Forum Report: Overdevelopment along the north coast of Penang.

Forum Report: Overdevelopment along the north coast of Penang.

Date: 17 April 2010 at Paradise Sandy Beach Hotel, Tanjung Bunga.

Organised by Tanjung Bunga RA (TBRA) and Batu Ferringhi RA (BFRA)

It was full house in the meeting room of the Paradise Sandy Beach Hotel on a Saturday night (despite a thunderstorm and bad traffic) where close to 150 people attended this public forum organized by the TBRA and the BFRA. About 40 of the attendees were MM2H residents.

The Forum was opened by Dr YK Leong (TBRA member) giving an overview of the Penang north coast district. This narrow strip of land consists of 4 small townships Tanjung Tokong, Tanjung Bunga, Batu Ferringhi and Teluk Bahang. There is relatively little flat land and only one access road from Tg Bunga to Teluk Bahang.

George Aeria (TBRA President) presented the major issues affecting the Tanjung Bunga residents.

· Do you know that Tanjung Bunga has been secretly reclassified from a Secondary Development Corridor to a Primary Development Corridor thereby increasing its housing units per acre to 15 from 75?

· Do you know that Tanjung Bunga has disappeared from the Penang Structure Plan Map and that Tanjung Tokong’s boundary has been extended up to Mar Vista?

Tanjung Bunga was gazetted as a Secondary Development Corridor in the Penang Structure Plan (2005-2020) in June 2007. A Secondary Corridor has a maximum permissible density of 15 housing units per acre. In Feb 2007, the State Govt (under the direction of someone in high office from the previous state government) changed the Penang Structure map for Tg Bunga from a Secondary Development Corridor to a Primary Development Corridor without following legal procedures. A Primary Corridor has a maximum density of 75 housing units per acre. This was done without public consultation and review contrary to the Town and Country Planning Act 1976. Further, Tg. Bunga has disappeared from the Penang Structure Plan map and Tg Tokong’s boundary has been extended up to Mar Vista.

The TBRA has made several attempts with the present state government to reclassify back Tg Bunga to a Secondary Development Corridor. It has met with silence and limited response.

· Do you know that the only remaining state land (Plot B) in Tg Bunga (beside the Penang Swimming Club and The Cove where Tanjung Club used to be) has been converted to TOL (Temporary Occupation License) land. This is the only remaining state land in Tg. Bunga where the public has free access to the beach.

· Do you know that a private developer has proposed a marina and a 41-storey condo to be build on Plot B?

The TBRA has urged the state to preserve Plot B for public use and to make it into a coastal park but there is no commitment from the state.

Picture: Plot B in 2001, before the reclamation reached today's height and became known as the "Sore Thumb," and before the arrival of the 4-block, 42-storey, The Cove condos. (image credit)

Mr Low Swee Heong (a member of Penang Traffic Council) said JPJ data showed that there are more vehicles than people in Penang (1.75mil vehicles for 1.58 mil population) in 2009. The average vehicle registration growth for Penang is 9.5% per year making it the highest in the country. Swee Heong presented concerns of traffic congestion and pollution with the overdevelopment of the north coast district. There are grave concerns on emergency response services as the only accessible road to Batu Ferringhi is badly congested and jammed during holidays and weekends.

Our Declaration from April 17 Forum on Overdevelopment

FORUM DECLARATION

BY TANJONG BUNGA RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION (TBRA), BATU FERRINGHI RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION (BFRA)
& FORUM PARTICIPANTS

We, the Tanjong Bunga Residents’ Association (TBRA), the Batu Ferringhi Resident’s Association (BFRA) & all participants of the Forum entitled “Overdevelopment on the North Coast” held on 17^th April 2010 at the Paradise Sandy Beach Hotel in Tanjong Bunga, do hereby declare that:

