Public opposition to NIMBY facilities : the extension of SENT landfill in Tseung Kwan O

Abstract

The research focuses on public opposition to the extension of South East New Territories (SENT) Landfill in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong. The phenomenon of opposing undesirable facilities sitings is described as the “Not in my backyard (NIMBY)” syndrome in literature and the popular media.

SENT Landfill is expected to reach its saturation capacity before 2016 but the public opposition has been fierce to prohibit the extension proposal. The objectives of this study is to identify how the public in Tseung Kwan O perceive the landfill extension proposal, reasons for opposing the extension and potential measures to resolve the conflicts.

A questionnaire survey was adopted to obtain both quantitative and qualitative data. One-hundred fifty samples were collected from each sampling area. A total of four-hundred fifty samples were collected among three sampling areas in Tseung Kwan O.

It was found that residents who live in Lohas Park are strongly against the proposal of SENT landfill extension due to the close proximity of Lohas Park to the landfill. Respondents with higher levels of knowledge about the landfill extension issue have a higher chance to accept the proposal.

It was concluded that the residents in Tseung Kwan O are mostly unsatisfied with inadequate or ineffective public involvement in the existing policy-making process. The government should consider dropping its centralized planning approach and reforming current information-giving channels. Officials should also make efforts to enhance their credibility by cooperating with environmental NGOs.