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1. New line-up with brief to steer West Kowloon's future

2. Harbour plan needs 'tripartite support'

3. Dilbert cartoon

1. New line-up with brief to steer West Kowloon's future
MAY CHAN and DIKKY SINN , SCMP 7 April 2006

A new round of soul-searching on the future of West Kowloon was launched yesterday with the naming of a committee that will spend the rest of the year re-examining the project's core arts and cultural facilities.

But critics said the narrow selection of members meant key voices on the issue would not be heard.

The 15-person committee, headed by Chief Secretary Rafael Hui Si-yan, includes three Executive Councillors - Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee, Marvin Cheung Kin-tung and Victor Lo Chung-wing - Zuni Icosahedron founder and artistic director Danny Yung Ning-tsun and Ocean Park Chairman Allan Zeman.

They will convene three advisory groups to examine different aspects of the project.

Tourism Board chief Mrs Chow will lead a group on performing arts and tourism, which will include pop singer and founder of music group People Mountain People Sea, Anthony Wong Yiu-ming.

Mr Lo will lead a group on museums and Mr Cheung will chair a finance group.

Andrew Lam Hon-kin, curatorial director of the government-funded arts body the Museum of Site - the only Democratic Party member on the committee - will sit on the museums group.

Party chairman Lee Wing-tat said it would have been better to include more representatives from his party or from civic culture groups, although democrats could continue to express their views in Legco.

Cheung Tat-tong, former president of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors, said he was disappointed that the government did not include experts on land surveying and property development.

"Financial arrangements would affect the development and operation mode of cultural and art facilities," said Mr Cheung. "It should be discussed first, not last, in the process of deciding the future of cultural and art facilities."

Mrs Chow's group comprises 17 members, 10 of whom have been, or are members of, government-funded art organisations, including the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Mr Cheung's group consists of 14 bankers, legal experts and accountants, and no property developers or industry representatives.

Hang Lung Group chairman Ronnie Chan Chi-chung said the decision to exclude developers would avoid conflicts of interest.

The consultative committee will have its first meeting on April 21.

A full members list is available at gia.info.gov.hk/general/200604/06/P200604060106_0106_12630.doc

2. Harbour plan needs 'tripartite support'
CHEUNG CHI-FAI , SCMP 7 April 2006

Betty Yuen, managing director of CLP Power, at the International Sustainable Development
Research Conference 2006. Picture by Robert Ng

The harbour controversy shows just how difficult it is to achieve an ideal three-way partnership between government, business and the public on key issues, a conference heard yesterday.

Harbour activist Albert Lai Kwong-tak said a genuine tripartite partnership required participation on an equal footing and synergy.

But projects like harbour planning had failed such partnership tests, said Mr Lai, chairman of Hong Kong People's Council for Sustainable Development.

"Whilst all stakeholders seem to have agreed on a shared vision, there is no agreement on a structure for shared governance," said Mr Lai, who is also convenor of Citizen Envisioning @Harbour and director of the Conservancy Association's centre for heritage.

He was speaking at the International Sustainable Development Research Conference 2006 organised by the Centre of Urban Planning and Environmental Management. The South China Morning Post is the event's media partner.

"The chief executive, putting emphasis on procedural correctness rather than good planning, is apparently on a personal crusade to build a new government headquarters on Tamar. The business sector is keeping its scepticism under wraps despite its unease about the proposal's negative impact on the vibrancy of Central and certain developers' fortunes," he said.

"The civil society is aggrieved by the lack of a holistic view and a sacrifice of good urban design for administrative expediency. When the logic for partnership is strong, the will for partnership is weak. The ideal of tripartite partnership seems as elusive as ever."

Posing a "Hong Kong Air Challenge" to business and government, he called on the parties involved to engage in a genuine tripartite partnership to tackle air quality beyond 2010's emission reduction targets.

Otto Poon Lok-to, convenor of the Council for Sustainable Development's renewable energy group, said the government lacked a vision on air quality issues and a clear energy policy, saying action had been taken only after extensive media report.

Recognising the importance of partnership, Betty Yuen So Siu-mai, managing director of CLP Power, said the power company successfully balanced different stakeholders' interests - reflected in its reasonable tariffs, reliable supply and lowering of emissions.

Roy Tang Yun-kwong, deputy director of environmental protection, said such partnership was the key to sustainable development and such principles had been applied to a series of air clean-up initiatives in the past.

3. Dilbert cartoon

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