KSC Public Golf Course

1
Recreational Facilities in Sai Kung --
The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau
Public Golf Course
By Channey Chan, Carlokas Ho, Esther Ng, Elby Ip
and Pearl Chan
2
Report on Gap Analysis and Alternatives Generation
3
Stakeholders

• Kau Sai Chau Golf Course
• Golfers and Visitors
• Sai Kung Residents
• Kau Sai Villagers
• Fishermen
• Non-governmental Organizations
• Government Departments

4
The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course
Limited

• First Approached Oct 7
• Replied Oct 9
• Louise So (Administration Manager)
• Face-to-face Interview Oct 13
• Kevin Yuen (General Manager)
• Field Investigation Plan

5
Sai Kung Residents, Golfers, Visitors

• Short questionnaire Nov 11
• Location Sai Kung Town and
• KSC Public Golf Course Pier
• Another in-depth interview Nov 25

6
Fishermen

• Mr. Law Yau Mui (???)
• Village Head of Kau Sai Village (???)
• Contacted Nov 8
• Face-to-face Interview Nov 11

7
Fishermen

• Mr. Ma Muk Gun (???)
• Representative of Tai Tau Chau (???)
• Telephone Interview Nov 11
• Referred by Law Yau Mui

8
NGOs

• Dr. Ng Cho Nam (???)
• Member of Advisory Council on the Environment
• Director of the Conservancy Association (???)
• Contacted Oct 26
• Replied Oct 30
• Question List sent Nov 8

9
NGOs

• Prof. Wong Yuk Shan (???)
• Member of Advisory Council on the Environment
• Environmental advocate
• Provides expertise in environmental biotechnology
  (scientist)
• Contacted Oct 26
• Interview Nov 18

10
NGOs

• Mrs. Ng Fong Siu Mei (????)
• Director of Friends of the Earth (????)
• Member of Advisory Council on the Environment
• Contacted Oct 26
• Awaiting feedback

11
Government Departments

• Agriculture Fisheries Conservation Department
  (???????)
• Miss. Phoebe Sze
• Contacted Oct 27
• Replied Nov 3
• Question list sent Nov 9

12
Government Departments

• Leisure and Cultural Services Department (???)
• Mr. Gary Ng
• Customer Service Supervisor
• Contacted Oct 27
• Replied and Feedback Received Nov 7

13
Government Departments

• Environmental Protection Department (?????)
• Telephone Interview Oct 26
• Being transferred to different departments
• Environmental Compliance Division - Regional
  office (E)
• Follow up interview Nov 24

14
Government Departments

• Marine Department (???)
• Contacted Oct 28
• Awaiting feedback
• Advisory Council on the Environment (???????)
• Miss. Sarah Ng
• EIA Subcommittee Secretariat
• Contacted Oct 27
• Replied and Feedback Received Nov 7

15
Stakeholders' Awareness and Capacities
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The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course
Limited

• Self-regulatory approach
• Fulfill EIA for building the existing golf course
• Maintenance of water quality
• Ecological monitoring
• Future plan to maintain sustainability
• Creating KSCPGC development fund to establish
  more golf and other recreational facilities

17
Golf players and Visitors

• 180,000 people visited KSCPGC each year
• Bring in money to Sai Kung
• spend money on golf playing
• spend money on traffic and car parking
• stay for dinner and shopping
• Not involved in the preservation of the natural
  environment of Kau Sai Chau

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Golf players and Visitors

• Golf players expectations
• more holes to play and practice paths
• higher availability
• lower prices
• Visitors (include SK residents) expectations
• scenic view of Kau Sai Chau
• food quality in the KSC canteen
• Aware the nice environment and the environmental
  awards of KSCPGC
• Concern the facilities within KSCPGC only
• Never try to voice their opinions
• Do not know the importance of the conservation of
  the environment

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Kau Sai Villager

• Who are they?

