Macau (MNA) – The Cultural Heritage Committee accepted a plan by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) to list the Lai Chi Vun shipyards proposing to divide the area into five zones with different degrees of preservation, ruling out future hotel projects in the location.
“We will not propose the construction of hotels [for the revitalisation area] since we are mainly focused in developing museums and exhibitions about the local industry,” the IC Vice-President, Deland Leong Wai Man, said after the committee’s meeting on Tuesday.
Although its members had previously stated to be against the listing of the shipyards as a site, the Committee members now agree with IC’s preliminary listing plan, albeit with different degrees of preservation, with the listing expected to be concluded by December 15.
The plan proposes that three of the dozen Lai Chi Vun’s shipyards and the local caulk factory should be completely preserved, while the remaining shipyards would be reinforced and revitalised.
“According to the preservation plan and considering the different aspects of revitalisation and repairing works, the committee members supported our work after a long study and analysis. We divided the listing of the area into five zones,” Ms. Leong said.
However, according to the IC Vice-President, some of the shipyards could be demolished if after an evaluation by engineers and architects their structure is considered to be in a state that poses a threat to safety.
Leong did not clarify how many of the structures could eventually face demolition due to bad state of preservation.
According to the plan announced by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) after today’s meeting, the shipyards land plots X2, X4, X6 (highlighted in red) and the Lai Chi Vun caulk factory are to be completely preserved.
Meanwhile land plots X3, X5, X7 to X11 – a wood factory – X13 , X14 and X16 (highlighted in yellow) should be restructured and revitalised maintaining the shipyards’ characteristics, while land plots X12 and X15 (highlighted in green) – where the original shipyards had been demolished for security reasons – should maintain their open space features.
The mangrove water area up to 40 metres facing the shipyards (represented in blue in the map) is also to be preserved, although the IC Vice-President claimed maritime tourism projects could be allowed if they do not impact the preserved area.
No details were provided about the preservation or revitalisation projects to be proposed for this shipyard, considered to be in a ‘reasonable state of conservation’ in the public consultation document.
The IC also proposed the originally proposed 18,000 square meters protection area be expanded to include the area inside the map red line.
The committee meeting was again held at close doors with the IC Vice-President justifying this choice on the grounds of the “more private nature of the issues” being discussed in these meetings, such as information about “private property ownership.”
When asked if any of the committee members had any property interests in the Lai Chi Vun area, the IC representative said the committee members are mandated to disclose any possible conflict of interest before the beginning of meetings.
