Introduction
The South East New Territories (SENT) sub-regions are among the five sub-regions in Hong Kong where strategic planning was being carried out. The first plan was completed in1989 but due to lots of changes taking place, the plan is considered outdated and requires to be reviewed in order to provide an up-to-date plan. The reviewed plan should provide long-term development goals which should be in use up to the year 2016.
SENT is mostly characterized by its unique scenic and virgin environment. It covers almost an area of about 13,480 ha. These areas comprise Tseung Kwan O New Town and the rural SENT. Territorial Development Strategy Review which was passed in 1998 clearly sets out where the strategic planning would be carried out. The strategic plan included the SENT sub-region as one of the regions in which the planning should be carried out. The strategic growth should be located in the Tseung Kwan O New Town and the rest of the sub-regions should be left for conservation and recreation. Only suitable places should be allowed for the development of low-density residence homes.
The SENT Development strategy review focuses mainly on the conservation of the natural environment of the sub-regions and includes the following proposals: conserving the potential marine areas and extending the existing country parks, the development of the Sai Kung Town as a tourist gateway, and promoting recreational development at High Island, Kau Sa Chacu, Sharp Island, Hebe haven, Ho Chung and Clear water bay.
Literature Review
In order to develop a good development strategy review for SENT, several key issues have to be considered and the necessary amendments should be proposed to allow for the amendment of the existing strategies: these key issues involves SENT’s landscape, Ecology, Cultural Heritage, Urban Design, Transport and infrastructure, Agricultural Activities, Rural Upgrading and Housing development, Tourism, and Recreation. ( Basett,1992).
Landscape
Areas which has visual values and consist of high landscapes were identified and evaluated. The evaluation was carried out in terms of quality. The resources with the highest quality consist of an area with little or no disturbances to the natural state of the landscape. These include ridgelines, coastlines, hillsides, and vegetation. Numerous features of historical and cultural are also present. Therefore the landscape resources should be conserved.
Ecology
Ecological resources which are located outside the protected area are identified for proper conservation. An active approach is required to conserve these ecological resources. These resources include woodland, mangrove, pond, and marsh, and fishery resources.
Cultural Heritage
Over 200 heritage sites exist in the study area. A holistic view is required in order to integrate the scattered historical site with the general landscape and environment.
Urban Design
Planning should involve the designing of small-scale development in remote and rural areas which contain high landscapes and quality resources.
Transport and Infrastructure
Improvement works sections of Hiram’s Highway are going on in order to meet the demand at the peak hours. Parking capacities at strategic locations should be increased. Also, there should be a reduction in the overall car travel and parking demands.
Drainage systems should be examined and fewer cost solutions should be drawn in order to improve the capability and the reliability involved. Large-scale development of sewage Treatment works at Sai Kung should be addressed in order to treat water in the small streams, in the Eastern parts of the area.
Agricultural Activities
Public resources should be invested in order to upgrade the agricultural practices which have declined in the study area. The decline might be as a result of urban expansion, restructuring of the economy, and also the decline in the Agricultural activities
Rural upgrading and Housing development
Development of more rural characterized house which has minimal implication on the provision of the infrastructure, landscape, and ecological provision should be allowed.
Tourism and Recreation
Transport should be provided to the tourist in order to access the scattered sites. Tourist services and facilities should be branded under a specified theme in order to ensure quality services and also there should be a centralized hub for the tourist services and facilities.
Pros for the SENT Development study
Technology development
The SENT development study addresses the issues of technological development. Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estates and the reclaimed land on its south have been identified as areas that are potential for technology and industrial developments. The area would be linked to the HKUST which could then be the base for the technology and also marine research.
Village development
166 ha of land have been identified as the potential area for the development of the small houses in order to meet the demand from the villagers till the year 2016. All the villagers in the area have been identified to benefit from the village development.
Housing development
12 to 24 ha of land have been identified for the development of low and medium-density houses. Some more residential sites of almost 2 ha have been identified in the Sai Kung Industrial area. Also, 60 ha urban area with obsolete buildings has also been identified for upgrading. Also, low-density residential development has been planned to be carried out.
