1.1.1
In
mid-1990, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) proposed providing a public golf
course at Kau Sai Chau as a recreational golf facility, which also has the
effect of restoring the land degraded by its use as an artillery range. In late
1995, the first 18-hole golf course was opened to the public, followed by a
second 18-hole golf course, driving range and associated support facilities
nine months later. Since opening, utilisation of the golf courses has increased
considerably. Utilisation of
tee-times is almost 100% on weekends/public holidays and 72% on weekdays when
there is good weather (annual average utilisation is 80%). With the two
existing courses in heavy demand, the Hong Kong Jockey Club has decided to
expand the existing facilities by building a third golf course with supporting
facilities. The "Proposed Extension of Public Golf Course at Kau Sai Chau
Island, Sai Kung” project (the Project) will provide additional golfing
capacity for the public next to the existing public golf courses on Kau Sai
Chau. Figure 1.1 shows the locations of the existing and proposed courses at
Kau Sai Chau. The Project comprises
the following major components:
·
An
18-hole public golf course on the east side of the island, south of the
existing golfing area, with supporting facilities; and
·
A
desalination plant on the west side of the island (next to the existing pier)
to supplement the self-contained irrigation system.
1.2.1
The Project is Designated Project under the
Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO), and, in accordance with the
EIA Study Brief for the Project, registered under the EIAO as “Proposed
Extension of Public Golf Course at Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung” (Ref No.
ESB-064/2000), this EIA Study will provide information on the nature and extent
of environmental impacts arising from construction and operation of the Project
and related concurrent activities.
This information will contribute to deciding:
l
the overall acceptability of any adverse environmental
consequences likely to arise as a result of the Project;
l
the
conditions and requirements for detailed design, construction and operation of
the Project to mitigate any potential adverse environmental consequences
wherever practicable; and
l
the
acceptability of residual impacts after the proposed mitigation measures are
implemented.
1.2.2
Identified
construction and operation impacts are:
Construction
impacts of the Project:
l
construction
dust and noise;
l
silty
water runoff; and
l
impact
on habitats.
Operation
impacts of the Project:
l
runoff
due to turfgrass management;
l
increased
use of existing infrastructure (solid and liquid waste); and
l
operational
impact from the desalination plant.
1.2.3
Based on
the experience gained during the construction and operation of the existing
golf courses, the current proposal includes design measures which avoid or
minimize the environmental impacts.
1.2.4
The
objectives of this EIA Study are:
l
to
describe the Project and associated works together with the requirements for
implementing the Project;
l
to
identify and describe the elements of the community and environment likely to
be affected by or cause adverse impacts to the Project, including both the the
natural and man-made environment;
l
to
identify any negative impacts on fisheries;
l
to
identify and quantify emission sources, determine the significance of impacts
on sensitive receivers and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
l
to
identify and quantify water quality, determine the significance of impacts on
sensitive receivers and to propose measures to mitigate these impacts;
l
to
identify and quantify any potential losses and damages to flora, fauna and
natural habitats;
l
to
identify any negative impacts on sites of cultural heritage, and propose
measures to mitigate these impacts;
l
to
identify and assess any potential landscape and visual impacts, and propose
measures to mitigate these impacts;
l
to
identify, predict and evaluate the residual environmental impacts and the
cumulative effects expected to arise during the construction and operation
phases of the Project in relation to the sensitive receivers and potential
affected uses; and
l
to
design and specify the environmental monitoring and audit requirements, if
required, to ensure the implementation and effectiveness of the environmental
protection and pollution control measures adopted.
1.3.1
The Environmental
Impact Assessment Ordinance (EIAO)
came into operation in April 1998, requiring EIA to be carried out for
Designated Projects
1.3.2
The development of an outdoor golf course
falls within the remit of the EIA Ordinance [Schedule 2, Part 1, Item O.1]
which determines that the proposed project is designated under the EIAO.
1.3.3
Although the existing golf course facilities were
constructed before the enactment of the EIAO, an Environmental Impact
Assessment (EIA), Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) Manual and
Turfgrass Management Plan were produced and approved by the Environmental
Protection Department (
1.4.1
The
structure of this EIA Report is outlined in the following table.
