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According to the Executive Yuan’s “ Long Term Development Project of the concrete cement industry” (enacted on May, 1986, revised on June 1995) in western Taiwan’s limestone quarries was purported to counter the lack of limestone mines in the western area of Taiwan which resulted in a increased number of concrete factories exodus to the eastern area of Taiwan, thus advanced the effective use of the limestone mines, in addition to establishing a concrete cement professional zone in the eastern area of Taiwan. The western area of Taiwan has already established mining rights to the limestone quarries, except for the Shou Shan quarry in Kaohsiung, which must conform to the mining law and regulations, all other legal rights to use were extended to 1997. Currently, as the eastward migration for Taiwan’s concrete cement industry became a definite decision, the right of limestone mining hence shall not be extended beyond their expiry date in 1997. The lengthy period of mining limestone quarries conducted in the western Taiwan not only caused changes in physical topography, but also created tremendous impact on the local natural habitat and landscape as well. Taiwan is a nation small in size but huge on demographics, and with very limited living space. Facing today’s expirations of mining rights in succession, the government apart from distinctively barring mining operations, it did not offer further instructions nor voice any key projects. Presently, the majority of the industries confronted with the legal law and regulations, would only restore the landscape to its original state and planting vegetation to improve the surroundings of the quarries, but the effect to their efforts seemed to be at a minimum, irrespective viewing from perceptual development or land economics perspectives. The key topic of this research is to ascertain the proper use and the planning of those land areas after mining operations ceased. This research selected five major limestone quarries in the western Taiwan to be the research subjects they are: (1) Chih Ho Shan of Hsinchu County, (2) Kung Tien of Chiayi County, (3) Da Kung Shan of Kaohsiung County, (4) Ban Ping Shan of Kaohsiung City, and (5) Lo Tou Shan of Kaohsiung City. Based on the current analysis of these five cases, the quarry in Da Kung Shan of Kaohsiung County is selected as a in-depth research subject on land reuse. The environmental conditions of the limestone quarries in the western Taiwan are dissimilar by nature, with every quarries owning unique features. How to appropriately treat these lands after mining operations ceased in addition to properly plan for land reuse projects are indeed, deserved be the topics of concern for the government, business owners and the mass public. This research through environment analysis on mining land areas, related land management units, experts and learned professionals, mine owners and relevant projects, in addition to the experiences of land reuse foreign and domestic, has raised its proposal on land reuse. The proposal raised by this research, should be partnered with related law and regulations to establish zoning changes in land. Finally, all the above information and data would be combined and studied in order to formulate a draft proposal on the planning process and to develop the land reuse strategy for the limestone quarry.
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