Conservation groups have urged the government to reconstruct the Queen’s Pier at its original location, as a consultation on restoring the pier continues.
The three plans proposed by the Development Bureau all suggested the pier – dismantled in 2007 – could be restored between Pier 9 and 10 in Central, about 750 metres from the original location next to the City Hall. The cost of the project will be between HK$230 million and HK$303 million.
The groups, including Victoria Waterfront Concern Group, Land Justice League and Designing Hong Kong, said the consultation exercise was “fake”.
“The Queen’s Pier is an important part of local history, and important evidence for the public to know about the city’s past – the government should have conducted the consultation and restoration plan better,” the groups said in a statement.
Support from district councils
The groups said that the Civil Engineering and Development Department consulted district councils back in 2007. However, the department said that reconstructing the pier in its original location would seriously affect the area’s traffic flow and infrastructure. Eventually, 16 of the 18 district councils supported relocating the pier.
The groups said that restoring the pier at its original location was the only way to rebuild the link between the pier, Edinburgh Place and City Hall – where colonial governors landed in Hong Kong.
The cost of putting the pier at its original spot would be under HK$100 million – less than half of the government plans’ estimated cost – the groups claimed.
The groups also criticised the Development Bureau’s plan to build a harbour view outdoor plaza, saying that it would be a waste of money and would become another tourism development project which would do nothing to aid the public’s understanding of history.
They urged the government to extend the consultation period for one more month. They also called upon the public to sign a petition in support of locating the pier where it was originally.
