Rebuild Queen’s Pier at original location? Government officials admit this is ‘feasible’
However, there has been no plans yet to abandon reconstruction at Central ferry piers
Government officials have reportedly revealed to members of a concern group that reassembling Queen’s Pier at its original location was “feasible”, though plans to reconstruct the historic structure at Central ferry piers will continue.
The concern group is calling on the government to abandon plans to reassemble Queen’s Pier between Central piers 9 and 10, and instead reassemble the pier in-situ.
Built in 1925, Queen’s Pier was the site of ceremony upon the arrival and departure of Hong Kong’s colonial governors.
Amid strong public opposition, Queen’s Pier was dismantled in 2008 to make way for land reclamation and the Central-Wan Chai Bypass.
Katty Law Ngar-ning, convenor of the Victoria Harbourfront Concern Group, said the admission from Development Bureau Principal Assistant-Secretary, Christine Au Wing-yan, coupled with strong public support for reconstruction of the pier in-situ, should push the government to abandon its plan to reassemble the pier at Central ferry piers.
Public support for this was bolstered recently, after a consultation held by the Civil Engineering and Development Department earlier this year showed public favour for reconstruction at or near Queen’s Pier’s original location far exceeded other options.
Online survey results released by another concern group Designing Hong Kong also revealed 65 per cent of respondents preferring to re-create Queen’s Pier at its Edinburgh Place site.
However, the government stood firm against abandoning the reassembly project at piers 9 and 10.
Both the department and bureau insisted in a joint statement that reassembly of Queen’s Pier at its original location was “impractical from an engineering and programming perspective”, repeating a response given by Secretary for Development Paul Chan Mo-po in the Legislative Council in June.
The government agencies did not address the comment that in-situ reassembly was “feasible”, made by Au at the meeting with the Victoria Harbourfront Concern Group.
Civil engineer and convener of Hong Kong lobby group The Professional Commons, Albert Lai Kwong-tak, did not buy the government’s reasoning. He said: “From an engineering point of view, none of that is true. Queen’s Pier is a lightweight structure.”
According to Lai, laying a shallow foundation, or using mini-piles are options which would not impact underground infrastructure projects. Realignment of Lung Wo Road would also be unnecessary if the pier was moved just a few metres from its original location.
Law said it was “ridiculous” to consult the board after reassembly between piers 9 and 10, as the heritage value of Queen’s Pier would surely be downgraded by then.
This week Brooke told the Post he believed the government “would take into consideration all views before deciding how to take forward the project”.