Table
1.1 EIA Report Structure
|
Chapter |
Title |
Approach
and Key Issues |
|
1 |
Introduction |
Introduces the project, EIA requirements and layout of the EIA report |
|
2 |
Project Description |
Outlines the objectives and scope of environmental assessments;
Summarises the options considered and presents benefits and disbenefits |
|
3 |
Sensitive Receivers |
Description of the identified sensitive receivers |
|
4 |
Air Impact Assessment |
Each self-contained chapter identifies the applicable legislation,
methodology of assessment, presents an assessment of
impact, recommends mitigation if applicable and quantifies and assesses
significance of any residual impact. |
|
5 |
Noise Impact Assessment |
|
|
6 |
Water Quality Impact Assessment |
|
|
7 |
Waste Management |
|
|
8 |
Terrestrial Ecology |
|
|
9 |
Marine Ecology |
|
|
10 |
Fisheries |
|
|
11 |
Land Contamination Assessment |
|
|
12 |
Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment |
|
|
13 |
Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment |
|
|
14 |
Environmental Monitoring and Auditing |
Presents proposals for the construction and operation of an EM&A
programme. |
|
15 |
Environmental Outcome |
Presents the environmental benefits of the proposed project |
|
16 |
Conclusions |
Draws together the earlier chapters and summarises the findings |
2.1.1
The Environmental
Studies for the two existing 18-hole golf course, constructed on the north end
of the island, were carried out before the enactment of the EIA Ordinance.
However, these studies were submitted to the Government and discussed by the
Advisory Committee on the Environment (ACE). The endorsed report was entitled
“Kau Sai Chau Development EIA (Final Report, March 1994)”[1]. This EIA covered construction and
operation of the public golf courses, driving range and ancillary facilities
(e.g. administration building, maintenance facilities and ferry service).
2.1.2
An
Additional Ecological Survey Report was submitted in July 1994 to provide
further survey data and clarification on outstanding ecological issues.
2.1.3
The
"turfgrass management plan" was included in the operations manual
entitled “Hong Kong Golf Course Handbook: Environmental Considerations for
Design, Construction and Operation”[2]
was producted in July 1994.
2.1.4
Construction
and operation phase Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) was carried
out from August 1994 to January 1999. The associated reporting documents were
entitled “Environmental Monitoring and Audit (EM&A) reports for Kau Sai
Chau Development”[3]. The monitoring work identified in the
EIA documents continued until January 1999 to satisfy the EM&A agreements
for the Project. However, the Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course Ltd
(KSCPGC) has continued water quality and ecology monitoring, and the following
reports were produced: “Hong Kong Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course -
Ecological Monitoring Report July 1999 to June
2.2.1
An
application for a Study Brief under the EIAO on
2.2.2
Subsequent
to the issue of the EIA Study Brief, discussions were held between the Hong
Kong Jockey Club, the designer, the engineer and the environmental team to
refine the design. Layout details
of the proposed third golf course, such as the irrigation and drainage systems,
have been revised so that the finalised design maximises playability and
engineering feasibility while at the same time takes account of environmental
constraints and long term sustainability. A crucial change is the removal of
the proposal to include a reservoir. A review concluded that by using a
different grass type, fresh water usage can be significantly reduced. Shortfall
will be provided for by the inclusion of a small desalination plant. The
viability of construction and operation of the desalination plant is included
in this EIA Report.
2.2.3
Other
development items included in the EIA Study Brief, such as recreational
facilities, floodlight, hostels for early bird golfers and walking trails, are
no longer to be provided and thus not covered in this EIA Report.
The
2.3.1
Kau
Sai Chau has an area of about
2.3.2
Being
an island, it can only be accessed by a ferry service from Sai Kung Ferry Pier
that runs past the southern tip of
2.3.3
Historically,
Kau Sai Chau was used as a military firing range, and within the Project site,
there is still visible evidence of this former activity on the hillside where
the thin scrubland cover has been exposed and there has been extensive washout
of soil from the hillside during rainfall. There are also a number of
graves scattered around the north end of the island, some of which are around
the area of the proposed third golf course.
