The iconic and touristic Penang Hill will see new development projects including a RM270 million cable car system, if the state government has its way.

To achieve its aim, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng today launched the publicity campaign and public draft participation programme for the Penang Hill Special Area Plan (SAP), which includes proposals for the cable car.

NONE Lim said the Penang government’s expenditure for the preparation of the Penang Hill SAP was done together with the Botanical Gardens SAP and cost RM588,578.00 in 2011.

Lim said the purpose of the SAP is to identify the best management methods and projects on Penang Hill to strengthen its position among the state’s tourism attractions.

“Through its publicity campaign launch today, the state wants to ensure that all sectors and stakeholders including the public and NGOs get the information and can provide feedback about the blueprint of the best development for Penang Hill,” said Lim at the event held at the lower station of the hill.

“The public can give their views (and objections) by referring to the draft SAP starting today for four weeks (one month),” he added.

The proposed route for the cable car system is from Youth Park (RM60 million), Botanical Gardens (RM60 million) and Teluk Bahang (RM150 million).

Penang Hill covers an area of 468.37ha at an elevation of 830 metres.

According to the Penang Hill management, statistics for tourist visits have been increasing annually and the figure is between 8,000 and 10,000 a day at peak periods.

Other than the cable car, the state has proposed that Penang Hill be developed by including a summit centre, enhance the gate house as a gallery and information centre, coolie line development, hotel and chalet development, promoting formatted landscape at the Governor’s House (Bel Retiro), and improving nature trails.

Affordable homes project at Jalan SP Chelliah

Later, at the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) Deepavali open house event, Lim announced a joint development agreement of medium- and low-medium-cost affordable homes and related facilities at Jalan SP Chelliah.

Lim said the PDC had planned for the development of 1,900 units of the houses on a 11.04 acre site, in addition to 11,800 units of affordable homes that will be built by the corporation in Batu Kawan in stages over a 10-year period.

The other affordable homes projects being planned on the island besides at SP Chelliah, Lim added, are in Teluk Kumbar and Jelutong.

“The Penang Municipal Council has appointed the PDC as its attorney and project administrator to administer and manage the development of affordable homes,” Lim said.

“Through an open tender exercise, Zubicon Sdn Bhd was awarded the tender and appointed as the developer to develop this land into medium-cost and low-medium-cost affordable homes,” he said.

“The entire development of affordable housing on the land must be fully completed within four years and is expected to be fully completed by November 2017,” he added.