Long Ke Wan Photo: AFCD
According to documents from the Legislative Council’s Special Finance Committee submitted by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the government is planning to build or renovate public toilets in 10 country park locations. Among them, the public toilet in Long Ke Wan, located in Sai Kung East Country Park, has an estimated construction budget of HK$29.8 million, which is expected to be the most expensive country park public toilet in recent years.
The paper mentioned that Long Ke Wan Campground is a popular camping location, and the existing dry toilets are insufficient to meet the demand, so a new public toilet needs to be built. The new public toilet will adopt prefabricated composite technology to save construction time and reduce material consumption. At the same time, the lack of electricity and running water in the area necessitates the installation of an independent solar power system, advanced sewage treatment facilities, and a rainwater harvesting and reuse system to meet environmental and hygiene standards. These cutting-edge features were also a key factor contributing to the soaring costs.
The public toilets at nearby Ham Tin Wan Photo: Social media
In addition to Long Ke Wan, the government also plans to add public toilets in nine other popular country locations, including Tai Tong in Tai Lam Country Park and Shing Mun Country Park. The budgets for public toilets in each district vary depending on geographical conditions, but generally involve several million to ten million dollars.
Authorities stated that with the increasing demand from residents and tourists for recreational facilities, improving public toilets is an important part of enhancing Hong Kong’s tourism competitiveness. The new public toilets will feature modern design, improved ventilation and lighting, and more comprehensive accessibility facilities, aiming to provide better hygiene services for tourists while protecting the environment.
The Ham Tin Wan public toilets after the recent Lunar New Year holiday. AFCD plan to upgrade on-site monitoring Photo: Sicla media
In addition, starting in August 2024, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department will pilot the installation of smart systems in some public toilets in renovated or newly built country parks. These systems include sensors for toilet stall and urinal occupancy, people counting sensors, and septic tank water level sensors. During peak season in the country parks, temporary toilets and large garbage bins will also be added for visitors.
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