2.3.4
The small
The Existing Courses
2.3.5
The
Hong Kong Jockey Club developed a public golf course on Kau Sai Chau in the mid
2.3.6
There are two courses, the North Course (18-hole)
and the South Course (18-hole). A
reservoir produces irrigation water.
In addition to the golf courses, supporting facilities include an
administration building, a driving range, a maintenance workshop, and a pier.
2.3.7
The
Existing Courses was the subject of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), though this was before the enactment of the
EIAO and the project was classed as being "exempted" under the EIAO
i.e. work carried out before the EIAO. The EIA identified environmental
mitigation for incorporation into the design and operation phases of the
project, including Environmental Monitoring and Audit Requirements for
construction and operation phases and a “Turf Management Plan”.
Proposed third 18-hole golf course
2.3.8
The
location of the proposed third 18-hole golf course is on the east side of Kau
Sai Chau, immediately south of the Existing Courses (Figure 2.1).
2.3.9
The proposed
site is currently unzoned, and comprises an approximately 300 metres wide and
2.3.10 The proposed golf course will
be 7,000 yards in play length, and players will use electric golf carts to
drive along the dedicated cart paths along the fairways of the 18 holes. To
form the course, approximately
530,000 cubic meters of material will have to be moved in an earth reshaping
operation. Unlike the first two courses, the proposed third course will be turfed
with Seashore Paspalum. Besides higher tolerance to stress (heavy
traffic), this grass is salt tolerant which means less fresh water will
be needed for irrigation. In addition, it is more resistant to diseases and
insects so less pesticide will be needed.
In order to provide irrigation to the proposed third course during dry
periods, a desalination plant will be incorporated into the Project. In
addition to environmental assessment, this aspect of the Project is also
subject to Government Gazattal requirements.
2.3.11 Certain elements of infrastructure support
are already available in the existing golf course facilities (administration
building, maintenance building, sewage treatment works and water supply), and
will be shared or extended to provide additional capacity for the proposed
third golf course.
2.4.1
Since the opening of the Existing Courses in 1995,
the game of golf has become extremely popular
with the
2.4.2
The
heavy demand at Kau Sai Chau can be demonstrated by the following facts:
l
Over
60,000 telephone calls in the first hour of opening the daily booking system at
9:30 am for Saturday/Sunday/public holiday (maximum of 500 players per day).
l
Almost100%
utilisation of tee-times on weekends/public holidays and 72% for weekdays
(during good weather months). Annual average utilisation is at 80%.
l
Over
8,000 golf students, including 3,600 juniors (under 21 years), attend classes
on the Existing Courses each year.
l
A
daily record of 1,200 visitors visit the island, including golfers, golf
students, driving range users and general weekend visitors.
2.4.3
The
growing popularity of the game is also demonstrated by the establishment of 10
commercially-run driving range facilities throughout Hong Kong and the
Site formation and slope works
2.5.1
The
permanent works comprise cut and fill works, slope works, earth retaining
walls, lakes for irrigation water.
The temporary works will involve the formation of working platforms and
material storage areas. The
earthworks will include excavation of temporary ditches along the sides of the
excavations to collect surface water.
Desilted water will be discharged into existing drainage system.
Drainage and Irrigation system
2.5.2
The
permanent drainage system for the proposed golf course comprises a
comprehensive network of storm water drains, low flow rising mains, irrigation
rising mains and gravity drains, lake and low flow storage tanks/pumping
stations. The irrigation supply
systems include two significant pumping stations, the seawater intake pumping
station for the desalination plant and a low-level irrigation supply pumping
station at the existing reservoir..
Golf Course formation and general landscaping
2.5.3
The
holes of the proposed third golf course will be constructed in three main
groups (North, Centre and South).
The overall development of the proposed third golf course will be the
tees, greens and fairways areas.
The landscape work has two sections: stabilization and erosion control
for exposed soil and slopes, and planting material for amenity purposes.
