It was a nightmare.It had been a costly dream for Hong Kong.
One year is enough to reveal the ¡°dark side of the fairy tale¡±.
Disney has broken promises and set a bad example for corporate governance.
Letdown
(1)Bad Governance
Lack transparency, lack accountability, minimal commitment to environmental protection and pollution control.
(2)Arrogant¡ªdisrespect for local sentiment
Lack respect for local culture as reflected in the Park¡¯s theme and content development, lack respect for local environment as they refuse to heed local people¡¯s concern on firework pollution.No pledge for contingency plan to stop the firework on high pollution days.
(3) Double standard
Refusal to adopt new air launch technology using compressed air instead of gunpowder to lift the firework to reduce smoke pollution as being adopted at the Anaheim Disneyland in California.In Florida, Disneyland offered to donate funds to preserve wetlands and ecological rehabilitation, but the Hong KongDisneyTheme Park offered nothing.
(4)False promise
Disney operator promised high standard and best practice but so far no disclosure on the park¡¯s performance on waste reduction, energy conservation, noise and smoke minimization and biodiversity enhancement.There was no target set for environmental resource conservation.
(5)Third World Perspective
Hong Kong has been taken for a ride.With regard to the theme park¡¯s planning, consultation, financing, management and reporting processes, Hong Kong has minimum say in the overall theme development, operation and concession negotiation.No offer to compensate the sensitive receivers or rehabilitate the disturbed ecology next to the theme park.
(6)Hidden public health cost
15,000 DiscoveryBay residents within 3 km from the DisneyPark have to endure nightly firework smoke and noise disturbance.Psychological annoyance induced by the ¡°big bang¡± from the nightly firework was not addressed nor monitored for long-term psychological health impact on vulnerable young children and elderly folks.
(7)Government failure
Hong Kong policy makers and legislators¡¯ judgment to approve funding and land to build the DisneyTheme Park based on numerical projections have to bear the eventual risks and responsibilities.Economic Development & Labour Bureau failed to assume the watchdog role as demonstrated in its tolerance of Disney mismanagement and broken promises.The Tourism Commissioner has demonstrated short-term vision in promoting unsustainable tourism with significant social, cultural and environmental impacts.
(8)In the dark
Government mishandled the Cheoy Lee Shipyard land resumption to build the DisneyTheme Park¡¯s artificial lake which has cost taxpayer $1.5 billion and an extra of $450 million to clean up the 30,000 cubic meter of dioxin found on site.The polluter was left off the hook.No one was made accountable.Seeking legal opinion was the excuse given.So far there is still no news and no verdict.
(9)No fairy tale ending
The HK Disney Theme Park encroached onto Hong Kong¡¯s pristine green field on Penny¡¯s BayLantauIsland, which was the original proposed site for building the Container Terminal CT 10.In another words, there is the need to seek an alternative site for CT 10.In reality, developmental threat will be transferred to another fragile environment.
Conclusion:
From the environmental governance point of view, Hong Kong Disneyland has failed to recognize the ¡°No Degradation Principle¡±, i.e. to give total respect to ¡°uncontaminated¡± ¡°unspoiled¡± environment.
The tragedy is that both the HK Government and the Disneyland Operators did not have the honesty and courage to acknowledge their mistakes and failure in governance and judgement.
The Anniversary has nothing to celebrate.
We hope the West Kowloon project will not be a ¡°repeat¡± of the Disney episode.
We hope this costly and painful lesson will be a wake up call to all those China cities, which are pursuing this fairytale dream.
The HK Disney Theme Park is a ¡°tragic comedy¡± with regard to corporate governance.
The HK Disney Theme Park is a ¡°comic tragedy¡± with regard to environmental governance.
A first class city spending billions to build a second-class theme park that delivers third class performance.Is it worth it?
End
Additional reference:
Remaining concern for the Disney Firework impact was presented in a paper prepared by Friends of the Earth (HK)¡¯s policy research team.Visit FoE website: www.foe.org.hk
Tragic Comedy or Comic Tragedy? |
HK Disney Theme Park Anniversary |
Mrs. Mei Ng |
Director, Friends of the Earth(HK) |
September 5, 2006 |
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