THIS JUST IN FROM CANADA

Lawmakers yesterday gave preliminary approval to the long-awaited bill seeking to set up a government-funded body to oversee the planned West Kowloon Cultural District.

The head of the Hong Kong Institute of Planners yesterday revealed he favoured rebuilding Queen's Pier where it was, but his opinion should not influence the institute's position.

A row among planners over their government-dominated professional body's stance on the future of Queen's Pier has intensified after a survey of members' opinions that some have attacked as loaded towards the official view.

The size of the temporary reclamation proposed for building the Central-Wan Chai bypass could be shrunk by 20 per cent under changes being considered by the government in an effort to reduce opposition to the project.

Members of the public are invited to give their views in the planning of MTR Kwun Tong Line Extension which will connect the MTR Yau Ma Tei Station to Ho Man Tin and Whampoa area. The Public Consultation for this new railway line is jointly organized by the Kowloon City District Council and the MTR Corporation.

The Town Planning Board today (June 27) announced amendments to the approved Kowloon Tong Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The government has been identifying heritage sites for wine cellars and related activities to boost Hong Kong's fine-wine industry, Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said yesterday.

The Buildings Department approved 31 building plans in May - 10 on Hong Kong Island, seven in Kowloon and 14 in the New Territories.

Following is a question by the Hon Lee Wing-tat and a reply by the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, in the Legislative Council today (June 25)

Two road projects, to cost a total of HK$8.1 billion, are being planned to cope with growing traffic in the rapidly expanding satellite town of Tseung Kwan O in eastern Kowloon.

The Housing Department has decided to renovate a big public housing estate on a prime site in Southern District after inspectors found it was structurally sound.

Lawmakers have no choice but to trust the government in developing the West Kowloon cultural district, but an advance-warning mechanism must be created to avoid mismanagement, a Legislative Council subcommittee says

All the 18 housing blocks in Wah Fu Estate in Southern District will be retained after a comprehensive structural investigation conducted by the Housing Department confirmed that they are structurally safe.

The government has cleared a major hurdle in the controversial West Kowloon cultural hub project after a Legislative Council committee approved HK$21.6 billion in funding.

Lawmakers gave initial approval yesterday for a grant of HK$21.6 billion to the body which will build and manage cultural facilities in the West Kowloon arts hub, but demanded it report regularly to the Legislative Council.

The following is issued on behalf of the Construction Industry Council:The Construction Industry Council (CIC) will meet tomorrow (June 20) at 2.30pm in Room 1201, 12/F, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong.

Following is a question by the Hon Lau Kong-wah and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (June 18).

The total gross value of construction works performed by main contractors in the first quarter of 2008 increased by 8.5% in nominal terms over a year earlier to $24.1 billion, according to the provisional results of the Quarterly Survey of Construction Output released today (June 12) by the Census and Statistics Department.

A new rail system at Ocean Park is expected to start transporting up to 10,000 people an hour between different areas of the theme park by the middle of next year.