Cart Paths and Bridge Construction
2.5.4
The
cart paths subgrade will be used to provide access to the various holes for
construction vehicles to deliver capping sand and the turf. Concreting of cart paths will be one of
the last construction tasks (after completion of drainage works, utility
installation and irrigation works), after which no heavy construction or
maintenance plant or equipment will be needed.
2.5.5
The
permanent bridge works include formwork assembly, steel fixing, concrete
pouring for the footing/cap and abutment walls, striking and lifting of
formwork after concreting, and lifting and installation of precast concrete
beams.
Desalination Plant and temporary barging point
2.5.6
The
existing pier will be used temporarily for transportation of material during
the construction phase of the desalination plant and associated sea water
pumping station on the west side of the island. It will also be used for delivery of
construction workers, building plant and building material. A temporary barging point will be
located on the east side of the proposed third golf course for major deliveries
of equipment and construction workers to site during the construction phase,
and will be decommissioned after the construction of the proposed Project has
been completed.
Operation phase of the proposed third golf course
2.5.7
The 18-hole
golf course will contain infrastructure including a desalination plant,
irrigation lake, cart paths, bridges and small structures (halfway house and
rain shelters).
Engineering Issues
2.5.8
Major
engineering issues arising from expanding the existing golf facilities are:
· Source of irrigation water during
operation;
· Earthworks during construction; and
· Provision of drainage.
2.5.9
Minor
engineering issues include upgrading of the sewage treatment facilities and
extension of the administration and maintenance buildings.
Irrigation
water supply
2.5.10 The Existing Courses are irrigated with
water collected from the catchment of the courses and stored in a reservoir. In
addition, sewage treatment works effluent is recycled for irrigation purposes.
There is insufficient water storage capacity in the existing reservoir to fully
irrigate the proposed third golf course, and even though the storage capacity
of the existing reservoir will be maximized and a closed low flow drainage
system will reuse and recycle water, there will still be a shortfall in supply.
2.5.11 To minimise additional water requirements,
different grass species were reviewed, and Seashore
Paspalum has been selected. This
grass species is salt tolerant so that saline water can be used for
irrigation, though fresh water is needed to avoid salt build-up. A further
advantage of this grass over other species is that it requires less water.
However, there will still be a shortfall, and potential sources of additional
water supply were studied, including (i) construction of a new inland reservoir
at the south end of the island and (ii) use of desalinated seawater.
2.5.12 Other sources of water, such as potable
water from the Water Supplies Department (WSD) was not considered as WSD does
not permit large-scale irrigation with potable water, while a geological desk
study indicated that ground water wells would provide minimal volume of water.
Earthworks
2.5.13 Based on the topography of the proposed
third golf course, it is estimated that
2.5.14 The earthworks are designed to ensure the
quantities of cut and fill are balanced, i.e. there is no import/export of
material. Where possible, cut and fill quantities have also been balanced
locally to eliminate the need of transporting large quantities of fill around
the site. This approach will reduce potential issues for adverse air, noise and
water quality during the construction phase of the Project. Lakes that form water features within
the site can be used as sedimentation ponds during the construction phase.
Drainage
2.5.15 The catchments of the proposed third golf
course are currently drained by natural stream courses which discharge to the
sea. Many areas of the site are
steep, and erosion of stream courses and washed out areas of hillside are
apparent. All identified existing sensitive streams/rivers will be retained in
their natural state and protected by buffer zones to minimize disturbance.
2.5.16 All surface runoff from the golf course
(except Hole 5 and part of Hole 6) will be diverted into the existing
reservoir, which will provide a final polishing (tertiary treatment), through
lakes and underground tanks, which provide temporary storage. The water in the
existing reservoir will be used for irrigation and will only overflow to the
marine environment in heavy rainstorms.
The closed loop low flow drainage system constructed to serve as a water
collection network for the proposed third golf course will allow maximum reuse
and recycling of water.