1. the border of Tanjong Bunga starts from Jalan Gajah and ends just before the Desa Mar Vista Resort;
2. Tanjong Bunga is in the Secondary Corridor and the diagram shown in the published State Structure Plan was wrongfully amended by the previous State Government to show Tanjong Bunga within the Primary Corridor; the diagram is to be considered null & void since it was changed secretly by the previous State Government via the then CM without following legal procedures;
3. the text in the State Structure Plan and the legend of the diagram clearly state that Tanjong Bunga is in the Secondary Corridor and take precedence over the changed diagram;
4. the present State Government has the legal authority and the moral obligation to rectify this glaring anomaly and to take all necessary measures to ensure that Tanjong Bunga remains in the Secondary Corridor;
5. the soon to be released State Local Plan must incorporate and clearly show Tanjong Bunga to be within the Secondary Corridor zone, which sets strict limits & requirements on all development projects;
6. all approved projects which have not commenced yet, are to be reviewed, esp. in terms of density, to be in line with Secondary Corridor requirements;
7. all future development projects in Tanjong Bunga & Batu Ferringhi must comply and not exceed the density guidelines of the Secondary Corridor;
8. all current and future proposed development projects in Tanjong Bunga & Batu Ferringhi must take into account the serious infrastructure limitations currently faced in these two areas;
9. that NO FURTHER approvals be granted henceforth for all dangerous hill slope development projects on Class III & Class IV hill slopes in Tanjong Bunga & Batu Ferringhi;
10. that all future development projects MUST NOT cause any environmental degradation such as soil erosion that leads to sea & beach pollution, thus severely affecting our local recreational use of beach & open space, the tourism industry & the MM2H programme;
11. that there be no land reclamation along the North Coast until and unless a comprehensive Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) is undertaken and approved by ad-hoc panel of experts (not only by the State Government or MPPP);
12. that at least two Public Recreational Parks be created for easy access by all: one on the top of Pearl Hill and the other on the rock pile, the so-called Sore Thumb, next to the Penang Swimming Club; plans for both these Public Parks have been submitted for gazetting.

We make the above Declaration as concerned citizens and residents of Penang and call upon our State Government to take all measures necessary to implement the above points in the public interest.

By TBRA, BFRA & FORUM PARTICIPANTS

Tanjong Bunga, 17 April 2010

TBRA's 4th Annual General Meeting 2010

4th Annual General Meeting 2010
NOTICE & INVITATION

The Tanjong Bunga Residents’ Association (TBRA) is pleased to invite you to the AGM

Date: Saturday, 24 April 2010
Time: 3 pm Place: Meeting Room, Tanjong Bunga Community Hall (above the wet market).

Agenda

1. Address by George Aeria, chairperson TBRA
2. Approve Minutes of 3rd AGM, 18 April 2009*
3. Adopt Annual Report 2009 *
4. Adopt Audited Statement of Accounts, Treasurer TBRA*
5. Take note of the 2009 resolution being forwarded to ROS*
6. Consider any other business
   
7. Discuss matters of general interest
8. Closing address & refreshments

Your attendance will be much appreciated. As you know, every AGM needs to have a quorum of at least 20 members. Please make sure we reach that quorum by coming to support your Association.

Secr. TBRA

PRESS STATEMENT Overdevelopment along the entire North Coast of Penang

PRESS STATEMENT

Overdevelopment along the entire North Coast of Penang

There will be a Public Forum on Saturday, 17 April 2010 from 8.30pm to 11.00pm at the Paradise Sandy Beach Hotel to highlight Over Development and apparent Unplanned Development along Penang’s North Coast from Tg Tkong to Teluk Bahang.

The Press is invited to attend and hear what residents and NGO’s have to say about the mushrooming of high rise buildings, the savage hill cutting and spoiling of the beaches in Tanjong Bunga and Batu Ferringhi. It is obvious that the traffic situation is going from bad to worse and jointly we need to reflect and raise awareness about what can be done to preserve our environment and maintain a liveable community along the coast. State Government officials will be invited, not to give speeches but listen to the people. One exception, the ADUN for Tanjong Bunga, Y.B. Teh, will give the opening address.

Uncontrolled development has become a major concern initially to Tanjong Bunga and Tanjong Tokong residents but now even more to those living in Batu Ferringhi. They have recently created their own RA, the Batu Ferringhi Resident’s Association (BFRA) and have an active blogsite. In fact, all Penang residents who used to enjoy a ‘day out on the beach’ will be affected. Moreover, the trend toward Over & Uncontrolled development is likely to happen in the same manner in other districts of the State.

The main issues that will be highlighted and discussed at the Saturday night Forum are:

1. Zoning issues: Tanjong Bunga must be in the Secondary Development Corridor and deliberate but secret and illegal changes must be set right.
2. Traffic and other Infrastructure cannot cope, despite vague promises.
3. Beach encroachment, illegal reclamations – who benefits?
4. Dangerous Hill development on Class III & IV slopes – disasters in waiting
5. The Importance of the Local Plan in the proper development of Penang.

The Forum will point out the many inconsistencies of the past and current State governments relating to limits on density, construction projects on very steep hills and other uncontrolled developments. The eventual effects of such overdevelopment if not quickly resolved will be serious and far-reaching.

***

Organised by Tanjong Bunga & Batu Ferringhi Residents’ Associations

Blogs: http://tanjongbunga.blogspot.com or http://bfrapenang.blogspot.com

Join our forum April 17: North Coast Over Development

Worried by over-development in Tanjong Bunga, Batu Ferringhi, and more? Come to our North Coast forum. Entrance is for free, but come with an opinion.

Date: Saturday, April 17, 2010
Time: 8:30-11pm
Place: Paradise Sandy Beach Hotel, Tajung Bungah