LegCo 2016: An election explainer for Lantau voters

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Whether you think Hong Kong has the world’s most “ridiculous political system or that it appropriately protects the interests of business, it takes some explaining.

As a registered voter, you have two votes in the LegCo election on September 4.

Here’s how it works.

The outgoing LegCo consists of 70 seats, of which 35 are from geographical constituencies and 35 from Hong Kong’s unique creation, “functional constituencies (FCs).” These are a frankly random and hard-to-explain assortment of sectors. To take one example: insurance, finance and financial services are all separate FCs.

Only 18 will actually be contested (fun fact: the Heung Yee Kuk seat has never been contested). Voting populations vary immensely – at one end agriculture and fisheries has 154 voters; at the other end education has 88,000. Of the 35 FCs, five are district council super-seats that we all get to vote on. More on that later. Continue reading →

Yes, high-speed broadband is spreading to the islands

There’s been a bit happening in the world of islands broadband.

In Lantau the big news is that Top Express has finally started rolling out fibre in Mui Wo.

890-9080_IMGThe company suddenly appeared at the start of the year promising service by May. Not surprisingly, that didn’t happen but it now advises it will complete installation in Pak Ngan Heung and Tai Tei Tong by Sept 30 and Luk Tei Tong by Nov 30.

Top Express didn’t give a reason for the delay but most likely it was difficulty in getting access to villages.

The company is not, by the way, a telecom service provider. Its core business is building infrastructure for Hong Kong utilities, and its expertise is getting rights of way and building trenches rather than selling broadband bundles. It has all of the local telcos except HKT as customers. Continue reading →

S. Lantau permit violations soar after rules eased

The number of drivers caught on South Lantau without a permit has soared since the government eased restrictions on non-local vehicles early this year.

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In the first six months of 2016, police summonsed 138 drivers in South Lantau for driving without a closed road permit, more than one and a half times the number penalised in all of 2015. The drivers were caught at traffic stops and snap checks, Lantau police say.

The level of speeding offences is also up sharply. Police issued 125 tickets in the first half, compared with 204 in 2015. Continue reading →

WWF warns of ‘irreversible’ decline after sharp fall in dolphin numbers

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) project has caused a drastic fall in dolphin numbers in the past year – and worse could be to come, says conservation group WWF.

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Endangered   Source: EPD

The AFCD’s annual dolphin tracking report shows that the dolphin population in Lantau waters has fallen 60% to just 65. Continue reading →

Lantau unscathed as Typhoon Nida heads inland

Lantau residents dodged a bullet overnight as Typhoon Nida passed without incident. No injuries or major damage were recorded, Lantau police said.

Across Hong Kong only three people sought hospital treatment, RTHK reports.

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Cattle take shelter at the Cheung Sha police base

Hong Kong Observatory replaced the T8 signal with the T3 strong wind warning at 12:50 pm. Continue reading →

Tai O residents evacuated over flooding fears

Police have moved dozens of Tai O residents to an overnight shelter because of the fear of flooding from Typhoon Nida.

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Battening down in Tai O  Source: Lantau Police

Inhabitants of approximately 500 stilt houses, built over the water at Tai O, shifted to an emergency shelter provided by the Tai O Rural Committee in Market St, police said.  Continue reading →

Nida set to pass northeast of Hong Kong

Typhoon Nida has shifted course over the past 24 hours and is set to pass to the north-east of Hong Kong.

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Hong Kong Observatory satellite map, 9pm

After hoisting the Typhoon 8 warning signal at 8:40pm, the Hong Kong Observatory said Nida would close in on Hong Kong overnight but its centre would pass within 100 km to the northeast of the territory.

It warned the typhoon would bring a storm surge that is likely to bring flooding in low-lying areas. That will put Lantau’s Tai O and beachfront properties on Pui O Beach and Lower Cheung Sha at risk. Continue reading →

Tai O faces flooding threat, expert warns

Leung Wing-mo, a former Hong Kong Observatory assistant director, has warned of a high risk of flooding in Tai O and other low-lying areas from Typhoon Nida.

Leung says that Nida’s expected landfall tonight coincides with the monthly high tide, where water levels will be 1m higher than usual. If the typhoon hits western Hong Kong, as is widely predicted, “low-lying areas like Tai O have the prospect of facing a greater risk of flooding,” RTHK reported.

Some Tai O residents say authorities built a breakwater in Tai O after Typhoon Hagupit in 2008, but are not certain about how effective that will be, RTHK said. Continue reading →

Typhoon Nida to make direct hit on Lantau

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Satellite image at 10:30 HK time, Sunday. Source: HK Observatory

Lantau will take the full brunt of typhoon Nida, according to Hong Kong and international weather services.

The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), US National Hurricane Centre and the Korea Meteorological Administration all predict Nida will strike Lantau Island, according to the Weather Underground (below).

Continue reading →

East Lantau Metropolis will be nearly as large as airport

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A site for flyovers: Kau Yi Chau

The East Lantau Metropolis (ELM) will require reclamation of around 1000 hectares in Hong Kong central waters, activists have calculated.

That is equivalent to roughly 1,000 rugby fields and compares with the 1,200 ha Chek Lap Kok Airport and the 130 ha artificial island for the Hong Kong-Macau Bridge landing zone.

Those are the estimates from conservation group Save Lantau Alliance, based on close observation of the infamous 3D model of the ELM in Paul Chan’s office. Continue reading →