning and the illegal sale of the “Ding” right to build small houses, is replayed constantly throughout the New Territories, including deep inside our country parks.

The Small House Policy is unsustainable, attracts illegal activities, and results in environmentally disastrous developments. The Kuk’s push for small houses in country park enclaves is harmful to the surrounding country parks and nearby marine resources. Since the Tai Long Sai Wan incident in 2010, Designing Hong Kong together with community, hiking and conservation groups has worked hard to protect the country parks from these destructive developments.

Heung Yee Kuk ‘farming’ lies exposed

Over 60% of the seasonal wetland in Ko Tong Ha Yeung which was subject to tree felling this weekend, was bought by Glory Top Develop Limited on February 2012 for $6,702,008. The company is owned by Chan Lai Ming, and Fan Wai Ling is the secretary. We visited their office which was branded “New Hall Design Limited” – a company with the same directors. Staff confirmed that the land at Ko Tong Ha Yeung was theirs, but that the person in charge was on holiday and would call us back upon her return next week. Whether the Heung Yee Kuk had approval to cut the trees is yet unclear.

Records uncovered by Designing Hong Kong’s land searches for Tai Tan, Uk Tau, Ko Tong and Ko Tong Ha Yeung can be found here:http://goo.gl/QJPt4B

News Reports on Designing Hong Kong Findings:
SCMP: http://goo.gl/kBXRWH
RTHK: http://goo.gl/0OUFZJ

News Report on villagers tree felling and vegetation clearance:
Hong Kong Free Press: https://goo.gl/10Ynma

【大灘、屋頭及高塘超過50間疑似「套丁」申請】Front men schemes covering 50+ small houses in Tai Tan, Uk Tau and Ko Tong

【大灘、屋頭及高塘超過50間疑似「套丁」申請】

“Tai Tan, Uk Tau and Ko Tong suspected over 50 Small Houses Front man Scheme”
(Please scroll down for English )

創建香港「大灘、屋頭及高塘土地業權」研究簡報：
http://goo.gl/F28PDQ

大灘、屋頭及高塘近年在城規會有多宗丁屋申請。創建香港經過近一個多月的土地業權研究，我們發現該區超過50間丁屋申請曾為發展商（公司或某批業主）所持有，再轉讓予村民或申請人，並向地政總署及城規會申建「丁屋」。發展商單在屋頭和大灘，上述交易與早前被裁定罪成的沙田大輋村「套丁案」（案件編號：DCCC25/2015）所用手法十分相似。

創建香港在6月7日去信敦促地政總署、城規會和廉政公署採取以下措施以預防相鄰的「套丁」申請：

1. 處理「丁屋」申請時，地政總署應當徹底研究土地的交易紀錄。可疑的申請應該詳細研究。
2. 當局應拒絕發展商假借村民名義作出的集體申請。只有個人申請方可被考慮。
3. 當局須評估丁屋申請人在本港居住的意向。地政總署可與入境事務處合作，以斷定申請人是否通常居住在香港。只有香港居民可以獲得批准。
4. 設立網上公開資料庫，供公眾查閱「丁屋」申請的資料，包括申請人、土地交易紀錄、土地狀況及審批狀況等資訊。
5. 城規會及規劃署在決定土地用途時，必須考慮土地交易紀錄。這是確保規劃圖則不會助長「套丁」的重要一環。
6. 為防止政府官員犯法，廉政公署正為地政總署提供建議，以減少「丁屋」申請程序中出現貪污的風險。可惜的是，建議報告並不會向公眾公開，只會交給地政總署參考。我們要求公開報告，使社會大眾知道和監察預防「套丁」的情況。

相關新聞：

Front men schemes covering 50+ small houses in Tai Tan, Uk Tau and Ko Tong

(Designing Hong Kong “Tai Tan, Uk Tau and Ko Tong Land Ownership Study” PowerPoint presentation：
http://goo.gl/F28PDQ)

A study of land transactions in Tai Tan, Uk Tau and Ko Tong shows that for more than 50 small house applications to the Lands Department and/or Town Planning Board the land was first bought by developers and transferred to the applicants just prior to their applications. These patterns are strikingly similar to the front man scheme discovered in the Sha Tin Tai Che Village court case (No. DCCC25/2015) during which the Court considered this an illegal practice.

Based on our findings we made the following recommendations to the Administration, the Town Planning Board and the ICAC to deter front men schemes abusing the small house policy:

1. Upon receipt of applications for small house developments the Lands Department should consider the transaction history of the site(s) involved. Suspicious cases should be examined in detail.
2. Group applications by “dings” on behalf of developers should be rejected. Only applications made by individual applicants should be considered.
3. The intention of the applicant to live in their small house must be considered including a study of their immigration records to determine whether applicants ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. Only ordinary residents should be allowed to apply.
4. Details of applications for small houses must be made public with an online database showing the applicant, an overview of the land transactions and current status, and the progress of the applications.
5. When considering draft plans and applications, the Town Planning Board and the Planning Department must take into account the land transaction history. This is essential in ensuring that the Board does not aid and abet front men schemes. 
6. To prevent government officials from breaching the law, ICAC is drafting recommendations on how the Lands Department can minimize risks when handling applications which create development values. We call for the report to be disclosed to the public. It should not be restricted to the Lands Department. A detailed review should be published so that the general public can better understand how front men schemes can be prevented.

News Reports:
Apple Daily: http://goo.gl/Bpsr5n
SCMP: http://goo.gl/kBXRWH
SingTao: http://goo.gl/2TGG8i
RTHK: http://goo.gl/0OUFZJ

HK01: http://goo.gl/syAgc6

Zoning Pak Sha O for illegal development

^{(Photo credit: Conservancy Association)} 

Protect Pak Sha O – Click and object to zoning:http://protectskpso.weebly.com/

Deadline for comments is 4 February.

We urge you to help the Conservancy Association protect the cultural and architectural landscape and ecology of Pak Sha O, a historic hakka village located in the Sai Kung West Country Park. 

In December 2015, a draft Outline Zoning Plan (S/NE-PSO/1) was published for public consultation. It shows where small house developments will be permitted. Surprisingly, it is exactly the land already sold to Xinhua Bookstore Xiang Jiang Group Limited. The Planning Department says that they are responding to villagers’ claims that a large area is needed for small house developments. 

But their demand is highly suspect. Records show that villagers sold their agricultural land to Xinhua some 5 years ago. Records also show that recently Xinhua “sold back” the land to villagers who have “ding rights”. Are these villagers acting as frontmen for the developer? Is the demand for small houses genuine or simply a scheme for development profits?

It is a mystery as to why the Planning Department is aiding and abetting this obvious frontmen scheme recently found to be illegal by the District Court. The boundaries of the area the Planning Department is proposing for small houses is near exact the land bought by Xinhua!

We call on the community to object to this blatant development scheme. Help the Conservancy Association by completing the on-line form http://protectskpso.weebly.com/

^{Just a coincidence? The visual above shows the land bought by Xinhua (pink areas), the land subsequently sold back to villagers in whose names recently applications were submitted for small houses (red dots), and the boundary (brown line) of the proposed v-zone, the area where construction of small houses would be permitted in the future if the Town Planning Board approves the proposal form the Planning Department.} 

For more information, please see on-line reports (in Chinese) from the Conservancy Association:

立場新聞：丁屋地倍增 白沙澳談什麼「可以居」？

Protect Pak Sha O– Click and object to zoning: 

http://protectskpso.weebly.com/