As the result of a meeting between our former Chairman, Winston Chu, and myself in London on 16 October, I wish to make the following announcement as the new Chairperson of the Society for Protection of the Harbour.
Firstly, our Society is grateful for the enthusiastic support of the Hong Kong community. Through the community’s generosity, the sum of HK$1,471,725.53 has been donated to our Society as of yesterday. Winston Chu has also generously donated the sum of HK$1,500,000 in keeping with his promise to meet the donations from the public dollar for dollar. These sums have been deposited into a special account and will be used to set up a Foundation Fund for the purpose of our work to protect and preserve Victoria Harbour. This Fund will be under the direct control of a Special Committee to be established by our Society headed by me and of which Winston Chu will be a member. I hope to be able to announce the other members of the Special Committee upon my return to Hong Kong at the end of this month.
Secondly, our Society will invite prominent members of the community dedicated to protecting Victoria Harbour to join our Executive Committee to assist in the management of the Society. I also hope to announce new members upon my return to Hong Kong.
Thirdly, all the on-going court cases that our Society has undertaken will continue. The appeal launched by the Town Planning Board in the Wanchai Reclamation case will be heard by the Court of Final Appeal between 9-16 December 2003, and the Central Reclamation judicial review will be heard in the High Court between 9-12 February 2004.
Fourthly, our Society is declaring Sunday, 9 November 2003 to be ‘The Harbour Day’. We invite all Hong Kong people to celebrate with us the beauty of Victoria Harbour from 3 pm to 9 pm at Edinburgh Place, Central. The Society will be providing more information about the celebration in due course.
Fifthly, on 9 November, our Society will formally launch our associated organization, the Friends of the Harbour to widen public awareness and support for Victoria Harbour.
Our Society had provided the foundation and leadership in the fight to protect and preserve Victoria Harbour over the past eight years. We now ask the people of Hong Kong to actively join in and help us protect and preserve the Harbour for our future generations.
Christine Loh
Chairperson,
London, 17 October 2003