Environment | Protesters demand public hearing on Coloane skyscraper

Agnes Lam

Scores of residents gathered on Coloane’s hiking trails on Saturday afternoon to oppose the proposed 100-meter skyscraper planned for Coloane’s hill. Demonstrators say that the building will exhaust the last bit of greenery remaining in Macau.
According to the protest’s organizers, approximately forty people participated, demanding that the government release more information on the proposed residential building and that they hold a public hearing to determine the opinions of local residents.
The planned skyscraper threatens to diminish what is considered to be the city’s last park area, despite the government’s assurance on multiple occasions that the area would be protected as an ecological reserve.
Authorities have not yet approved the project. They say they are still waiting on an environmental impact assessment, but protestors insisted that the government should also take the concerns of the public into consideration.
Agnes Lam, president of Macao Civic Power, which organized the protest, told the Times that an earlier demonstration in 2013 had pressured the government into “appearing to freeze the project,” at least until the implementation of the new land law.
However, she stressed that today there remains general confusion among the public as to the status of the environmental impact assessment and a suspicion regarding how the development plans might be edged forward, despite the government’s pledge to protect the area.
Another concern according to Lam is that the “environmental impact could be considerable.” She added that it was difficult to forecast accurately “because we don’t know how many buildings will be subsequently constructed on the site [if it is approved].”
“It will hurt the wildlife there, because of the destruction [of the greenery] and the noise that may scare birds away,” Lam said. “Even just a few buildings could obstruct sunshine from parts of the forest.”
Environmental activists participating in the Coloane trail protest told TDM that what they fear most is a chain reaction triggered by the construction of the residential skyscraper, which could lead to a further contraction of Macau’s green space.
“[The government] can start other residential building projects on other mountains, and they gradually, step by step, destroy all the green-lung areas in Macau and take away what Macau residents deserve,” Macau Green Student Union president Joe Chan told the broadcaster.
In previous demonstrations, activists have highlighted what they consider to be an “unfair privatization of land,” which could potentially restrict the ability of residents to enjoy the outdoor space and scenery. Staff reporter