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Discovery Bay
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Discovery Bay (DB) is a mixed residential and public recreational development in Hong Kong situated on the north-eastern coast of Lantau Island in the New Territories. The development spans an area of 650 hectares, and includes two bays, the Tai Pak Bay and Yi Pak Bay. Most of the development was rezoned as conservation area after the hand-over when the Government finally had to acknowledge the the development actually breached it's Land Grant.
DB has a current population of around 16,000 residents with a sizeable community of expatriates from over thirty countries.
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Encyclopedia
Discovery Bay (DB) is a mixed residential and public recreational development in Hong Kong situated on the north-eastern coast of Lantau Island in the New Territories. The development spans an area of 650 hectares, and includes two bays, the Tai Pak Bay and Yi Pak Bay. Most of the development was rezoned as conservation area after the hand-over when the Government finally had to acknowledge the the development actually breached it's Land Grant.
DB has a current population of around 16,000 residents with a sizeable community of expatriates from over thirty countries. DB is located 2km west of Hong Kong Disneyland and approximately 12km west from the nearest point on Hong Kong Island, with the co-ordinates of .
As of today, DB consists of 13 residential development phases with properties ranging from garden houses to high rise towers of up to 24 storeys. The development also features a public beach (no life guards), 4 private membership clubs including a golf club and a marina club and a large public park but this has no public recreational facilities at present. The absence of public reacreational facilities is a bone of discontent with the residents especially in view of the fact that the developer has an outstanding obligation to provide 300.000 sqm of them (http://www.aud.gov.hk/pdf_e/e43ch06_summary.pdf). Though is considered a low-density development by Hong Kong standards due to the amount of open spaces (plot to development ratio), DB is however the second most populous district (after the New Town of Tung Chung) on the sparsely populated Lantau Island. Unlike many other developments in Hong Kong, pets are allowed in DB, whereas other developments generally ban them due to limited space.
History
DB was originally conceived in 1976 as a comprehensive leisure resort by Mr Eddy Wong, the previous owner of Hong Kong Resort Company Limited (HKR) in agreement with the Hong Kong government. Mr Wong planned to develop DB into a tourist attraction with hotels, condominiums and 3 golf courses. However, he got into great financial difficulty and DB nearly ended in the hands of a Russian Bank, his creditor. Both the Chinese and British governments were concerned that the property rights of the single largest piece of privately controlled land in Hong Kong might fall into the hands of the Russian bank at a time of political uncertainty.
The Cha family, up to then better known as an international textile group, came to HKR’s saw an opportunity to make a quick buck. By 1979, all debts were paid off and work started on the reservoir and the core infrastructure but for a very different sort of project – essentially a residential community offering a relaxed lifestyle. The question as to whether the corrupt colonial Government officials should have sought Exco approval for this deviation from the Land Grant became a major issue after the hand-over. In a 2004 report by the Government's Audit Commission the Lands Department got severely critized for allowing it to happen, especially since no land-premium was assesed.
Unlike other large Hong Kong developments, everything in DB had to be privately built; there was no road, electricity nor water supply. Even the Government-operated fire and police stations and the Government-aided local primary school were built by the developer. The Government supposedly acts as the approving and checking authority, with development supposed to proceed under an official Master Plan. That checking and approving often leaves a lot to be to be desired. There is still no approved Master Plan for the extended development in Yi Pak Wan, 10 years after construction started.
The idea of a self-contained community with resort characteristics was unique and initially proved popular in Hong Kong; when the first phase of DB went on sale in 1980, houses and flats sold out quickly. The last phase, Chianti has been on the market for more than 3 years and remains a hard sell.
Current development
DB was developed in phases and the developer, HKR, envisages that DB will eventually be home to 25,000 residents. The following data applies as of April 2008:
Phases of development:
- Phase 1: Beach Village, Headland Village, Parkridge Village
- Phase 2: Midvale Village
- Phase 3: Headland Village, Parkvale Village, Hillgrove Village, Parkridge Village
- Phase 4: Peninsula Village
- Phase 5: Greenvale Village
- Phase 6: DB Plaza
- Phase 7: La Vista, Bijou Hamlet
- Phase 8: La Costa
- Phase 9: La Serene
- Phase 10: Neo Horizon
- Phase 11: Siena One
- Phase 12: Siena Two
- Phase 13: Chianti
Current and planned projects:
- A community centre at Yi Pak Bay (2008)
- Yi Pak Transport Interchange and associated works (2008)
- A shopping mall (2009)
- A conference & resort hotel with spa facilities (exteriors to be completed in 2009 and interiors been put on hold due to current economic climate)
- Phase 14 of Discovery Bay (2010)
Community, recreation and entertainment
Community life in DB is centred on DB Plaza, a commercial hub containing a bus terminus, ferry pier, an open piazza, and a range of shops including a supermarket, specialty stores, clinics, and a vet to serve the large pet population.
DB Plaza is also home to food outlets offering eating and drinking.
The DB development includes few amenities besides a man-made beach at Tai Pak Bay and 4 private membership recreational clubs including a 27-hole golf course and a marina (mostly used by residents who choose to live on yachts moored in the marina), There are a number of toddler playgrounds inside the residential developments and hiking paths leading to other parts of Lantau Island - including the Trappist Haven Monastery and Mui Wo.This n spite of the developer's obligation to provide them under the Land Grant, Outline Zoning Plan and Approval Letter for the extended development.A community center has been built but was never handed over to the Government. An Indoor Recreaction Centre, one of the many conditions attached to the extended development in 2000 was never built.
DB is a 20-25 minutes bus ride from Tung Chung, where fortunately a number of additional options, from better restaurants to three shopping malls, are available.
Clubs in DB:
(All are private clubs with separate membership fees)
- Discovery Bay Residents Club (DBRC)
- Discovery Bay Marina Club (DBMC)
- Discovery Bay Golf Club (DBGC)
- Club Siena (DBRC)
Housing units in DB used to be sold with a DBRC debenture (and later a right to join the club), although residents can choose whether to be active members and pay a monthly aubscription. DBRC members are automatically members of Club Siena. Debentures of DBMC and DBGC are traded in the secondary market.
DBMC provides berthing and land-based facilities for boat owners, many of whom live on their vessels. The Marina opens into Nim Shue Wan, a bay immediately to the West of DB, where there is also a public landing stage used by cargo boats and by privately operated ferries known as Kai-tos that provide shuttle services between DB, the nearby Peng Chau Island and the Trappist Haven Monastery pier about 2km away along the Lantau coast to the West. The Kai-to service has also replaced the high-speed ferry to Mui Wo (Silvermine Bay) that was formerly operated by Discovery Bay Transportation Services Limited (DBTPL).
A number of resident-run activities and groups are also based in DB, offering more choices to the community. These include the Lantau Boat Club (a catamaran sailing and outrigger canoe club), Discovery Bay Pirates Rugby Club and numerous religious worship services including churches of all different denominations.
Landscape and Wildlife
As with most of the terrain in Hong Kong, Lantau Island seems to be a set of hills that rise out of the water. DB is wedged between the hills and the sea and both environments are accessible from the edges of the developed areas. The hills directly behind DB reach up to 465m (1,525ft), and the hiking trails that traverse all the peaks on Lantau Island are accessible from those hills. The hills of Lantau tend to fall dramatically into jungle-covered valleys that spread up into verdant, grass-covered hills. DB has a series of rock-pools which lead to one such valley and into a man-made addition to the water-drainage system. The DB reservoir collects and distributes water to the community, but, owing to the topography of the area, rainwater build-up is dangerously high, and so connected pathways of cement were built to deal with the torrential rain of the monsoon season. These huge aqueducts empty out into the sea, flowing over natural rock formations, creating pools and waterfalls of fresh rainwater. [Note: DB has switched to Government potable water supply since December 2000]
DB is home to animals of many kinds, most of which are domesticated pets. There are, however, a number of wild species that lived or are living on Lantau Island that can be found in and around DB. Most of these creatures are birds such as finches, tits, gulls and kites, however pelicans, loons and herons have been sighted. Birds were adaptable to the growing human population, though, and have remained unperturbed by the expansion of DB. Until the construction of the new Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok, wild cattle and water buffalo thrived in the pasture-like hills. Increasingly vigorous development all over Hong Kong has reduced the habitat of the local dolphin and whale populations. The most famous of these is the Chinese White Dolphin, often called the Pink Dolphin due to a slight pinkish cast to their skin. (See Ecology of Hong Kong)
Transportation network
DB is accessible from the rest of Hong Kong via a road tunnel to the North Lantau Expressway and by a 24-hour ferry service.
All services (except Kai-to services) accept Hong Kong's Octopus card as well as cash. Half-price discounts are offered to children, senior citizens and students under the age of 18 on the external bus and ferry routes.
External transport
Scheduled external public transport services include:
Ferry services
- A 24-hour ferry service plies between DB Pier on Tai Pak Bay and Pier 3 in Central District on Hong Kong Island (journey time of approximately 25-30 minutes; frequency of around 15-30 minutes during day time, but 60-90 minutes from roughly midnight until dawn. Current ticket price is HKD$33for a single journey. In addition, ferries accept single trip tokens and stored trip transport cards. Since end-2005, ferries have been equipped with free on-board Wi-Fi wireless broadband Internet, which is unique not only in Hong Kong but across Asia. According to the recent informations from DBTPL, night ship service will be discontinued in the second quarter of 2009 thus leaving Discovery Bay, between 12:00am and 5:00am reachable only by taxi.
Ferries were the only way to reach Discovery Bay until the opening of the DB Tunnel in 2000. Ferries remain the main way to reach DB and are operated by DBTPL, a wholly owned subsidiary of HKR. The route between DB and Central is served by monohull and catamaran waterjets manufactured by Marinteknik in Singapore; seating 300 and 500 passengers respectively.
Road transport
In 2000, a 2.4km road tunnel linking DB to the North Lantau Expressway opened, enabling access to DB by road - and shortening the journey to other parts of Lantau, Kowloon and the New Territories. From the tunnel's inauguration, shuttle bus services ran to Tung Chung and the Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok, and shortly after the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland and the Sunny Bay MTR station in September 2005, an additional route between Sunny Bay and DB was launched, further shortening the time to reach Kowloon and New Territories.
The three external bus routes are operated by Discovery Bay Transit Services Limited (DBTSL), another wholly owned subsidiary of HKR:
- DB01R: From DB Plaza to Tung Chung MTR station (journey time approximately 15-20 minutes; frequency of every 20 minutes during day time).
- DB02R: From DB Plaza to Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok (via Cathay City; journey time approximately 20-30 minutes; 24-hour service)
- DB03R: From DB Plaza to Sunny Bay MTR station (journey time approximately 15-20 minutes; frequency of every 20 minutes during day time, every 8 minutes at peak hours).
Internal transport
Commuting within DB is done via a 24-hour internal shuttle bus service operated by DBTSL, which runs between various parts of DB and the Bus Terminus by the DB Plaza/the ferry pier. Travelling between the various villages by bus requires a change at the Bus Terminus. The same applies for residents not living on a direct connection to the schools, churches and most of the clubs. Yet, residents can use the hire car service which is provided on a point-to-point basis. Residents can also drive their own golf carts or bicycles to travel around DB as an alternative. Generally, DB is considered quite pedestrian friendly due to the dearth of motorized vehicles.
Private transport
Private cars are generally not permitted to enter the area, with a few exceptions for certain agents of the developer, local businesses or for emergency needs. A key icon of DB is the use of golf carts to commute from one part of DB to another. The number of golf carts is highly restricted by the Transport Department to a total of 500 vehicles and demand for golf carts can push prices up to around HK$1,200,000 – almost as expensive as a brand new luxury car.
Education
As of August 2008, DB was served by three kindergartens and two primary schools, and a 'Through-Train' Primary and Secondary school that currently has all year groups up to Form Two (equivalent to 8th grade in the USA education system). A number of independent residential play-groups also operate in various venues.
With its burgeoning children and young adult population, school places in DB are limited. Many students, both primary and secondary, travel by ferry to various schools located on Hong Kong Island, or by bus to the those in Tung Chung and the Kwai Tsing District.
Discovery College, a primary and secondary ‘Through-Train’ school, opened for the 2008 school term. It brought a much needed boost to the quality education facilities in DB, particularly for secondary school places.
Nursery & Kindergartens:
- (private/international)
- Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) Kindergarten (private/international)
- (DMK) (private/Chinese & international sections)
Primary schools:
- (private/international)
- (christian government-aided primary school/Chinese)
Primary and Secondary 'Through-Train' Schools:
- Discovery Bay Catholic School (proposed to be built; government-aided)
Municipal services
DB is owned and developed by HKR, the developer. Discovery Bay Services Management Limited (DBSML), a subsidiary of HKR, manages the development. DB used to have its own private water supply from a reservoir and water treatment plant located near the golf course in the mountain valley above the estate. Since DB Tunnel opened in 2000, DB has been connected to the municipal supply from the Water Supplies Department which sources its water both from reservoirs throughout Hong Kong, Lantau Island and the New Territories and from the Pearl River Delta in the Mainland. Current municipal facilities inside DB include a fire station and ambulance depot, a post office and a police reporting post. These facilities were built by the developer and services rendered by various government bodies.
With the opening of the DB Tunnel in 2000, the Government deemed the police station and fire station/ambulance depot unnecessary, and DB relies on services provided by the headquarters in Tung Chung. A Community Centre has also been built at the Yi Pak Bay and it will be handed over to and operated by the Government.
Issues and criticisms
Like many developments, DB has its own share of issues. An oft-made complaint is that DB is expensive compared to the rest of Hong Kong; from its member-only recreation and entertainment clubs to its limited shopping options and expensive restaurants. Furthermore, various groups such as teenagers and the elderly complain that there are few activities catered to them. Plans have been made to open a skating area for the former, also to be used as a Tai-Chi area for the latter. However, although an area has been paved for this purpose, the opening is stalled as discussions with nearby residents are still being held.
On 8th of October 2008, the sole ferry service operator DBTPL, company founded by the land developer HKR International (SEHK: 0480) proposed to increase the ferry fares between Discovery Bay and Central up to 64 per cent. A consultation package, received by residents yesterday from Discovery Bay Transportation Services, proposes an increase of 16 per cent to 64 per cent. The frequency of services would depend on the size of the increase.
People living in the Lantau Island community have been given only a week to respond to the plan - and told they face a choice: accept higher fares or the scaling down of services. A single ride now costs HK$27, or HK$23.20 in 50-trip tickets.
Under the lowest fare-rise option, the number of services on weekdays would fall by 113 to just 40. Under this option, ferries would only travel every 70 minutes during some of the busiest times.
Overnight ferries could also be scrapped in favour of a coach service from Central. Residents also have the choice of taking buses to Sunny Bay and Tung Chung MTR stations.
The ferry operator said in a letter to residents that annual fuel expenses had risen from HK$20 million in 2001 to a projected HK$80 million this year and it had been operating at a deficit, with an accumulated loss of more than HK$120 million since 2001.
District Councillor Amy Yung Wing-sheung, who lives in Discovery Bay, said the company was not conducting a proper consultation. She said the company had gone ahead with its plan after proposals were rejected unanimously at a recent passenger liaison meeting.
HKR International is upset that its monopolised ferry service to its monopolised residential complex at Discovery Bay is not making enough money for the executives of HKRI to continue living anywhere but Discovery Bay. The monopolized project with too close an association with the government. This monopoly is evident in the ferry and bus services, the commercial sites, the shops available and the sale of flats. The residents of Discovery Bay think that it is time that this monopoly was reviewed.
If the ferry service is losing revenue, as reported by HKR International, then perhaps another ferry service should be permitted to encourage competition and to keep fares at an affordable level.
Recently HKRI has come up with a new proposal which calls for a 27.5% increase (for 50 trip holders) and a 33.3% increase (for single trips). Furthermore frequencies are to be reduced from 113 sailings a day to 80. After midnight services will be replaced by a coach service. Residents are still concerned that this is still a substantial increase given the current economic situation and fuel prices have fallen below USD60.00. Sources have also revealed that HKRI pays HK$9.00 per liter where other ferry operators pay around HK$5.50 per liter.
Sports Ground
Discovery bay has no current Sports Ground at the moment which is something that the Discovery Bay community feels that they need at the moment. With the amount of space in this area, residents feel that a sports ground is needed. Sport is very popular in Discovery Bay with a number of sport teams. Recently, there was a protest in the plaza to let Hong Kong Resorts know that everybody wants a sports ground. The Government refuses to provide any assistance or land.
Transport
A frequent complaint is with regard to its transportation. Whereas other parts of Hong Kong are generally well-served by frequent transport options from competing operators, DB is served solely by DBTSL and DBTPL, both subsidiaries of HKR. These services, while reliable, may take longer than the advertised times depending on weather and traffic conditions.
Construction
As an ongoing residential development, construction sites and the related dust and noise is an ever-present issue in DB. Buildings are generally renovated every seven years, in compliance with the government regulations.
Miscellaneous
DB suffers few natural disasters, with the exception of typhoons and hillfires as a result of a mixture of dry weather and carelessness.
Eco-Business Award
DB has always been a green town. It has clinched the Green Property Management Award (Private Housing) in 2002. To make DB a greener town, DBSML, the management company of DB, has replaced conventional ballasts with energy-saving tubes. The number of lights in common corridors and main entrances of buildings were re-assessed and unnecessary lights were removed. It was thought that a 30% reduction in electricity charges was achieved in La Vista, one of the villages. Apart from energy reduction, flea market, old books collection, old clothes collection and used household items collection have been held on a regular basis in order to promote recycling.
A number of Green groups are pushing for the re-introduction of electric golf carts, replacing the current petrol powered golf carts. However, this is being faced with some resistance of the management company and residents as there are other green priorities including upgrading of the buses to Euro standards.
See also
External links
Web sites
Community information
Transportation
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