|
Golf
facility at restored landfill to tee-off
Golf lovers
will have one more venue for practising their tee shots as
a 145-bay driving range developed from a restored landfill
by the Environmental Protection Department opened to the public
today (Tuesday).
The Tai Po Shuen Wan Temporary Golf Driving Range is the first
recreation facility developed in Hong Kong from a restored
landfill, according to the Assistant Director of Environmental
Protection, Mr John Rockey.
The 50
hectares site, which was used as a landfill between 1974 and
1995, has been restored to meet the latest international environmental
requirements, he said.
"EPD
has commissioned a contractor to carry out the restoration
works and maintain the site for 30 years.
"Possible
environmental and safety impacts related to the gas and leachate
generated from the gradual decomposition of waste is minimised,
and the site is regularly monitored for any landfill gas emission
both on and off the site.
"As
a result of the restoration work, the land is now safe for
public use," Mr Rockey said.
The golf
driving range was developed by EPD in conjunction with the
Home Affairs Bureau, Provisional Regional Council and the
landfill restoration contractor. The facility includes 145
driving bays and ancillary facilities.
In the
long term, Mr Rockey said, the government was also planning
to provide a nine-hole golf course at the site.
There
are 13 closed landfills under restoration and most of them
can be eventually developed for recreational use.
"By
restoring these landfills and developing them for recreational
use, we are able to return derelict land to the public of
Hong Kong," Mr Rockey said.
END/Tuesday,
April 20, 1999
|
