The government yesterday announced details of its ongoing plan to use 39 available plots across the city for various purposes on a temporary basis, comprising 13 for recreational and leisure purposes, 15 open-air public carparks, three recycling facilities, four sports facilities, and four for other different purposes.
The government started last year an initiative to earmark a number of long-undeveloped and idle plots across the city, the permanent uses of which has still not been decided, for various purposes on a temporary basis, with the aim of making good use of these plots before their respective permanent uses are finally determined, thereby enhancing residents’ well-being in various aspects.
The Legislative Assembly’s (AL) Follow-up Committee for Land and Public Concession Affairs asked government officials to attend a meeting yesterday to brief its members about the latest progress of the government’s ongoing plan to convert its available plots into various facilities to be operated on a temporary basis.
The meeting was held behind closed doors, after which lawmaker-cum-unionist Ella Lei Cheng I, who chairs the committee, briefed reporters about the meeting.
Yesterday’s meeting was attended by four officials, comprising Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raymond Tam Vai Man, his chief-of-cabinet Un In Lin, Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) Director Lai Weng Leong, and Public Works Bureau (DSOP) Director Lam Wai Hou.
The government revealed in June last year its plan to use nine available plots for different purposes on a temporary basis, after which Tam told lawmakers in December last year that the government was planning to earmark 30 more plots for various types of facilities to be operated on a temporary basis.
Three of the 39 plots are now being used, namely three temporary open-air carparks which came into use at different times last month. Concerning the other 36 plots, the government has launched projects to convert the respective plots into temporary facilities, while the temporary uses of the respective plots are still in the planning process.
During yesterday’s press briefing, Lei noted that 32 of the 39 plots are located in the Macau peninsula, many of which are situated in its central and southern area. The other seven plots are located in Taipa, Coloane or Cotai, she said.
The 39 plots cover a total of over 100,000 square metres, Lei said.
Except the three temporary open-air carparks which have already come into use, Lei said, the other 12 plots earmarked for temporary open-air carparks are expected to be able to provide over 1,000 parking spaces.
The three temporary open-air carparks that opened last month provide a total of 194 parking spaces for cars and 140 spaces for motorcycles.
The Public Works Bureau announced the full list of the 39 plots in a statement last night, according to which the 39 plots cover an area ranging between 31 square metres and 15,785 square metres.
According to last night’s statement, the 31-square-metre plot is located in an alley in the peninsula’s San Kio district, earmarked for a sitting-out area, while the 15,785-square-metre plot is a plot, known as Plot B13, in the Zone A land reclamation area, earmarked for sports facilities.
Concerning the 30 plots newly announced by the government, Lei said yesterday that the government has still not come up with exact schedules as to when their temporary uses could get off the ground.
Among the 39 plots, the first nine plots comprise the three temporary open-air carparks that opened last month, three plots for temporary sports facilities with their respective projects having been launched, two recycling facilities with their respective projects having been launched, and a super-fast e-vehicle charging station to be set up on a plot in Cotai. The charging station is expected to come into use at around the middle of this year.
According to the list announced last night, the 39 plots include three plots in Nam Van Lake district, namely Plots A3, A4 and A9, earmarked for temporary recreational and leisure purposes.
A man smokes outside Plot A9 (top) on the waterfront in Nam Van Lake district yesterday, while pedestrians walk past Plot A4 in the area(left). The two plots, alongside Plot A3 in the area, are three of 13 plots that the government has currently earmarked for recreational and leisure purposes on a temporary basis. – Photos: Tony Wong