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Kau Sai Villager
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Kau Sai Village

• Background
• - 1953 government reclaimed land
• - Move 16 households to New Kau Sai
• Village at Pak Sha Wan
• - Training ground closed
• - KSC villagers built houses and took up
• residence again on KSCPGC

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Kau Sai Village

• Graves
• - Affected villagers negotiated with Jockey
  Club individually for compensation and
  reconstruction of graves
• Conclusion
• - Passive
• - No special expectation and needs

23
Where is Tai Tau Chau?
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Fishermen

• Consultation
• - On KSCPGC, fishermen on KSC were informed
• - On Tai Tau Chau, no consultation
• - Conclusion
• -- To KSC fishermen, no special
  expectation and needs
• Because of the location of golf course
  and village
• -- To Tai Tau Chau fishermen, they want to
  be consulted in
• further construction
• Water Quality
• - Muddy water flowing into the fish farms
• on heavy rainy days, herbicide flows
  downstream and kills the fish
• - Mud blocks the hiding place of fish
• - Fish amount decreases drastically
• on Tai Tau Chau, 80 households dropped to
  40 households
• - On 1st Aug 2006, they organized a protest
  on the sea
• - Conclusion Control water quality and have
  compensation

25
Fishermen

• Noise Pollution
• - On Tai Tau Chau, 2 households provide
  fishing service for visitors
• - Construction work in KSCPGC continues until
  11 p.m. or even after mid-night
• - Business volume hence drops 20-30
• - Residents called EPD to inquire about the
  time slot permitted for construction
• - EPD replied that there was NO fixed
  residence near the construction site, there was
  no limit to the construction in KSCPGC
• - Is it true?
• http//www.epd.gov.hk/epd/tc_chi/application_for
  _licences/guidance/application_maincontent36.html
  
• - Conclusion
• Restrict the time slot for the construction

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Fishermen

• Compensation Procedures
• - Jockey Club and construction companies took
  photos of the fish farms.
• - Kept the dead fish.
• - Next day, Sai Kung Home Affair Office, AFCD,
  surveyor company and insurance company went to
  fish farms to confirm the situation.
• - Cheque issued to those who are affected
• Wait for more than 5 months to get compensation
• Conclusion
• - Have quicker response system and
  more
• facilitated compensation system

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NGOs

• Questions asked
• 1. How did your organization participate in
  the
• different phases of construction of
  KSCPGC?
• 2. Did your organization meet any difficulties
  in airing
• your opinion of the golf course?
• 2. Did your organization oppose the
  development of
• golf course?
• 3. If so, on what grounds?
• 4. In what ways can the KSCPGC improve its
• environmental policy?

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Government Departments

• Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation
  Department (AFCD)
• Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD)
• Marine Department
• Environmental Protection Department (EPD)
• Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE)

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Questions sent to AFCD

• What is your role in the development of the
  different phases of the Kau Sai Chau Public Golf
  Course (KSCPGC)?
• What is your opinion of the KSCPGC?
• Did your department advise Jockey Club during the
  planning (site selection, design) and
  construction?
• Have you heard any voices against the
  construction of the KSCPGC in Kau Sai Chau? Have
  your received complaints during the construction
  of the KSCPGC?
• What is the relationship between your department
  and the KSCPGC (cooperation, partnership,
  advisory)?
• Is the waste made in the KSCPGC damaging the
  surrounding fishery productivity?
• Are the pesticides (Insecticide Chipco Choice
  A.I. 0.1 fipronil Merit A.I. Imidacloprid,
  Herbicide MSMA, Image, Fungicide Mancozeb,
  Rovral, Dacotech) used in the KSCPGC bringing
  negative effects to the environment?
• Is the construction of the third golf course
  disturbing the natural habitats?

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Reply from LCSD and ACE

• Leisure and Cultural Services Department
• There are four golf facilities under the
  management of LCSD
• Tuen Mun Golf Centre
• Wo Yi Hop Road Golf Driving Range
• Shun Lee Tsuen Sports Centre Indoor Golf Driving
  Range
• Indoor Golf Driving Bays at Island East Sports
  Centre
• Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course (KSCPGC) is not
  under their management.
• Advisory Council on the Environment
• Receive Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance
• E.g. Proposed Extension of Public Golf Course on
  Kau Sai Chau
• Distribute to related departments for further
  assessment
• ? Government Departments have a complicated
  framework that mostly deal with the
  administrative work rather than practical work to
  conserve the environment

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Gap Analysis and Alternatives Generation
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Technological improvements initiated by KSC
Public Golf Course