2.5.17 Overland flow from Holes N15, S1, S2, S3,
S4, S6, S7 & S8 & S9 of the Existing Courses flow into a marsh for
polishing before overflowing into the marine water. With the implementation of the closed
loop drainage system, overland drainage from Holes S1, S7 and S9 will be
diverted back to the existing reservoir for irrigation rather than into the
marsh. With this approach there
will be a 7.3% golf course runoff load reduction to the marsh area. A filter system is proposed to further
polish the surface runoff from Hole 5 and part of Hole 6 of the proposed third
golf course as a further mitigation measure. Biopesticides are proposed to be used at
these areas to reduce pesticide usage.
Extension
of existing sewage treatment facilities
2.5.18 Sewage from the existing golf course
facilities is treated at a self-contained sewage treatment plants located
within the existing maintenance buildings. The maximum capacity of this plant
is
2.5.19 Treated sewage effluent is currently
discharged into the existing reservoir for final polishing. It mixes with
surface water runoff here, and is used to irrigate the Existing Courses.
2.6.1
An alternative
site outside Kau Sai Chau has not been considered since it is necessary to
optimise existing facilities rather than duplicating them at other separate
sites.
2.7.1
A closed
low flow design is designed to collect the golf course run-off and divert it
back to the existing reservoir for irrigation purpose. In order to protect the identified
sensitive streams, the proposed closed low flow drainage network and golf
course design layout has to be designed to ensure no contact of stream beds
during the construction and operation phases of the third golf course. An inland reservoir has been considered
at the southern part for the proposed third golf course to provide irrigation water. Due to the sensitivity of stream (near
Hole 15/16), this is not considered in order to avoid the potential
impacts. A desalination plant
provides for irrigation water is therefore recommended.
2.8.1
If the
Project does not proceed, the silty runoff from the eroded slopes within the
Project boundary will continue to impact on the water quality and ecology. The water quality of the existing
heavily silted stream is expected to be substantially improved during the
operation phase of the proposed third golf course.
2.8.2
The golf course extension would extend the fire-break effect over a larger
area, thus providing greater protection to more of the remaining natural areas
on the island. This will encourage
natural succession on shrublands and other unaffected habitats. Loss of individual trees will be also
compensated by proposed tree planting.
2.8.3
The ecological monitoring
of the existing golf course over the last ten years showed that the golf course
has provided habitats for a diverse array of wildlife including birds,
herpetofauna, dragonflies and butterflies.
Numbers of species and densities are generally higher on the existing
golf course than in surrounding habitats.
With the implementation of the proposed third golf course, the
conversion of highly degraded habitats will result in enhancement of avian
biodiversity in future.
2.9.1
During the EIA study, there has been some discussion
with non-Government Organization (NGO’s) and Sai Kung District Council (Table
2.3).
2.9.2
The key concerns from greens groups are mainly on the
water quality to the Port Shelter during the operation phase of the proposed
third golf course. Our proposed
closed low flow drainage design to collect, recycle and reuse the golf course
runoff, using a drought tolerance and disease resistance new turf (Seashore
paspalum) than the existing golf courses (Bermuda grass) and specific turfgrass
management plan for the proposed third golf course have provide sufficient
protection on the freshwater and marine water quality in Port Shelter in
future. In addition to protect the identified sensitive streams, all identified streams will be preserved by
buffer zones in order to protect water quality and integrity of ecology at the
freshwater streams. With the
proposed buffer zone and restoration of the eroded slope after the construction
of the proposed third golf course, improvement (in terms of water quality) of
water quality at the existing heavily silty Stream A is expected.
Table
2.3 Summary of Continuous Public
Involvement
|
Date |
Subject |
|
|
Meeting with World Wide Fund for Nature |
|
|
Meeting with Friends of Earth |
|
|
Meeting
with the Conservancy Association |
|
|
Meeting
with Green Power |
|
12 July 05 |
Meeting with Conservancy Association (Site Visit at
Kau Sau Chau) |
|
15 July 05 |
Meeting with World Wide Fund for Nature |
|
26 July 05 |
Consultation with Sai Kung
District Council |
2.10.1 The proposed construction programme will
span 20 months (from Jan 2006 to July 2007). Figure 2.2 shows the preliminary
construction programme of the Project.
