Ten projects have been approved in the seventh application round of the Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme, totalling about $44 million, the Government announced today. 

The newly approved projects are located in various countryside areas, such as the wetland in Deep Bay area, Kuk Po, Yung Shue Au and Lai Chi Wo in the North East New Territories, Ma On Shan Village in Sha Tin, and Sai Kung.

The themes of these projects are broad and diversified, including conservation of fishponds and promotion of fishpond culture, formulation of an eco-cultural tourism reference guide, rehabilitation of farm houses and pai lau with distinguishable architectural features.

The projects are expected to enhance ecological conservation management as well as bring a positive impact on the revitalisation and restoration of the remote countryside in the long run.

The funding scheme will also add a new project type “Proactive Conservation” to the existing four categories of subsidies.

The new project type will enable the Countryside Conservation Office under the Environment & Ecology Bureau to carry out suitable conservation work proactively, thereby encouraging more conservation and revitalisation projects of various types in the remote countryside.

Together with the previous six rounds of application, 43 projects involving around $209 million have been approved, the Government added.