The Penang Local Plan (Island) 2020 is expected to be displayed for public viewing soon, said State Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo (DAP-Datuk Keramat).
He said three special area plans (SAP), namely the George Town World Heritage Site SAP, Botanic Gardens SAP and Penang Hill SAP, would be included in the Local Plan before the public viewing could be held.
He said the Heritage Site SAP was being translated from English to Malay for gazetting while the Botanic Gardens SAP would also be translated to Malay after being approved by the state Planning Committee pending the final report from the consultant.
Jagdeep said the Local Plan was in its final draft.
He said the initial draft was approved by the Penang Municipal Council on Dec 22, 2008 and submitted to the state government in a series of meetings between January 2010 and February 2012.
State Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh (DAP—Sungai Puyu) assured that the seagrass bed in the Middle Bank, located between the Penang Bridge and the river mouth of Sungai Pinang, would be protected.
He was responding to a verbal question from Teh Yee Cheu (DAP—Tanjung Bungah) who said that Middle Bank should be free from development although it was included in the Penang Structure Plan 2007 as reclaimable land.
Phee told Teh not to bring any more visitors to the seagrass bed as it would damage it and affect the marine life there.
Teh had, in March, brought State Assembly Speaker Datuk Law Choo Kiang, environmentalists and a group of reporters for a visit to the seagrass bed.
Earlier during the proceedings, Law said a total of 71 oral questions and 569 written questions had been submitted.
“Four motions are also scheduled to be tabled in this state assembly,” he added. - By The Star
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