Macau uses up 30 pc of its coastal waters: DSAMA

The Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) said in a statement yesterday that of the 85 square kilometres of its coastal waters, Macau has already used up 26 square kilometres, or 30 percent of the total.

The statement noted that the 30 percent has mainly been used for the airport runway, maritime restriction areas, and for other purposes.

According to the statement, which was published in the Official Gazette (BO) on September 15, Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng has appointed new members to the Coordinating Committee for the Management and Development Maritime Jurisdiction Areas. The statement said that the committee held a meeting yesterday at the DSAMA headquarters, headed by Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário. The statement said that the meeting discussed topics such as the progress of drafting a bill on the use of Macau’s coastal waters. The meeting also discussed the issue of coastal waters co-administrated by Macau and the mainland.

The statement pointed out that on the topic of reclamation and construction work in the coastal waters, in the past two years the mainland and Macau have exchanged opinions on around 10 projects, which include Macau’s 4^th Taipa-Macau bridge project, the planned extension of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) to Hengqin, the planned underwater tunnel near Ponte Governador Nobre de Carvalho, commonly known as the Old Bridge, the airport expansion project, and the Coloane western waterfront flood prevention project.

The statement said that at the end of the meeting, Rosário concluded that the coastal water administration and development involves many departments, bureaus and people, and expressed hope that in the future different bureaus can strengthen cooperation in order to be able to manage and develop coastal water projects. 

Coordinating Committee for the Management and Development of Maritime Jurisdiction Areas holds a meeting chaired by Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário (centre) at the Marine and Water Bureau (DSAMA) headquarters yesterday. Photo: DSAMA