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1. Basis for Tamar claim not clear

1. Basis for Tamar claim not clear
DIKKY SINN , SCMP 13 June 2006

A senior official yesterday refused to be drawn on the basis for Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's claim that there was 70 per cent support for the Tamar project.

Speaking on a radio phone-in programme, Director of Administration Elizabeth Tse Man-yee said the figure was the sum of different opinions collected through various channels.

"Over the past few months, we have done internal analysis," she said. "We also paid attention to newspaper editorials, letters from the public, and people who made calls to radio phone-in programmes. We gathered and organised all this information.

"We have scientific grounds to do our analysis. We understand the public has different views about Tamar. We've also refined our project according to the feedback.

"We've reduced development density and maximised opportunities for public enjoyment of Victoria Harbour . We've responded to public worries."

Ms Tse's comment came a day after a poll of 1,033 people, commissioned by the South China Morning Post, found only 28.1 per cent wanted a government complex to be built at Tamar.

Ms Tse said the poll result reflected the government's findings, as 28 per cent indicated the site should be a venue for recreation and cultural events while 26.4 per cent wanted a green park.

"When we look at the reality, over half of the Tamar development project is for recreational land use," she said, referring to the government's plan that over half of the space at Tamar will be open.

In a phone-in programme on Commercial Radio, a caller surnamed Lau opposed the government proposal.

She said: "The Tamar site should be developed as a multi-purpose venue for cultural and exhibition events, parks or church.

"The lives of Hong Kong people are too dry. They need some place to purify themselves. I used to support the Democratic Party, but I'm disappointed with its decision this time," she said.

Democratic Party chairman Lee Wing-tat said that, despite the Post's survey findings, the party's nine legislators would still vote in favour of the government plan on June 23 when it is tabled to the Legislative Council's Finance Committee for funding approval.

"We had raised five conditions and the government responded to four of them, so we feel we should support the proposal," he said.

"We are concerned with public opinions, but we won't change our stance just because one of our voters opposes it."