A large and controversial development project near scenic destination Cisingtan (七星潭) in Hualien came under protest as local residents and environmental organizations held a demonstration in front of the Environmental Protection Administration yesterday.
The protesters said that the 4.5 hectare development would destroy the area’s fragile ecosystem, remove their access to the beach and lacked community involvement.
They accused Hualien County Government officials of colluding with developers after they approved the proposal without conducting an environmental impact assessment. They added that officials should first finalize an overall development plan for the community.
The proposal, located on Haian Road next to Hualien Airport on the outskirts of Hualien City, includes the construction of a large vacation resort with a mix of commercial space.
Hualien County Government officials said the project would become part of a larger plan to develop the area, with land set aside for manufacturing and agricultural centers. They said the plan would help jump-start the county’s lagging economy, create jobs and increase tourism dollars.
Under county regulations, the proposal does not require an environmental impact assessment because the development area is less than 10 hectares.
In a public hearing after the protest, You Huang-ming (游煌明), who heads the Cisingtan Community Development Association, called both the proposal and the process “flawed.”
“We are not against development in general, but in this case, they haven’t shown any consideration for us local residents or our environment,” You said. “All that has [mattered] to the county government and the wealthy developers has been how to make [money].”
Local resident Tsai Chung-yueh (蔡中岳) said the proposal would harm the local culture and create large amounts of pollution — something the area’s small community could not accept.
“We want a clean and natural shoreline … that all residents can enjoy,” Tsai said. “This just isn’t a suitable location.”
Opposition to the project has grown in recent months after organizers said an online petition gathered more than 40,000 signatures.
The petition calls for county officials to reject the resort project and revise the entire Cisingtan area development proposal.
In response to the concerns, developer representative Huang Chin-fa (黃進發) apologized to the protesters for what he called “inadequate communication.”
“It is not our plan to destroy this beautiful environment,” Huang said.
He promised residents that the construction would not extend into the beach area, while the environmental exposure would be minimized. He said the company would attempt to source workers and supplies from neighboring communities.
Taipei and New Taipei City government officials are aiming to have the first phase of the Wanhua-Jungho-Shulin Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line completed and opened by 2027, following the arrival of the first train set yesterday. The 22km-long Light Green Line would connect four densely populated districts in Taipei and New Taipei City: Wanhua (萬華), Jhonghe (中和), Tucheng (土城) and Shulin (樹林). The first phase of the project would connect Wanhua and Jhonghe districts, with Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and Chukuang (莒光) being the terminal stations. The two municipalities jointly hosted a ceremony for the first train to be used
MILITARY AID: Taiwan has received a first batch of US long-range tactical missiles ahead of schedule, with a second shipment expected to be delivered by 2026 The US’ early delivery of long-range tactical ballistic missiles to Taiwan last month carries political and strategic significance, a military source said yesterday. According to the Ministry of National Defense’s budget report, the batch of military hardware from the US, including 11 sets of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and 64 MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems, had been scheduled to be delivered to Taiwan between the end of this year and the beginning of next year. However, the first batch arrived last month, earlier than scheduled, with the second batch —18 sets of HIMARS, 20 MGM-140 missiles and 864 M30
Representative to the US Alexander Yui delivered a letter from the government to US president-elect Donald Trump during a meeting with a former Trump administration official, CNN reported yesterday. Yui on Thursday met with former US national security adviser Robert O’Brien over a private lunch in Salt Lake City, Utah, with US Representative Chris Stewart, the Web site of the US cable news channel reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. “During that lunch the letter was passed along, and then shared with Trump, two of the sources said,” CNN said. O’Brien declined to comment on the lunch, as did the Taipei
A woman who allegedly attacked a high-school student with a utility knife, injuring his face, on a Taipei metro train late on Friday has been transferred to prosecutors, police said yesterday. The incident occurred near MRT Xinpu Station at about 10:17pm on a Bannan Line train headed toward Dingpu, New Taipei City police said. Before police arrived at the station to arrest the suspect, a woman surnamed Wang (王) who is in her early 40s, she had already been subdued by four male passengers, one of whom was an off-duty Taipei police officer, police said. The student, 17, who sustained a cut about
RSS