The CCAC completed the inquiry into the construction project located at Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues No. 465-513 (i.e. “Land Plot 134 of ZAPE”). The CCAC verified that the Public Administration had already suggested the maximum building height on the land plot be lowered from 90 metres in the original plan to 60 metres in response to the intervention of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Centre. Currently, the plan and the building proposal of the land plot and so forth can only proceed upon resolution by the World Heritage Centre in the next phase. Additionally, the public works departments’ use of the relevant administrative guideline in expressing the maximum permissible plot ratio and coverage ratio and so on in processing the original draft planning proposal does not constitute administrative illegality or irregularity.
According to a complaint from an association received by the CCAC, the draft planning proposal of Land Plot 134 of ZAPE, published in 2020, which proposed the construction of 90-metre high buildings aroused public concern as it might affect the view of the world heritage, the Guia Lighthouse. Moreover, it claimed that the plot ratio and coverage ratio had not been specified in the draft, which were allegedly against the Urban Planning Law.
Following its analysis, the CCAC pointed out that the public works departments had, in accordance with the provisions of the Urban Planning Law, stipulated that the project should comply with Administrative Guideline no. 01/DSSOPT/2009, where definitions of land coverage ratio, net coverage ratio, plot ratio, and net plot ratio are laid down in Table II of point 5.2. Given that the administrative guideline is publicly available and downloadable online, through which a maximum net plot ratio and a maximum net coverage ratio can be calculated, and that the public works departments use it as the vetting and approval standard for building height and site building indicators, the CCAC believes that the public works departments’ use of the aforesaid guideline in expressing the maximum permissible plot ratio and coverage ratio in processing the draft planning proposal does not constitute administrative illegality or impropriety.
Moreover, the Public Administration, in response to the resolution passed by the World Heritage Centre, completed the first and second phases of “Heritage Impact Assessment of the Area around Avenida Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues” and “Heritage Impact Assessment and Urban Design of the Area around Avenida do Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues”, which suggested that the maximum building height on Land Plot 134 of ZAPE should be 60 metres above sea level. Later, it will submit the complete heritage impact assessment (HIA) and urban design study to the World Heritage Centre and its advisory bodies for review. Meanwhile, the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the public works departments have already publicly and repeatedly stated that they will suspend vetting and approval of plans and building proposals involving the area around Avenida Dr. Rodrigo Rodrigues including Land Plot 134 of ZAPE until the findings of the aforesaid reports are officially accepted by the World Heritage Centre.
The CCAC has reported to the Chief Executive on the inquiry findings in accordance with the law Commission Against Corruption of the Macao Special Administrative Region.