Two projects have been approved in the new application round of the Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme, involving a total grant of around $27 million, the Government announced today.

The newly approved projects are the Nature Conservation Management Agreement project in Ho Sheung Heung and the Proactive Conservation project in Sha Lo Tung.

The Ho Sheung Heung project is aimed at sustaining the conservation outcome accumulated and continuing the enhanced collaboration with local farmers in agricultural activities in order to maintain the freshwater wetland of Ho Sheung Heung as a favourable ecological habitat for the stopover and perching of birds, amphibians and freshwater fish.

The Sha Lo Tung project, initiated by the Countryside Conservation Office in collaboration with the Agriculture, Fisheries & Conservation Department, targets to conserve the biodiversity of Sha Lo Tung through proactive conservation work and pave the way for the implementation of the long-term conservation strategy.

The project will be conducted by a local non-profit-making organisation to be engaged through the established procurement and tendering procedures of the Government.

So far, a total of 45 projects involving a total amount of around $236 million have been approved under the eight rounds of applications.

Separately, to help revitalise countryside villages and support eco-tourism, the review of the refinement of the licensing regime for guesthouses and food businesses in the countryside conducted by the Government's interdepartmental task force is close to completion.

The Countryside Conservation Office will summarise the facilitation measures and prepare the licensing requirements and procedural guidelines with a view to facilitating licensing applications for countryside areas. The guidelines are expected to be completed and promulgated in 2023-24.