Good news, non-Chinese residents of Lantau.

The government thinks you’re worth talking to, even if our district councillor doesn’t.

The Civil Engineering and Development Dept (CEDD) has finally issued an English-language invitation to a public forum in Mui Wo on the Sustainable Lantau Blueprint.

By contrast, Randy Yu, the Islands District Councillor announced the event on his Facebook page two weeks ago like this:

Early this year he incensed some residents when he held a public consultation (on East Lantau Metropolis) that only a few seemed to know about.

This time no one can complain about not being invited. Too bad a third of the community can’t read the invitation.

In fact, Yu’s entire Facebook page is in Chinese. If he has any interest in communicating with non-Chinese members of the community, there’s no sign of it – an unusual attitude for somebody whose job depends on winning people’s votes. Randy Yu and his staff also seem to be unaware that English is an official language.

Despite the rhetoric around sustainability, the August 9 event will be dominated by pro-development interests. As well as Yu and the CEDD, all four Lantau rural committees will be represented. A minor furore has broken out over the latest sign of environmental tokenism, the appointment of a recently-retired planning bureaucrat as Lantau’s ‘conservation coordinator.’

Those who wish to attend will need to register by August 7.  Send your emails to enquiry@lantau.gov.hk.

Here is the CEDD Chinese/English flyer, issued Friday: