Opposition to public housing project around Taipa Olympic Centre

The government’s plan to build a public housing estate next to Taipa’s Olympic Aquatic Centre was met with significant opposition from different groups in the city, including the Macau Tri-Decade Union and the Advisory Council of Community Services of the Islands, as well as from individuals such as Manuel Silvério, the former director of the Sports Bureau.
Last month, Silvério informed local media of a letter he sent to the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raimundo do Rosário, expressing his opinion of the project. In his letter, the former government official voiced his disagreement with the plan. Silvério believes that the parking lot has a special meaning to Macau, and further that it represents a collective memory of Macau’s history. Silvério   questioned whether Sports Bureau officials have asked how the public feels about the importance of the parking lot building, since it is a part of the sports complex. The parking lot is considered by Silvério to be a supporting body of many sports facilities within the complex. He also noted that there is still the possibility that the building could be put to better use rather than being reconstructed into public housing. For example, it could be utilized by the office of the Sports association or instead, have more parking spaces added to it.
Opposing views have also been voiced by the Advisory Council of Community Services of the Islands.  Four of its members suggested that since the location is close to schools, sports facilities, and also to several public housing units, it is unlikely to be suitable for a tall building, as is planned for the project. Moreover, those same members pointed out that the number of local sports facilities has been decreasing during the past years, and that there is little hope that this is a trend which will reverse, according to a report by Macao Daily News.
Last week, the Macau Tri-Decade Union, the Advisory Council of Community Services of the Islands, the General Union of Neighbourhood Association (Kai Fong) and the Macao New Chinese Youth Association (ANJCM) declared themselves to be against the project during a talk on a local radio show.
“According to the government’s plan, is the government going to give back sports facilities to the neighbourhood which are equal or better than the ones people can enjoy now?” questioned Yeong Man Yuen, vice-convener of the ANJCM.
Representatives of the other two associations also urged the government to announce whether it will preserve the sports facilities around the area.
In addition to the aforementioned opposing parties, the government’s project to use a land plot in Taipa as a site for the building of public housing was also faced with opposition from several members of the Urban Planning Committee. Among them was committee member Wu Chou Kit. “The people need public housing, I acknowledge that. But there are other facilities which people also need,” he said.
Rosário was questioned by the media about several of these unfavourable opinions regarding the public housing project in Taipa. “We will always take note of the opinions of the committee members in these meetings. The services will analyze all of them,” he confirmed. Staff reporter