• The 3rd Golf Course
• Use of electric golf carts
• Use of Seashore Paspalum in turfing
• Higher tolerance to stress
• Higher tolerance to salt (less water required)
• More resistant to diseases and insects
• Lower nitrogen requirement (less fertilizer and
  pesticides needed)

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Technological improvements initiated by KSC
Public Golf Course

• The 3rd Golf Course
• Chemicals with less impact
• Insecticide
• Chipco Choice (A.I. 0.1 fipronil)
• Merit (A.I. Imidacloprid)
• Herbicide
• MSMA
• Image
• Fungicide
• Mancozeb
• Rovral
• Dacotech

34
Technological improvements initiated by KSC
Public Golf Course

• The 3rd Golf Course
• Chemicals with less impacts
• List sent by KSCPGC
• However, we are awaiting the opinions from Dr.
  Ng.

35
Problemstress on transportation system

• Situation
• Stress on existing transportation capacity
• Visitors or golfers tend to drive to Sai Kung
  Town
• Suggestions
• Encourage the use of public transport
• e.g. free shuttle bus service from Choi Hung to
  Sai Kung
• e.g. public transport rates to be deducted from
  green fees

36
Probleminefficient report system

• Situation
• Meetings among stakeholders held only when
  accidents happened
• e.g. sudden washouts downstream into marine water
• No permanent contact point for accidents
• e.g. local residents have to inform different
  departments
• Slow compensation procedures
• e.g. one case took 5 months from file of
  complaint to actual receipt of compensation

37
Probleminefficient report system

• Suggestions
• More inter-departmental communications
• Monthly regular meeting
• Better report system
• Prevention and contingency plan
• More involvement and consultation with
  stakeholders

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Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO)
EIAO Guidance Note No. 3/2002 Flexibility and
enforceability of mitigation measures proposed in
an environmental impact assessment report -
Preventive ability 3.1 The primary purpose of the
proposed measures is to prevent environmental
problems from happening, and not just to rectify
problems after their occurrence. Consideration
should, therefore, give priority to avoid,
pre-empt and prevent adverse environmental
consequences.
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Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO)
A guide to environmental impact assessment
ordinance 8. The time limits for the Director
to respond to various applications and for the
public and the Advisory Council on the
Environment to comment on the project profile or
the EIA report are described below
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8. Time limits for the Director, the public and
the Advisory Council on the Environment to
respond
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Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO)
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Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO)
A guide to environmental impact assessment
ordinance 13. Public access to information under
the Ordinance Section 15 of the Ordinance
requires the Director to set up and maintain a
register containing project profiles, EIA study
briefs, EIA reports, environmental permits and
other key decisions made by the Director. The
register, which is open for inspection by the
public during normal office hours, ensures
transparency of the statutory EIA process.
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Golf development in other areas

• In the USA
• Golf Course Superintendents Association of
  America
• They have worked out a framework and regulations
  for golf development in the States
  (http//www.gcsaa.org)
• In South East Asia
• There is no law or regulations specifically
  dealing with golf course development in general.
• Problems environmental pollution (of soil, air,
  water, ...), clearance of rain forest e.g. the
  Langkawi Island in Malaysia, water depletion,
  displacement of local communities...
• In Europe (esp. in Spain)
• In Spain, golf tourism is very popular ? growing
  no. of courses ? running out of ground water.
  Government started to regulate the development of
  golf courses.
• ? The Global Anti-Golf Movement (held in Panang,
  Malaysia, 1993)

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Conclusion
Generally, we found out that stakeholders lack
awareness of environmental protection. There is
also a lack of public participation in the whole
development from planning, consultation,
construction to management and maintenance of
the golf course. Moreover, local communities,
i.e. residents of Tai Tau Chau and Kau Sai Chau
are not sufficiently consulted.
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Conclusion

• We would suggest a system of participatory
  procedures
• involving scientists, stakeholders, advocates,
  active citizens
• and users of knowledge
• (as suggested in Sustainability Science, Kates
  et al).
• As mentioned recently by the Chief Executives in
  his recent
• policy address on environmental protection
  measures,
• We promote community participation by raising
• awareness and devise practical response plans to
• tackle critical and difficult situations

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The End