Lantau is one of the last remaining refuges of Hong Kong. One of its last truly wild places. One of its only lungs to remediate our air quality.

But all this is under threat. Development is accelerating daily, and the Hong Kong government has prioritized Lantau as the place to develop this year.

But what is the price of “progress”? Is sacrificing one of our most important landscapes really “progress” at all?

Citizens of Hong Kong have the right to say how Hong Kong develops. They have the right to decide what kind of a city they want; whether it’s one full of green space with a healthy ecosystem that filters our air and provides habitat for countless species of flora and fauna, while also giving us humans a recreational space to de-stress, and connect with nature.

Statutory Planning is a formal process of the Town Planning Ordinance, which determines appropriate land use and zoning. Currently, Lantau’s zoning is governed by conflicting and non-statutory strategic plans which offer no control, regulation or public oversight or input, but which are being used to legitimize development.

8.8% of Lantau’s land, or 1,293 hectares, is not covered by any statutory planning, most notably including parts of Tung Chung. And 6% of Lantau’s land is covered by non-effective statutory planning, including an unenforceable Outline Zoning Plan for the area of Lantau with the most conservation value – the South Lantau Coast.

We are calling on the people of Hong Kong to demand the government take action to keep Lantau beautiful by protecting it with a consolidated plan. Specifically, a Development Permission Area and Outline Zoning Plan process would replace the piecemeal existing plans and fill the missing gaps, creating a single statutory plan for all of Lantau.

Keep Lantau Beautiful. Sign the petition and spread the word.