Youth adventure camp near Hac Sa Beach to cost no more than 1.4 billion patacas
The government announced yesterday that it has decided to cancel its controversial project of building a Kun Iam statue in Hac Sa Reservoir Natural Park in Coloane, as residents are “divided” on whether a Kun Iam statue should be put up there.
In addition, the government also pledged yesterday that it will ensure that the construction cost of its youth adventure camp project near Coloane’s Hac Sa Beach will not exceed 1.4 billion patacas.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon made the announcement during a press conference at the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) headquarters in the city centre, which was also attended by several IAM officials.
Yesterday’s press conference came after the government held a press conference last Tuesday to announce details of its youth adventure camp project, as well as the renovation of part of the nearby Hac Sa Reservoir Natural Park including the construction of a Kun Iam statue. Since then, civil society has generally opposed the Kun Iam statue project which would have cost 42 million patacas.
Last week’s press conference also announced that the youth adventure camp project was initially budgeted at around 1.6 billion patacas. Since then, civil society has wondered why a youth adventure camp would need to cost 1.6 billion patacas.
During yesterday’s press conference, Cheong acknowledged that residents have “various and different” opinions on whether the government should put up a Kun Iam statue in Hac Sa Reservoir Natural Park. Cheong said considering that the government’s renovation of Hac Sa Reservoir Natural Park aimed to provide residents with a better recreational venue, the government “does not want a project with the aim of benefitting residents to cause divisions and controversies in civil society”. Consequently, Cheong said, the government has decided to cancel the Kun Iam statue project.
According to the IAM website, in April this year the Municipal Affairs Bureau hired a company in Guangzhou for the design, production and putting up of a large-scale statue in Hac Sa Reservoir Natural Park for a price tag of 42 million patacas. Last week’s press conference revealed that the statue would be a Kun Iam statue.
In preparation for a Kun Iam statue, the Municipal Affairs Bureau hired a local construction company in May to reconstruct the platform where the statue was slated to stand, as well as the surrounding areas.
During yesterday’s press conference, Cheong, whose portfolio also oversees the city’s municipal affairs, said that the government has told the construction company to stop the reconstruction work including excavation work. Cheong also said that the government will plant grass in the area with the aim of preventing soil erosion.
Cheong said that the local government has told the company in Guangzhou about its decision to cancel the Kun Iam statue project. Cheong said that whether the government would need to compensate the Guangzhou company would depend on the terms and conditions listed in the agreement signed between the both sides.
Cheong also pledged that the government will improve its mechanism for collecting opinions from residents.
Recreational area initially budgeted at 229 million patacas
Meanwhile, Cheong also noted that the government first planned in 2020 to develop a large plot of idle land between Hac Sa Beach and the nearby hillside into a recreational area.
In 2020, the recreational area was planned to cover seven hectares, i.e., 70,000 square metres, with a budget of 229 million patacas, Cheong noted.
Cheong underlined that since then the Municipal Affairs Bureau had received “many” opinions from civil society suggesting that the government make better use of the large idle area near Hac Sa Beach and expand the proposed recreational area. Cheong said that after assessing the opinions, the government has revised its original plan and come up with a new proposal to build a large-scale youth adventure camp there, covering around 10 hectares, i.e., 100,000 square metres.
According to Cheong, the company that has been hired by the government to design the youth adventure camp preliminarily estimates the camp project to cost 1.4 billion patacas.
Cheong underlined that the 1.4 billion patacas was merely a preliminary budget, adding that the camp project’s final construction cost would depend on the outcome of the future public tenders.
Cheong pledged that the Municipal Affairs Bureau will ensure that the youth adventure camp project would not cost more than 1.4 billion patacas.
Secretary for Administration and Justice André Cheong Weng Chon (second from right) speaks during yesterday’s press conference at the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) headquarters, as IAM President José Fonseca Tavares (second from left), IAM Vice President Lo Chi Kin (first from right), and Wong Pit Wa who heads the bureau’s Design Division look on. – Photo: GCS
This artist’s rendition released by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) last week shows a war game zone of the future youth adventure camp near Coloane’s Hac Sa Beach.
This diagram released by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows the layout design of the future youth adventure camp.
