Environment Secretary Wong Kam Sing seems to be unaware of the detail of the government’s Lantau development plans.

He told an RTHK interviewer last week that he believed the plans for Lantau South were “primarily” about ecotourism, with “conservation at the core.”

“The environmental impact should be very small,” he added.

Wong did not appear to know that the LanDAC report, issued on January 8,  stipulates 14 tourist hot spots around Lantau, including ten in Lantau South (Mui Wo, Tai O, Sunset Peak, Pui O, Cheung Sha, Shui Hau, Tai O Valley, Sokos, Yi O, Fan Lau).

The proposals include such ‘ecotourism’ concepts as a wedding centre, a water sports centre, a water adventure park, two spa resorts and an expanded cable car service.

LanDAC also proposed direct rail and road links through Lantau country parks to connect to the East Lantau Metropolis, a commercial and residential centre with up to 1 million people to be built on reclaimed land off Lantau’s east coast.

Wong, who was promoting the government’s consultation on biodiversity, did not address the biodiversity impact of the extensive reclamation carried out, such as the near extinction of dolphins in North Lantau waters.

He said the massive development activity across the island would not impact on biodiversity because “it will not touch on country park development.”

As Environment Secretary since 2012, Wong has presided over the push to build a HK$20 billion incinerator on Shek Kwu Chau.