More studies needed over Canidrome concession, CE says

The Chief Executive Chui Sai On urged for more patience with the government-commissioned studies to determine the fate of the controversial greyhound racing track, despite the fact that the concession is approaching a deadline in three months.
The Secretary for Economy and Finance, Lionel Leong, revealed last Friday that authorities are currently in talks with academic institutions and plan to launch surveys in order to gauge public opinion towards the Macau Canidrome Club, which was founded over 40 years ago in 1963, before a decision is made.
On the sidelines of the Institute For Tourism’s congregation ceremony, Chui Sai On said that the final decision regarding the matter would hinge on public opinions. Yet he also noted that such a racing activity was long part of the region’s multifaceted, gaming-oriented industry despite its smaller proportion compared to other activities.
“Pluralistic gaming has been running in Macau for years. Does the dog racing venue or such activities have to be immediately removed from the territory or can it be continued?” demanded Chui.
Although unsure of which organizations would contribute to the probe, he assured the public that the authorities would announce their subsequent actions over the concession after the research concludes.  Yet as it is expected to “take some time,” it will mean that the concession with the Macau Canidrome Club will be renewed, in a similar manner to what happened recently with the Macau Jockey Club concession.
On Monday, animal rights  group Anima submitted a total of around 300,000 signatures collected worldwide in a petition addressed to the government in the hope of halting what the group deemed as “brutal activities.”
Aside from the concession dispute, Chui also brushed aside online media coverage, suggesting that four land parcels from the Nam Van land reserve that are still available for development have been earmarked for property developer Shun Tak Holdings Limited, owned by Pansy Ho.
“According to the information in my hands, there was no such arrangement,” stressed Chui.
The MGM China co-chair also downplayed the reports yesterday, saying that the complexity associated with the government’s urban planning and with their rights to develop land required more of a simplified answer.
The group started touting its luxury residential complex Harbour Mile a considerable time ago, which appeared in close proximity to the Macau Tower in its advertisement materials.
Chui recalled that the authorities indeed received requests from developers to build in that area, yet once again professed that he could not offer comments on the allegations without confirmative documents in hand.
He stressed that the authorities were willing to allocate that particular parcel of land to cultural facilities or others for citizen service “if there were still land reserve left for use.”
The online media outlet All About Macau, which published the coverage on Sunday, reported on Tuesday that Land, Public Works and Transport Bureau vice-head, Cheong Ion Man,  confirmed the availability of the land reserve, yet he added that the authorities had yet to create any concrete plans for those segments of land.