The major construction activities in time sequence are mobilization/site
preparation, bulk irrigation supply, temporary works for material delivery,
permanent bridge construction, earthworks, deep drainage system, profiling,
sand capping/land drainage system, turfing and establishment.
2.11.1 The Project is located on an island and
adjacent to the boundary of the existing golf courses. There are no works identified on any
adjacent areas and the closest urban area is Sai Kung which is over
3.1.1
In
this section, the sensitive receivers which may be impacted by construction and
operation activities at the proposed third golf course on Kau Sai Chau are
identified. Figure 3.1 gives the locations of the key existing and planned
sensitive receivers.
3.2.1
Residential
development at Sai Kung (
3.3.1
There
are gazetted beaches on the west side of
3.4.1
There
are four Fish Culture Zones (FCZs) around Kau Sai Chau. Two are close to the
Project site at Tai Tau Chau (F1) and Tiu Cham Wan (currently abandoned but could
be reactivated on application, F2). The third at Kau Sai (F3) is remote from
the Project site (to the south west) and the fourth, Kai Lung Wan (F4) is on
the west side of island but is only marginally susceptible to impact from ferry
access.
3.5.1
There
are four sites identified on the island: (1) Rock carving on the headland north
of the ferry pier (west side of the island, AF1), remote from the Project; (2)
& (3) two un-excavated Late Neolithic sites (AP1 and AP2), one of which is
within the Project site on the east side of the island, while the second is
within the boundary of the potential reservoir site (major valley on the west
side of the island) and (4) Memorial stone to Dr Barbara Ward (AF2) on the
south side of the island, remote from the Project. A Late Neolithic site is behind the
beach, north of the existing ferry pier.
In addition,
3.6.1
3.6.2
The
existing habitats of the Project area have been mapped from aerial photography,
validated by site visits undertaken in October and November 2004, and are shown
on Figure 3.2. The island is steep and relatively dry. Outside of the turfgrass
and shrubland of the existing golf courses, the island is dominated by eroded
badlands and scrub vegetation. Patches of shrubland occur where water is
readily available, primarily along streams. Coastal waters near the shore are
generally degraded due to past erosion and possibly due to Fish Culture Zone
operation, but patches of coral persist and are identified and located at Kap
Lo Kok. Moreover, seagrass (
3.6.3
Ecological
resources of interest on and around the site include:
·
a marsh/pond
complex at the north edge of the existing golf courses, which harbours
dragonflies of conservation interest, waterbirds and amphibians;
·
streams
on the central/southern section of the site: some are in poor condition due to
erosion from firing range damage, but the structure of others is reasonably
intact;
·
small
patches of mangroves in inlets on the east side of the island, including two
sites planted as compensation for mangrove loss during construction of the
original golf courses;
·
hard
coral communities at Kap Lo Kok, east Kau Sai Chau;
·
seagrass,
west Kau Sai Chau; and
·
protected
plant species, including Bamboo Orchid Arundina
chinensis and New Year Flower Enkianthus
quinqueflorus found near ravines across the island's uplands.
3.7.1
The
Project site is currently undeveloped, comprising scrubland and incised stream
courses. There are several areas
where former use as an artillery firing range have removed the thin surface
vegetation and allowed rainwater to wash out material. There have been no
formal activities in this area since its cessation of use as an artillery
firing range, and there has been no systematic checking and removal of
unexploded ordnance.
3.7.2
Kau
Chung Wan beach at the southern end of the Project area is used by weekend
visitors. There is no pier or jetty so boats must anchor in the bay, and there
are no facilities at the beach.
3.7.3
There
is an inactive, abandoned Fish Culture Zone in a Tiu Cham Wan immediately to
the east of the Project site.
[1] For the Royal
[2] AXIS Environmental Consultants Ltd. (July 1994)
[3] AXIS Environmental Consultants Ltd./Hyder Consulting for the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club/Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course Ltd.
[4] Ecosystems Ltd.,
[5] Hyder Consulting Ltd