(6 Oct 2003)
6 October 2003
1. Various exteriors of Hong Kong High Court
2. Society for Protection of the Harbour representatives leaving High Court after court ruling
3. Representatives talking to media outside High Court
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Christine Loh, Vice-Chairman, Society for Protection of the Harbour
"We are obviously disappointed with the judgement but the judge was also careful in warning the government that they should be careful in resuming any reclamation that they showed. We believe there is still room for the government to in fact not proceed with resuming work because there is obviously wide public support for the government not to reclaim before the final court gives its judgement in December."
5 October 2003
5. Various of protest by Society for Protection of the Harbour at harbour side with protesters singing and waving blue ribbons, symbol of their protest
6. Various of protesters signing large banner reading in English and Chinese "Protect the harbour, stop reclamation"
2 October 2003
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Associate Professor Richard Owen, Geography Department, Hong Kong Baptist University
"Well most of these kind of projects will be particularly concerned with things like what happens to tidal currents because that will effect erosion rates, deposition rates on the sea floor. Also, during the actual building phase of the reclamation might release mud into the environment and that will effect fisheries. Those are direct effects apart from the aesthetic ones."
September 24, 2003
8. Various of dredging work for reclamation of Hong Kong harbour
September 25, 2003
9. Wide high shot of Hong Kong harbour showing Central and Wanchai area where reclamation work has caused recent controversy
STORYLINE:
Conservationists hoping to stop a reclamation project in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour were defeated on Monday when a judge ruled they had not proven the work would cause permanent damage.
A group called the Society for the Protection of the Harbour, headed by conservationist Winston Chu, wanted to halt the government's reclamation along the waterfront in the downtown Central business district.
The government is reclaiming land there to make space for roads and a waterfront promenade, but opponents say past reclamation has badly shrunk the harbour and threatens to turn it into something that looks more like a river.
High Court Judge Michael Hartmann refused to stop work on the reclamation, saying Chu's group had not presented sufficient evidence to support its claim that the project would cause irreparable and irreversible damage to the harbour.
But the judge warned the government that if appellate courts ultimately decide the work violates a Hong Kong harbour protection act, all the reclaimed land would need to be dug up and removed.
Chu wanted the project stopped while lawyers on both sides of the issue fight an appeal in an earlier case, in which a court struck down plans to reclaim land in the Wanchai office and entertainment district.
The judge in that case said town planners had ignored a harbour protection act intended to stop excessive reclamation - and the conservationists said that finding should apply to the downtown project as well.
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