EIA report for Development at Ngau Tam Mei Area approved with conditions
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) announced, regarding the application submitted by the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO), that the Director of Environmental Protection (DEP) yesterday (December 18) approved the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the Development at Ngau Tam Mei Area (the Project) with conditions.
The Project is a designated project (DP) under Schedule 3 of the EIAO (i.e. an urban development or redevelopment project covering an area of more than 50 hectares). It includes two DPs under Schedule 2 of the EIAO requiring an environmental permit for its construction and operation, including the new distributor roads and part of the revitalisation of the Ngau Tam Mei Drainage Channel (NTMDC) and river diversion works.
The CEDD has exhibited the EIA report for public inspection from October 6 to November 4, 2025, in accordance with the EIAO. During the public inspection period, the EPD received a total of seven public comments. The EIA Subcommittee of the Advisory Council on the Environment (ACE) discussed in detail the EIA report and the public comments at its meeting on December 5, 2025. Subsequently, the ACE unanimously recommended that the EPD approved the EIA report with conditions and recommendations at its meeting on December 11, 2025.
A spokesperson for the EPD said that the DEP considers that, through the implementation of mitigation measures recommended in the EIA report, the Project will bring multiple environmental benefits to the area. These include addressing the existing adverse environmental impacts caused by scattered and disorganised brownfield operations within the project area, thereby enhancing land-use efficiency and improving the overall environmental quality of the district. Furthermore, by widening and revitalising the NTMDC into a multifunctional blue-green spine, the ecological value and function of the project area and its surroundings can be enhanced. In addition, through wetland compensation connecting nearby isolated wetlands, the Project will increase the overall ecological value of the area.
The spokesperson stressed that the EPD has thoroughly considered the requirements of the EIA Study Brief and the Technical Memorandum on Environmental Impact Assessment Process, comments on the environment and ecological impacts raised by the public during the public inspection period of the EIA report, suggestions and data given by green groups in respect of the EIA report (including the State of Hong Kong Biodiversity 2025 published by the WWF-Hong Kong), and the response from the CEDD during the ACE meeting, as well as comments and recommended conditions raised by the ACE on approving the EIA report. The EPD decided to approve the EIA report with conditions.
The approval conditions mainly include requiring the CEDD to:
(i) submit a detailed Habitat Creation and Management Plan (HCMP) as recommended in the EIA report to the DEP for approval no later than three months before the commencement of construction of the Project, and consult the Agricultural, fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD);
(ii) submit an Implementation Plan for Ecological Enhancement Features Design (IPEEFD) for the NTMDC to the DEP for approval no later than three months before commencement of construction of the Project, and consult relevant government departments, including the AFCD, the Drainage Services Department, and the Planning Department;
(iii) set up an Environmental Committee to provide professional and stakeholders' advice on the preparation of HCMP and IPEEFD, and on the effectiveness of the ecological mitigation/enhancement measures as recommended in the EIA report and the two approved abovementioned plans; and
(iv) submit a Bird-Friendly Design Guideline for buildings and noise barriers within the Project area to the DEP for approval before commencement of construction of the Project.
In addition, the CEDD shall review the progress of the implementation of various plans, the environmental monitoring results, and the effectiveness of ecological mitigation/enhancement measures. The EPD will continue to closely liaise with relevant government departments to follow up on the abovementioned approval conditions.
The approved EIA report and the approval conditions have been uploaded to the EPD's EIAO website (www.epd.gov.hk/eia). Members of the public may also visit the EIAO Register Office at 27th floor, Southorn Centre, Wan Chai, to inspect these documents.
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Photo source: news.gov.hk
