【明報專訊】The Incident

In delivering the 2014/15 Budget, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said the government would invest about $30 billion in waste recycling and the management of municipal solid waste (都市固體廢物). Much of the funding would be spent on an incinerator (焚化爐). The government would spend another $2.4 billion on organic waste recycling centres (有機資源回收中心), community green stations (社區環保站) and recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (廢電器電子產品回收). However, Head of Advocacy & Education of Friends of the Earth Edwin Lau Che-feng (地球之友環境事務及教育部總管劉祉鋒) has pointed out that government expenditure on source reduction facilities will only take up less than 10% of the $30-billion funding. He questions the government's determination to push forward waste reduction at source (源頭減廢).

The Legislative Council held a public hearing (公聽會) on March 22. Of the 140 groups and individuals that expressed their views, 70% were against extending the landfills or building an incinerator or called such ideas into question. Most of them were residents of affected districts or members of green groups. Some scholars supported the government's plan.