1  Tai O proposals seek to protect fishing village's natural landscape
Joyce Ng, SCMP 2 August 2008

A design competition entry called Adaptive Ecologies.  Photo: Ricky Chung  Source: SCMP

A competition seeking design proposals to revitalise Tai O has attracted ideas that respect the old fishing village's natural landscape and limit development, in contrast to the official plans.

"No top-down master plan or superimposed megastructure," reads an idea statement from one submission in the professional group, titled Tai O Archi Puncture.

It creates no artificial scenic spots, but instead suggests water turbines with solar panels be built in Tai O to supply electricity, and setting up of Wi-fi services and street lighting for stilt-house residents, hoping to create a minimal carbon footprint.

Another submission draws inspiration from the flow evident in Chinese ink painting, which emphasises "putting ink at appropriate places while leaving blankness" where Tai O's essence lies.

The submission suggested solving the flooding and drainage problems with river walls and natural biological sewage treatment, and restoring the disused salt pans. Road networks should be improved to bring visitors to Tai O's hinterland. "The introduction of any new tourist spot is only destroying the beauty of Tai O. A welcoming plaza or waterfront promenade is simply not appropriate," the submission reads.

The contest, organised by the Development Bureau, is part of a public consultation after the government's proposal was heavily criticised last year. In the official plan, a plaza with a fountain and a new helipad was in particular criticised for destroying the natural scenery of the old fishing village. A feasibility study is being done on several development sites.

A total of 36 entries were received in the professional group and 69 in the open group. In many submissions, the vacant public housing block Tin Lee House would become a youth hostel; the historic Tai O Police Station would be turned into a cafe, library or restaurant; and the disused salt pans would be developed into a live site to demonstrate salt-making.

One proposal advocates a marine education centre to let visitors learn about Chinese white dolphins.

Some submissions suggest converting stilt houses into a folk museum or luxury resort hotels, but others prefer to leave them for local residents. An eco-tourism centre or even a researcher's hub would be set up in the mangroves, and the northwestern tip on a hill could be an ideal site for astronomy lovers in two proposals.

The design submissions will be on display at the Heritage Discovery Centre in Kowloon Park until August 24. The results of the competition will be announced next month.

2 Interim housing block faces wrecker's ball
Lai Ying-kit, SCMP 2 August 2008

An interim housing block that has stood for 36 years has been earmarked for demolition in 2010 to make way for public housing.

Concrete surfaces and reinforcement bars in parts of Block 12 of Kwai Shing East Estate, which is 76 per cent vacant, have been found to be seriously corroded upon inspection by the Housing Authority.

Although experts concluded it was structurally safe, the maintenance costs to sustain the block for a further 15 years were estimated at about HK$40 million, making repairs financially unfeasible.

The authority's commercial properties committee and subsidised housing committee yesterday discussed clearance arrangements for 197 households still living in the 824-unit block.

An authority spokesman said most would be offered public housing and others were expected to be rehoused in other interim housing flats. The affected tenants would be given 18 months for rehousing and granted a removal allowance of HK$2,907 to HK$10,276, depending on the size of the household.

"Members at the meeting agreed that deserving households with special grounds and justifications, including recommendations by the Social Welfare Department, may be considered on their individual merits for rehousing in public rental housing flats," the spokesman said.

The authority came under fire for high vacancy rates in four interim blocks, including the Kwai Shing East one, from the Audit Commission in October 2006. It recommended converting the Kwai Shing East block for "other beneficial uses".

The Kwai Shing East block had been used for public housing, but was converted into interim housing in 1995 for people who were cleared from squats and ineligible for public housing.