Hong Kong SAR, China: The High Court in Hong Kong has overturned the environmental authorities’ conditional approval for building 12,000 public flats on part of the city’s oldest golf course.

The South China Morning Post described it as a ruling ‘that gives a reprieve to the Hong Kong Golf Club’s operations on the site and which could send the development plan back to the consultation stage’.

Judge Russell Coleman handed down the judgement after the Hong Kong Golf Club (HKGC) filed a legal challenge against an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report that would set the stage for building public housing units on 9.5 hectares of the century-old course.

He said overturning the administration’s decision could lead to re-conducting the public consultation and seeking comments from environmental advisers ‘with the benefits of the fruits of that re-consultation’.

The club had argued that a public consultation exercise had not been carried out properly or fairly, saying authorities had been allowed to submit additional information during the assessment but people’s responses to the submissions were not taken into account.

Coleman wrote: “As a matter of fact, the public were only consulted on part of the EIA report in its final form. That is contrary to the requirement of the EIA Ordinance.

“In short, I find that the fairness and integrity of the process, set out in the EIA Ordinance properly construed, demanded re-consultation once the additional information was produced to form part of the EIA report.”

In a media statement, the HKGC said: “The Hong Kong Golf Club welcomes the judgment handed down by the High Court regarding the Club’s judicial review case against the approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report relating to the ‘Technical Studies on the Partial Development of Fanling Golf Course Site – Feasibility Study.’

“HKGC reiterates that its Fanling site is an internationally renowned, world-class golf venue, and an area of significant ecological and cultural value. The three championship courses – which include the Old Course – are integral parts of the Fanling site, which is an irreplaceable sports facility and is key to Hong Kong’s ability to attract major golf tournaments.

“Next year, the Fanling Golf Course will host the high-profile LIV Golf Hong Kong tournament, the golf competition for the 15th National Games of the People’s Republic of China, the World City Championship (China Tour Series) and the Link Hong Kong Open for a 64th occasion.

“Events such as these play a critical role in driving Hong Kong’s sports tourism and the local sports industry.

“Moving forward, the Club will utilise the three championship courses to the best of their potential with a view to supporting the government policy that advocates the ‘shaping of tourism with sports’ and the further development of Hong Kong’s mega-event economy.”

*The Hong Kong Golf Club is a Facility Member of the Asian Golf Industry Federation.