UNESCO slams Macau again

As the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) prepares to hold a meeting this Summer, the Macau SAR Government may have to face some extra work down the line before the 41st session of the Committee takes place this July (2-12) in Krakow, Poland.
Several considerations about the current state of heritage conservation in Macau have been raised in a working document produced by the WHC available online, of which some elements were advanced yesterday by Jornal Tribuna de Macau (JTM).
Entitled ‘State of conservation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List,’ the document refers to various concerns and delays on the part of the local government to fulfill previous recommendations delivered by both the State Party, China, and the advisory body within UNESCO – reporting in conjunction with the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM).
On the list of remarks, the main concerns are future constructions on the new landfills of Zone B and building height restrictions for the projects planned at Fisherman’s Wharf.
In spite of the efforts led by the Macau Government to strengthen protection from ‘adverse development’ – following the adoption of the Urban Planning Law in 2013 and the Cultural Heritage Protection Law in 2014 – the Committee noted that ‘the current issue of height restrictions concerning the project at Macau Fisherman’s Warf, the proposals for land reclamation around the property, and possible developments involving high-rise buildings all raise serious concerns.’
Speaking to Business Daily, a spokesperson for Fisherman’s Wharf said there are no current updates on the issue, adding that they are “still awaiting the government’s decision, for which there is no fixed date yet.”

Zone B
In a report made available on March 3, 2017, the State Party, China argued that ‘the Master Plan for New Reclamation (MPLR) is being developed in consultation with the Cultural Affairs Bureau… [and that] it foresees that the area located southeast of the Historic Centre of Macau (Zone B) and its buffer zones will act as a green corridor that enhances the urban landscape.’
In addition, the State Party noted that ‘a holistic Urban Master Plan of Macao will be launched in the next three to five years, to be followed by a detailed plan that aims to control and regulate urban development in a scientific and transparent manner.’
While pitched as part of a comprehensive urban plan for Macau (Master Plan), the Committee stressed that the relationship between the latter and the MPLR is not clearly stated, requesting the State Party provide ‘the draft MPLR for review by the Advisory Bodies before it is approved, and meanwhile to submit details of all current proposals for land reclamation, e.g. for Zone B.’

Paperwork
On the paperwork front, the Committee urges local and national governments (the ‘State Party’) to get the work done.
From UNESCO’s perspective, the most ‘urgent’ matter concerns the Protection and Management Plan (PMP), initially requested to be provided by February 1, 2015 – announced as one of the follow-up initiatives linked to the ‘Framework’ proposed in 2014 for the Safeguard and Management Plan of Macau’s Historic Centre, in view of the celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Historic Centre of Macau as World Heritage in 2015.
The Committee asks the competent authorities to submit the plan ‘prior to its adoption, for review by the Advisory Bodies,’ adding that the timescale for its completion was not provided.
In its report, China highlighted that ‘the local Government will carry out a public consultation concerning the PMP in 2017 in order to collect public opinions.’
In reply to criticisms and concerns raised by the Committee, the Cultural Affairs Bureau released a statement yesterday in which it shielded itself behind the State Party.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau claims that the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of the People’s Republic of China ‘has praised the Macau SAR Government’s efforts in its works to safeguard cultural heritage, and that it considers [the Cureau] is effectively [proceeding] in the right direction, putting trust in its capacity to protect the Historic Centre of Macau’.


Guia Lighthouse
In previous monitoring missions conducted in Macau in January 2009, the WHC Centre and ICOMOS Reactive Monitoring mission identified two main factors regarding the Historic Centre of Macau:
1. Possible negative impact of development projects in areas surrounding the buffer zones on the visual integrity of the property
2. Inadequacy of the current management system
WHC’s report came after four construction projects announced in 2006 for high-rise buildings planned in the area surrounding Guia Hill would compromise the panoramic view from the lighthouse and obscure it from various points elsewhere in the city. The four projects were:
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Liaison Office (99.91 metres), at Avenida Rodrigo Rodrigues
A 50-storey mixed-use commercial and residential building (135 metres)
A residential building (126 metres) located at Calçada do Gaio.
Plans for expansion of Centro Hospitalar Conde São Januário, Macau’s public hospital complex

Some of the various associations which became involved in their efforts to reverse the government’s decision to approve the projects include:
Macau Architects’ Association (AAM)
Association for the Protection of Macau’s Historical and Cultural Heritage
New Macau Democratic Association (ANMD)
General Union of the Neighbourhood Associations (gaai fong)
League of the Guia Lighthouse Protectors
Guia Lighthouse Protection Concerned Group


State Party’s report on Lou Kau Mansion
In February 2016, a wall collapsed at the construction site of Cathedral Lane No.1-5 and Rua de S. Domingos No.16A-16E, causing slight damage to the first floor wall and stained glass windows of Lou Kau Mansion. The project has been suspended and measures are being taken to ensure the structural safety of Lou Kau Mansion as well as repairing the slightly damaged wall and windows.