1 Approved Ma Tau Kok Outline Zoning Plan amended
Hong Kong Government, 18 January 2008

The Town Planning Board today (January 18) announced amendments to the approved Ma Tau Kok Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendments mainly involve imposing building height restrictions for "Commercial", "Comprehensive Development Area" ("CDA"), "CDA(1)", "CDA(2)", "CDA(3)", "Residential (Group A)" ("R(A)"), "R(A)1", "R(A)2", "R(B)", "R(B)1", "R(E)", "Government, Institution or Community" ("G/IC"), and "Other Specified Uses" zones.

The Notes of the OZP are also updated in accordance with the latest refinements to the Revised Master Schedule of Notes to Statutory Plans.

The draft Ma Tau Kok OZP No. S/K10/19 incorporating the amendments is now available for public inspection during office hours at the secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters in the North Point and Sha Tin Government Offices, the Kowloon District Planning Office and the Kowloon City District Office.

Any person may make written representations regarding the amendments to the secretary of the board on or before March 18, 2008. Representations made to the board will be available for public inspection.

Copies of the draft OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei.  The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the board's website at www.info.gov.hk/tpb.
Ends/Friday, January 18, 2008

2 Draft Wong Nai Chung Outline Zoning Plan amended
Hong Kong Government, 18 January 2008

The Town Planning Board today (January 18) announced amendments to the draft Wong Nai Chung Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendments involve mainly the incorporation of building height restrictions for the "Commercial", "Residential (Group A)", "Residential (Group B)9" ("R(B)9"), "R(B)10", "R(B)11", "Residential (Group C)1", "Government, Institution or Community" and "Other Specified Uses" zones, as well as rezoning of various sites to reflect completed developments and designating the slopes surrounding Happy View Terrace as a non-building area.  

The draft Wong Nai Chung OZP No. S/H7/14, incorporating the amendments, is now available for public inspection during office hours at the secretariat of the board, the Planning Enquiry Counters in the North Point and Sha Tin Government Offices, the Hong Kong District Planning Office and the Public Enquiry Service Centre of the Wan Chai District Office.

Any person may make written representation regarding the amendments to the secretary of the board on or before March 18, 2008. Representations made to the board will be available for public inspection.

Copies of the draft Wong Nai Chung OZP No. S/H7/14 are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed on the board's website at www.info.gov.hk/tpb/ .

3 Approved Ho Man Tin Outline Zoning Plan amended
Hong Kong Government, 18 January 2008

The Town Planning Board today (January 18) announced amendments to the approved Ho Man Tin Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendments mainly involve imposing building height restrictions for "Commercial", "Residential (Group A)" ("R(A)"), “Residential (Group B)" ("R(B)"), "Government, Institution or Community" ("G/IC"), and "Other Specified Uses" ("OU") zones.  In addition, a site at 81 Chung Hau Street is rezoned from "G/IC" to "Residential (Group E)" and a site at the junction of Fat Kwong Street and Chung Hau Street is rezoned from "R(A)" to "R(B)2", and both sites are incorporated with plot ratio and building height restrictions.

The Notes of the OZP also have been updated in accordance with the latest refinements to the Revised Master Schedule of Notes to Statutory Plans.
 
The draft Ho Man Tin OZP No. S/K7/19 incorporating the amendments is now available for public inspection during office hours at the secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters in the North Point and Sha Tin Government Offices, the Kowloon District Planning Office and the Kowloon City District Office.

Any person may make written representations regarding the amendments to the secretary of the board on or before March 18, 2008. Representations made to the board will be available for public inspection.

Copies of the draft OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei.  The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the board’s website at www.info.gov.hk/tpb .
Ends/Friday, January 18, 2008

4 HK building practices 'better environmentally'
Lina Lim, SCMP 18 January 2008

Building practices in Hong Kong have improved environmentally and socially compared with a decade ago, Permanent Secretary for the Environment Anissa Wong Sean-yee said on Friday.

Ms Wong was speaking at the Hong Kong Construction Association’s (HKCA) Environmental Conference.

She said environmental violations involving construction activities had substantially decreased over the years.

‘The enforcement statistics of Environment Protection Department for the construction industry also show that the number of non-compliance cases dropped by as much as 90 per cent during this period of time’ Ms Wong added.

‘In the construction industry, we have witnessed the vigorous upgrading of the construction technologies and tools’ she said.

Ms Wong said construction site pollution and waste reduction measures considered new several years ago were now common practices.

However, she said the territory’s focus was to achieve environmental sustainability in the long term.

‘These will mean we start applying sustainability standards in the earliest possible stage such as project design, procurement decisions, personnel training and setting environmental benchmark,’ she said.

Ms Wong said although issuing guidelines were important, encouraging environmental values in the workforce was also essential.

‘The participation from different sectors of the community to adopt environmental and conservation practices in their corporate strategies and lifestyles so as to enhance the quality of the environment is important.

‘That is why the Legislative Council has recently approved the injection of a one-off sum of HK$1 billion into the Environmental and Conservation Fund (ECF) in this fiscal year,’ Ms Wong added.

During the post-war construction boom in Hong Kong, many flats and offices were built quickly with little consideration to environmental issues, such as waste management, uses of environmentally-friendly building materials, and reducing pollution.