CHAPTER 4  PUBLIC SUPPORT AND CONSULTATION	

4.1		The review has reassured us that the implementation of the existing nature conservation policy and measures over the past years is effective in protecting our natural heritage and has been yielding significant benefits for the community.  Our natural heritage is a valuable asset important to the maintenance of ecological balance and improvement of the well-being of the community.  It enriches our living environment and provides resources for compatible economic, recreational and educational uses.  Every member of the community has the right to enjoy the benefits generated from this valuable asset.  At the same time, all of us have the obligation to protect it from threat or disturbance.  

4.2		With an increasing population and the pressure for development, we need the support and active participation of every member of the community in protecting the natural environment so as to sustain the efforts in nature conservation.  The Government’s effort alone is inadequate.  All members of the community must become owners of this worthy cause and play a due part in it.  Only if all of us share the same commitment will our future generations and we be able to continue to enjoy the beauty of our natural environment.

4.3		This document has briefly set out the efforts that the Government has been making in protecting the important habitats and species in Hong Kong.  It has summarized the results of our review, including the effectiveness of the existing policy and measures, their shortcomings and proposals for further improving the measures that can enable all of us to better achieve the nature conservation objective. 

4.4		Nature conservation is not a pure science.  It is impossible to make a quantitative assessment on the ecological value of different habitats or species in an absolutely objective way.  The proposed scoring system in Chapter 3 aims to provide a mechanism that can assess the relative ecological importance of different sites by taking into account the characteristics of the habitats and species found there in a more systematic and objective manner.  As resources are not unlimited, we need to firstly devise a system that is generally acceptable to the community for assessing the ecological importance of different sites with the objective of identifying priority sites for enhanced conservation.  

4.5		We are fully aware of the limitations of the existing measures in providing full protection of ecologically important sites that are under private ownership, and the potential controversy as it involves how the balance should be struck between the right of the landowners on the use of their land on one hand and the right and desire of the community to protect the natural asset and to enjoy a pleasant natural environment on the other hand.  Identifying practicable measures to better conserve these sites is a highly controversial and complex issue involving many different stakeholders and diverse considerations including financial implications, cost-effectiveness, land use planning, implementation difficulties, etc.  Your views will help us map out a more comprehensive nature conservation policy and measures that will enable us to better achieve our nature conservation objective.  

4.6		The natural environment belongs to every member of the community and all of us have a responsibility to protect it.  Please take this important step in actively participating in nature conservation work by sending us your views and comments on the following –

(a)	the introduction of the proposed scoring system detailed in Chapter 3 for assessing, in a more objective and systematic manner, the relative ecological importance of sites with the objective of reaching a consensus within the community on the priority sites for enhanced conservation; and
	
(b)	practicable ways to better conserve ecologically important sites that are under private ownership within limited resources.	

Please send your views by letter, facsimile or e-mail to the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau, Government Secretariat at the following address on or before 18 October 2003 –

10/F Citibank Tower
3 Garden Road
Hong Kong

Facsimile: 21363321
E-mail address: nature_views@etwb.gov.hk
Enquiry telephone no. : 2150 7144

Copies of the report can also be downloaded from the homepage of the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau (http://www.etwb.gov.hk) or the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (http://www.afcd.gov.hk).

4.7		We will take full account of the views received in finalising the way forward.