Maintenance of the existing land use
Approximately 8,000 ha of the country parks, special areas, special scientific sites, and conservation areas are included in the maintenance in the development strategy. 810 ha which had been allocated as a developments area including the housing, industrial, and commercial development and the already existing villages in Sai Kung Town, Tseng Lan Shue, Tai Po Tsai, and the clear water Bay will not be changed.
New country park and landscape protection area
An area of 400 ha located in the fringes of Ho Chung valley and Tung Chau is recommended as a country park extension. More than 1,900 ha of the conservation and landscape are designated to contain the proposed development.
Tourism and Recreation
More than 400ha of land which is located at Sai Hung Town, Sai Kung/Ho Chung corridor, High Island Reservoir, Kan Sai Cahu south, and clear water Bay have been considered as the potential areas for the provision of the recreational and tourist used. Most of these areas and the coastal lines have the potential for conducting recreational activities which include leisure, fishing, and agricultural activities.
Water-based Recreation and Conservation
The potential site for the machine park has been identified at a port shelter; a potential marine conservation area has been identified at the coastal areas near Tai Long Wan. Three non-anchoring points around Long Ke Wan, Bluff Island North, and Sharp Island have also been proposed.
Public Transport
Additional public transport should be introduced to improve transportation networking and also to link the major rail services in the urban areas. This will also help in reducing environmental pollution, vehicle congestion, and parking problems. The completion of the MTR Tseking Kwan O Extension and the Ma On Shan rail system will also improve the access of the urban areas for the travelers in Tseung Kwan O and Sai Kung.
Road Network
Various roads are under construction while others are being improved. This is to enable the road network to reduce congestion mainly during peak hours.
Environment-Friendly Transportation
Bicycle routes have been proposed to be constructed between Ho Chung and Sai Kjung Towns and within Sai Kung Town. This is done so to encourage more people to use bicycle which is environmental friendly rather than using cars. (Orams, 1999).
The Cons of SENT
Management Hurdles
There are a lot of intensive management and packaging efforts required to integrate the already available resources and the recommended proposal of the changes to be implemented and the tourist activities in SENT:
Population
The study area excluding Tseung Kwan O New Town will accommodate almost 103,000 persons. This is an increase of 6,600 people when compared with the already planned 96,400 people in 2016. The increase in population might pose a threat to the environmental resources, transport, and infrastructure.
Visitor’s accommodation
Though most of the visitors visit the area annually i.e. the current level is 5.1 million, the SENT development plan does not address the way the visitors and the tourist are going to be accommodated.
Security
The security concerns in terms of crimes and emergency services are also not touched by the SENT design plan.
Suggestions for improvements
- Managers who are going to manage the implementation of the already proposed and planned policies should be very competitive and should be somebody who has done the same kind of job before.
- The expected number of people expected in 2016 should be correctly predicted. This is to enable the correct approximation in the construction of infrastructure. It will also enable the correct allocation of resources to the area.
- More hotels should be set up to accommodate all the visitors during peak and also of peak periods. It should also address issues of comfort safety and adherence to the preferences and specifications of various cultures of different types of people living all over the world.
- Police stations and emergency response units should be set up in the area to address the issue of crime and also to deal with any emergency cases e.g. fire outbreaks, drowning, and flooding that might arise in the area. Beach patrol officers should also be available to settle any anomalies coming in the conserved regions. This involves controlling the trespassers from trespassing in the conserved region.
Conclusion
The SENT design process should be implemented because the pros it provides override the Cons and therefore its implementation will be very important and useful to all the citizens leaving in and close to the area. The SENT design touches all the areas which are actually important in stimulating growth on SENT. It is also sensitive to issues dealing with environmental pollution. (Nahavandi, & maleiekzadeh 1993).
Reference
Orams, M. (1999). Marine Tourism: Development, Impacts, and management. New York Routledge.
Nahavandi, A, & maleiekzadeh, A. (1993). Organizational Culture in the management of mergers. Westport. CT, Quorum Books.
Basett, G (1992). Operations management for services industries: Competing in the services Era. Westport, CT, Quorum Books.