Association calls for improvements community facilities in Zone A

The Association of Synergy of Macao called for improvements in proposed community facilities and density in the New Urban Zone A.

Led by lawmaker Ron Lam, the group has recently made submissions about the planning of the Zone.

For example, recapping Lam’s earlier written enquiry, the group demands the government consider experiences of places like Singapore and Hong Kong and standardize density in community facilities. Such facilities include green areas, sporting grounds, and wet market stalls.

Moreover, the group requests a citywide standard be compiled as well.

In support of their requests, the group highlights the fact that the Zone is a newly reclaimed area, meaning that conditions for development are based on standardized criteria.

The group again questions the decision to establish only one health centre at the Zone.

The government insists that a single, large health centre will be able to handle the healthcare and medical needs of the planned population of nearly 100,000 in the Zone.

In fact, in 2018, the government had planned to establish two health centres in the Zone.

Lam’s group pointed out that although the legal requirement for the facility is a health center per 50,000 to 100,000 people, the planned center in Zone A will see the upper limit of its service capacity.

The group doubts that one health centre will be able to provide good service to people residing or working in the Zone. It also argues that establishing one facility for such a large population would impact any possible benefit to the quality of life that may otherwise have been expected from expanding the size of Macau with reclaimed land.

On sport grounds, the group suggests the government build large-scale sport grounds, such as an on-standard stadium and an ice-skating range. This will not only correct the lack of such facilities in Macau, but will also benefit the “campus village” – planned for Zone A – as well as existing schools in the Northern District.

The group suggests the government make use of the planned reclaimed waterway for the construction of sport grounds. It also suggests building two health centers on the Zone.

The group also believes that wet markets are a critical facility. It presented the case at the Seac Pai Van Government Housing District as an example to prove that many local residents are still accustomed to doing grocery shopping at wet markets.

Moreover, the plan of single supermarket at Seac Pai Van, if introduced to Zone A, will likely force these residents to travel to another district for grocery shopping, which will eventually lead to heavier traffic.

Also recapping Lam’s earlier inquiry, the group calls on the government to improve its rental evaluation mechanism, so that rental prices will not be forced to increase amid an economic downturn.