A sand supply shortage has held up the reclamation works for the region’s new Zone A, which is unlikely to meet its mid-
November deadline, confirmed the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário. This was revealed after an introductory meeting for the urban planning committee before the third and final public consultation on the urban planning of the five reclaimed zones that will commence today.
After three and a half years since its second consultation in 2011, the third stage of the urban planning blueprint unveiled results similar to its previous version, yet highlighting a new regional development concept. It focuses on co-development of the artificial island for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, the zone A currently being reclaimed, the periphery of the reservoir, the Outer Harbor Ferry Terminal and the Macau Peninsula’s northern district lying in the vicinity of Zone A.
Becoming home to a new target of 162,000 local residents, the five areas are expected to offer a total of around 54,000 two-
room residences, with 28,000 of those allocated to public housing and 4,000 private units in Zone A, 20,000 in zone C, D and E as well as 2,000 in Zone B. It was expected that zone A, with 138 hectares of land, would host at least a population of 96,000.
Li Canfeng, head of the Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau, told the media that the abovementioned conceptual initiative for the city’s east as a whole was to address the traffic network in that region, yet the planning specifics will only come later.
Lam Iek Chit, a member of the committee, thought that the information available in the consultation for the public was limited and similar to past versions, saying that it might influence citizens’ judgment. The authority also acknowledged the similarity of the scheme to its preceding blueprints, but cited bureaucratic procedures as the reason why it took around three years to reach the third stage. “The third one mainly focuses on the modification of Zone A, and some adjustment for Zone B’s coastline according to the light rail transit. There are no major changes to other zones,” said Li.
In addition, another commission member Mak Soi Kun questioned the feasibility of erecting another cross-sea passage, besides the one connecting the densely populated Zone A and Zone E, to alleviate the traffic pressure on the city’s fourth passage to be built. However, two mainland urban planning experts told the media afterwards that comprehensive research conducted in 2010 for the city’s entire transportation system in the coming decade saw no suggestion of a fifth passage, which can only be then introduced in the next research project.
“Our planning has to be carried out based on proposition technicality. If it were done conversely, there wouldn’t be any proposition. In other words, [we have to] plan in conformity with the laws,” said Zhu Rongyuan, from the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design.
The latest version of blueprint also revealed that two additional sewage treatment plants would respectively be introduced into the artificial island and zone E1, which would be far from the residential districts. Local citizens were advised to proceed to the government service centre in Areia Preta and Tap Seac’s community center for detailed information on the latest urban planning blueprint before August 8.
The third phase of public consultation on the development of the five reclaimed land lots in new urban areas starts today. During the consultation, which will run until August 8, there will be community sessions, and information regarding the details of the proposed development plans will be available in a government services center in Areia Preta and a community center in Tap Seac.
The 40-day consultation is the final consultation period for the design of a total of 350 hectares of land. (macaunews/macaudailytimes)
