Temporary Fanling Golf Course arrangements announced
The government said on Wednesday that it will open a park for pets, a walking trail and a car park at the Fanling Golf Course at the start of next month when it takes control of parts of the land from the Golf Club. But public access will be limited to 10 days. The facilities will then be leased back to the club until mid-November for it to host two tournaments in the meantime. Sports minister Kevin Yeung said officials are still working out details of the lease with the club. He said the facilities will be managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) as a park and conservation zone. "Of course, we won't be using it as a golf course. So the facility will look a bit different from now," Yeung told reporters. "So we'll wait until after the two tournaments in November, then the LCSD will have more time to manage the area and it will come up with more detailed arrangements." The minister added that repair work is needed at two football pitches there before they are open to the public. The government is taking back 32 hectares of land from the 172-hectare golf course. Nine hectares will be earmarked for public housing. The Golf Club is in an ongoing legal tussle with the administration over the plan, having filed a judicial review of an environmental impact assessment report that paves the way for the building of public housing flats.