Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (CFA) ruled against a government plan for a big land reclamation project Friday.

It said the reclamation would "result in permanent destruction and irreversible loss of what should be protected and preserved."

Following the judgment, HK Special Administrative Region government Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands Michael Suen said it would review reclamation projects in line with the ruling.

He maintained that the reclamation plan which would allow a new road link to ease traffic congestion is "still allowed under the court's latest ruling."

He said "we note that there are many similarities between the CFA's explanation on what amounts to an 'overriding public need' and the viewpoints expressed" by the Town Planning Board's Counsel during the CFA inquiry.

However, he believed that apart from reclamation, such public needs cannot be met by another reasonable alternative. In considering whether there are reasonable alternatives, all circumstances should be considered, including the economic, environmental and social implications as well as the cost, he added.

He noted the ruling "also provides room for the government and the public to deliberate on the need to strike a balance between protecting the harbor and meeting social, economic and environmental needs."

(Xinhua News Agency January 9, 2004)