The District Officer of the Central & Western District has closed off a popular waterfront in Kennedy Town. On Monday, the barriers went up. Dog walkers, cyclists, drone pilots, children on scooters, fishermen, lovers, book readers, and others lost their access. Without consultation and without a public tender, the area has been let to an event organization for the month of November, the best time and weather for people to enjoy the outdoors(在沒有公眾諮詢及公開招標的情況下，將海旁出租給活動承辦商).
The site won the Outstanding Public Space Awards in 2013, in the people-appropriated space category(碼頭曾於2013年獲得由市民開創的空間大獎). The 7,500 square meter site consists of the former berths 1-3 of the Western District Public Cargo Working Area(西區公眾貨物裝卸區1-3號停泊位) which were released by the Marine Department in August 2016. It is part of the Kennedy Town Waterfront which gained the nick-name ‘InstaPier’ for the thousands of images posted by professional and amateur photographers.
It is one of many waterfronts awaiting investment by the Government. The closure is at odds with existing users and contradicts proposals by the District Council and community organisations to convert it into a waterfront park. It also breaches promises made by the Development Bureau in January 2017 that “the future operator would need to design and construct a promenade of at least 10m at the edge of the Site and allow public access at all times so that the public could continue to have guaranteed free access to the harbourfront along the shoreline.” The entire harbourfront is for the people. And not just a skinny promenade. It should not be privatised(海濱長廊的空間是屬於公眾的，不應被私有化) . Not for developers. Not for private gardens. Not for events. Not for the district officer.
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