Landfill expansion approved after filibuster battle
Controversial plans to expand Tseung Kwan O landfill were finally approved yesterday after weeks of filibustering by pan-democrats ran out of steam.
Controversial plans to expand Tseung Kwan O landfill were finally approved yesterday after weeks of filibustering by pan-democrats ran out of steam.
The vote, by the Legislative Council's Finance Committee, means an immediate start can be made on a project environmental officials say is crucial to combatting a mounting waste crisis. It follows an agreement last week between pan-democrats and committee chairman Tommy Cheung Yu-yan, to cap the number of amendments submitted on the request.
But people living near the landfill and their representatives were angered by the decision.
"I am extremely disappointed," said New Territories East legislator Gary Fan Kwok-wai, who took part in the filibustering.
"This is not just an environmental problem but a planning disaster as about 50 towers… will eventually be erected just next to the landfill. The number of victims [affected by the landfill] will be more than doubled," he said.
Sai Kung district councillor Christine Fong Kwok-shan burned a copy of the environmental impact assessment report on the plan outside Legco and said some residents could challenge the decision in court.
The scheme was also caught up in a non-cooperation campaign by pan-democrats, who have vowed to delay approval of government funding requests except those that affect people's livelihoods. The campaign is intended to pressure the government into offering a better deal on political reform.
Environment minister Wong Kam-sing looked calm as the vote was approved. He faces a battle to overcome filibustering on three other funding requests for waste disposal schemes.
Built in the early 1990s, the landfill site has been the subject of odour complaints. Without expansion, it would reach capacity next year. Work will begin next year to expand the site by 13 hectares, to accommodate 6.5 million cubic metres of waste.
Some 33 lawmakers voted to approve the HK$2.1 billion funding request yesterday. Some 19 voted no.
The debate ran for 23 hours in 10 meetings since October 31. The four waste projects are expected to cost HK$30.5 billion.
Separately, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying said yesterday that filibustering might delay the opening of the Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai border crossing, which was scheduled for 2018.
Leung told businesspeople and officials in Huizhou , Guangdong that there was "uncertainty" because the government would have to request more funding and an "extremely small minority of legislators" were staging filibusters.
