Judicial review of San Tin Technopole expansion may hurt investor confidence, planners say
- Social worker Eddie Tse says government approval lacked public consultation and violated the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance
A judicial review challenging the legality of expanding a Hong Kong technology hub near the border with mainland China may shake investor confidence and cause delays, planners and lawmakers have warned.
Social worker Eddie Tse Sai-kit, in a written application made public on Friday, asked the High Court for a judicial review of a government approval of a report on the San Tin Technopole project although the decision breached the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance and lacked public consultation.
The applicant, the convenor of the Save Lantau Alliance, asked the court to overturn the decision, on the grounds that the additional development announced in May 2023 – involving the expansion of the technopole and two designated projects – was not included in the project brief or study brief.
Both documents provided the scope of the environmental study and assessment that would affect the report.
The applicant made the director of environmental protection the respondent, while the director of civil engineering and development was listed as an interested party.
The original plan in 2021 only marked 340 hectares of land, with seven developments in the area that were likely to have a significant impact on the environment and therefore required to undergo the assessment.
