The Government has been striving to take forward harbourfront development. Through the collaborative efforts with the Harbourfront Commission (HC), 12 harbourfront sites have been opened progressively thus far since October last year for public enjoyment; the management mode of “Harbourfront Shared Space” adopted on a trial basis has also been well-received by the public. In her Policy Address this year, the Chief Executive has also stated that a completely fence-free stepped-down water edge design will be adopted for the first time at the Victoria Harbour to enable visitors to sit by the sea and enjoy an unobstructed view of the beautiful Victoria Harbour. This time, I have specially invited the Chairman of the HC, Mr NG Wing-shun, Vincent, to give us a detailed briefing on the design.

Commonly adopted around the world

Since its opening in late September, the East Coast Park Precinct (Phase 1) in Fortress Hill has attracted a lot of visitors. One major feature of the Precinct is the first breakwater officially open to the public within the Victoria Harbour, with the introduction of a fence-free design. Vincent says that waterfront areas with fence-free designs are very common in waterfront cities around the world, such as Sydney Harbour in Australia, Copenhagen in Denmark, Oslo in Norway, Stockholm in Sweden and Venice in Italy.

A four-stage approach to promoting water-friendly designs

Speaking of “fence-free”, however, one may literally have concerns over the potential danger associated with it. Noting that it may take time for the community to get used to it, we have adopted a four-stage approach to take forward water-friendly designs step by step, so that members of the public can gradually get used to fence-free designs with varying degrees.

Progressively bringing visitors closer to the water

Vincent says that the first stage of the approach is the adoption of a “removable fence” design under which fences are made of fine wire ropes that are easily removed; such design was introduced to the Water Sports and Recreation Precinct (Phase 1) opened last year in Wan Chai. The second stage is the adoption of a low kerb design with a sloping seawall, just as it was introduced to the Tsuen Wan Waterfront and its edge area opened early this year. Under this design, a low kerb is used instead of fences to serve as a barrier between visitors and the water body on one hand, and to offer a sitting place for visitors to take an unobstructed view of the Rambler Channel and Tsing Yi Island on the other, thereby bringing visitors closer to the water.

Fence-free breakwater gaining popularity

The third stage is the provision of a fence-free breakwater. About 100 metres in length, the breakwater in the East Coast Park Precinct (Phase 1) is flanked by fence-free sloping seawalls. Not soon after its opening, Vincent says, the fence-free breakwater has become a “check-in” hotspot on social media; it has attracted wide media coverage, and even made front covers of travel magazines. The fence-free breakwater has received positive feedbacks from all sectors of society, including professionals, columnists and local residents, which has definitely given a boost of confidence for the promotion of fence-free designs in the future.

Stepped-down water edge design

The fourth stage is the introduction of a fence-free stepped-down water edge design (harbour steps) as mentioned in this year’s Policy Address. This design will be adopted in the Water Sports and Recreation Precinct (Phase 2) in Wan Chai and the Revitalised Typhoon Shelter Precinct in Causeway Bay.

Water Sports and Recreation Precinct (Phase 2) to open at year end

Vincent and I have made a special visit to the Water Sports and Recreation Precinct (Phase 2) to inspect the construction progress of the harbour steps. I am pleased with the satisfactory progress achieved. The design of the harbour steps allows visitors to get closer to the water by walking down a flight of steps, which can also serve as spectator stands for members of the public to watch water activities or other performances. The size of the water body in the Precinct measures some 2.5 hectares, nearly one-eighth the size of the Victoria Park. The Precinct is expected to be opened by the end of this year. Earlier on, some water sports events such as yacht racing and dragon boat races were successfully held in the Precinct.

Provision of lifeguard service during water activities

To ensure the safety of visitors, Vincent says, the four-stage approach to fence-free designs has been taken forward with reference to overseas experience. Take the breakwater as an example, safety precaution notices for visitors are put up at different locations along the breakwater, and life-saving appliances including lifebuoys are also put in place. In terms of site management, besides venue security guards, dedicated security guards are also provided to carry out round-the-clock patrol duties along the breakwater. These security guards will closely monitor the situation of the breakwater and give alerts to visitors, and provide assistance when needed. The breakwater will be temporarily closed under inclement weather conditions such as typhoons for the safety of visitors. Moreover, boom lines will be set up in the Water Sports and Recreation Precinct (Phase 2). During water activities, lifeguard service will also be provided as an extra protective measure.

Through this post, I would like to extend my special thanks to Vincent, all members of the HC and various government departments for their concerted efforts in bringing world-class waterfront designs to Hong Kong. We will keep up our efforts in enhancing the harbourfront in Hong Kong, making reference to the experiences and feedbacks of visitors in the progress, with a view to facilitating members of the public to sit by the sea and enjoy an unobstructed sea view freely and relaxingly.

Legislative Council General Election

On a separate note, the Legislative Council (LegCo) General Election will be held on December 19. A total of 153 candidates with different backgrounds and political views will compete for a total of 90 seats to be returned by three constituencies. None of the seats is uncontested. The LegCo is an important institution in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s political system. The improved electoral system will ensure broader representation and balanced participation in the Council. I would like to appeal to all registered electors to vote.