Accordingly, the People’s Committee of the city has submitted a proposal to the City People’s Council requesting approval to convert over 2,000 square meters of natural protective forest in Residential Area No. 3 in Con Dao Special Zone for the second phase of infrastructure development in the center of Con Dao.
According to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the project aims to complete the transportation network and lay the foundation for a new residential area in the northwest of Quang Trung Lake. It also seeks to renovate and develop the urban area in accordance with the master plan for Con Dao’s development through 2045.
The project invested by the People’s Committee of Con Dao Special Zone is scheduled for implementation from 2022 to 2027. It includes the construction of nine roads totaling over 3.2 kilometers, including N2, N4, N6, N7, N8, D1, D2, D3, and D4. Supporting infrastructure will comprise stormwater and wastewater drainage systems, water supply, street lighting, greenery, technical trenches, and traffic safety facilities.
The area of over 2,000 square meters of forest, located along Road N6 in plots 1490AB, 1499A, 15619, 15621, and 15622, in compartment 1, sub-zone 26732, was previously subject to disputes and had not been approved for land-use conversion by authorities. However, the Supreme People’s Court has recently confirmed the land as a protective forest in Decision No. 20/2025/HC-GDDT.
Previously, of the total 1.12 hectares of forest involved in the project, over 0.8 hectares had been approved for land-use conversion by the People’s Council and People’s Committee of the former province of Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province, and more than 0.07 hectares had been certified for land use rights to residents. Therefore, only about 0.2 hectares remain pending approval by the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Council to ensure the project’s timely completion.
According to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the project aligns with the National Forestry Plan for the 2021-2030 period, the Master Plan of Ba Ria-Vung Tau for the 2021-2030 period, the master plan for Con Dao's development until 2045, the 1:2,000-scale subzone plan for the Con Son center, and the Con Dao land-use plan through 2030.
The proposed forest area for conversion falls within the approved but yet-to-be-utilized quota for changing the land use of protective forests according to the approved land-use plans. Moreover, Con Dao currently maintains a very high forest coverage rate of 79.01 percent, equivalent to 5,956 hectares of natural forest, while the land available for urban and infrastructure development remains highly limited.
Legally, the project is based on the 2017 Forestry Law, the 2024 Land Law, and Government Decrees No. 156/2018 detailing a number of articles of the Law on Forestry and 91/2024 amending Decree No. 156/2018 to provide updated guidance for the implementation of the Forestry Law, as well as planning approval decisions by the Prime Minister. The accompanying project dossier is complete, including the environmental protection plan, forest status maps, project documentation, and a commitment to pay for reforestation.
According to the People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, the conversion of over 2,000 square meters of natural protective forest is necessary, lawful, and feasible. It ensures the continuity of this key infrastructure project and contributes to the sustainable development of Con Dao as a premier tourism and service hub in the region.
