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1.
First meeting of Lantau Development
Task Force convened today
2.
Lai Chi Chong Public Pier to be rebuilt
3.
Shenzhen wants link to cross-delta
bridge
4.
Contractor to restore concreted streams
1. First meeting of Lantau Development Task Force convened today
Hong
Kong Government, 13 February 2003
The
Lantau Development Task Force, under the chairmanship of the Financial
Secretary, held its first meeting today (February 13).
The
Task Force comprises senior officials from policy bureaux and departments
involved in land use planning, economic and infrastructural development,
and environmental protection.
As
foreshadowed in the 2004 Policy Address, the Task Force will provide
high-level policy steer on the economic and infrastructural development
of Lantau with a view to ensuring smooth implementation of various
projects in a sustainable manner.
As
a start, the Task Force will draw up a development concept plan
for Lantau. The development concept plan, which is expected to be
completed in the third quarter of 2004, will be put to public consultation
to gauge public views on the various development proposals in the
plan. Subject to public views received, the relevant bureaux and
departments will conduct feasibility studies on individual development
proposals, including impact assessments in respect of the environment,
transport and supporting infrastructure, etc.
The
Task Force has initially identified a few key development proposals
in Lantau. They include a Value Added Logistics Park in Tai Ho,
a tourism node in Sunny Bay, possible leisure and recreational development
in Chi Ma Wan and North East Lantau respectively.
In
particular, the Task Force has agreed that the proposed Value Added
Logistics Park should be taken forward as soon as possible, as it
would enhance Hong Kong's capability to provide 'one-stop' integrated
logistics services and reinforce our status as the premier international
logistics hub in Asia. A working group, to be led by the Economic
Development and Labour Bureau, with support from relevant departments,
will be formed to fast-track the implementation of the project.
Together
with other planned projects in Lantau, such as the Disneyland, the
Tung Chung Cable Car and the HK-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Task Force
foresees that the Lantau will become a focus of environmentally
sustainable economic infrastructural developments in the coming
decade.
The
Task Force will meet every three months to provide the necessary
steer to the on-going work.
The
terms of reference of the Task Force are:
(a)
provide a planning framework to ensure a balanced and co-ordinated
approach is taken for the planned developments in Lantau;
(b)
ensure the provision of the necessary land and infrastructure in
good time;
(c)
determine the suitable mode of development for each of the planned
projects; and
(d)
monitor the progress of each of the projects to ensure their timely
delivery.
The
membership of the Task Force is as follows:
Chairman
--------
Financial
Secretary
Members
-------
Secretary
for Economic Development and Labour
Secretary
for Housing, Planning and Lands
Secretary
for the Environment, Transport and Works
Secretary
for Financial Services and the Treasury
Permanent
Secretary for Economic Development
Permanent
Secretary for Planning and Lands
Permanent
Secretary for Works
Permanent
Secretary for Environment and Transport
Director
of Planning
Director
of Territory Development
Director
of Lands
Commissioner
for Tourism
Director
of Civil Engineering (on a need basis)
Director
of Environmental Protection (on a need basis)
Director
of Highways (on a need basis)
Commissioner
for Transport (on a need basis)
Co-opted
members
----------------
Director-General
of Investment Promotion
Director-General
of Civil Aviation
Director
of Marine
Secretary
---------
Principal
Assistant Secretary (Planning & Lands)2, Housing, Planning &
Lands Bureau
2. Lai Chi Chong Public Pier to be rebuilt
Hong
Kong Government, 13 February 2004
The
Government intends to reconstruct the Lai Chi Chong Public Pier
in Tai Po to improve its safety and appearance.
Recent
inspections indicated that the pier, built in the 1960s, was in
poor condition and should be rebuilt.
The
reconstruction work will affect about 1,300 square metres of foreshore
and seabed at Lai Chi Chong. The work is scheduled to start in October
for completion by October 2006.
A
notice describing the extent of the area affected is published in
the Gazette today (February 13). The notice and its related plan
are posted on the notice boards near the site.
The
plan is also available for public inspection at the Lands Department's
Survey and Mapping Office, 23/F, North Point Government Offices,
333 Java Road and the Tai Po District Office, Public Enquiry Service
Centre, Ground Floor, Tai Po Government Offices Building, 1 Ting
Kok Road, Tai Po.
Anyone
with an interest, right or easement in or over the foreshore and
seabed involved may submit a written objection to the Director of
Lands, 20/F, North Point Government Offices, by April 13, 2004.
3. Shenzhen wants link to cross-delta bridge
GARY
CHEUNG and LEU SIEW YING in Guangzhou, SCMP 14 February 2004
A
proposed bridge linking Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau should be extended
to provide a link to Shenzhen, top Guangdong and Shenzhen officials
said yesterday.
Guangdong
Executive Vice-Governor Tang Bingquan said a so-called double Y-shaped
bridge, which would link Hong Kong and Shekou, in Shenzhen, with
Zhuhai and Macau, would bring huge economic benefits to the region.
Mr
Tang's remarks outside the Guangdong People's Congress sparked fears
the provincial government has made a U-turn on the project.
Earlier
understandings between the province and Hong Kong and Macau governments
favoured a single Y-shaped bridge linking the two special administrative
regions and Zhuhai, without a landing point at Shenzhen. This plan
has received the backing of a central government agency.
Mr
Tang's call was echoed by Shenzhen acting mayor Li Hongzhong, who
said there would be a huge increase in vehicles using the bridge
if it linked to Shenzhen.
Mr
Li said the economic returns of the bridge should determine its
design.
"There
is an issue of economic returns, how to make it faster for investors
to recoup their investment," he said.
"If
traffic flow is heavy and more tolls are collected, it will be faster
to recoup investment. I think there will be less traffic on a single-Y
bridge and more on a double-Y structure." Asked whether he
could accept the construction of a single-Y bridge, then a later
addition of a Shenzhen link, Mr Li said that whatever benefited
Hong Kong would benefit Shenzhen.
On
the question of whether a Shenzhen link would create more competition
for Hong Kong, Mr Li urged the city to look at the mutual benefits,
not the competition.
Mr
Tang said he preferred the double Y-shaped bridge because there
were tens of thousands of factories operated by Hong Kong-based
companies in Shenzhen, Huizhou and Dongguan.
"It's
easy to see the benefits brought by an additional landing point,"
he said.
He
said Guangdong authorities would support the final decision made
by the central government.
Director
of the Guangdong Department of Communications Zhang Yuanyi said
on Thursday that the economic benefits of a double Y-shaped bridge
were much greater than a Y-shaped link.
4. Contractor to restore concreted streams
KEVIN
SINCLAIR, SCMP 14 February 2004
The
contractor whose workmen covered two hillside streams in concrete
says he is studying ways of restoring the Sha Kok Mei waterways
to a more natural state.
Siu
Kai-ming, a director of Kin Wo Construction, has hired slope consultant
Toyo Greenland to oversee the work.
It
has provided a concept to revitalise the waterways and encourage
the return of animal life that included drilling holes in the concrete
to promote grass growth.
Mr
Siu said that after the public outcry he met officers from the Agriculture,
Fisheries and Conservation Department and the Environmental Protection
Department, among others.
They
suggested he take action to restore the two streams.
"This
restoration will cost my company about $300,000. If we just removed
all the concrete from the river, it would only cost $20,000 to $30,000,"
he said.
Mr
Siu said that officials had to approve the work before it could
begin.
This
contrasts with the way in which the streams were concreted - because
of the small size of the project, no environmental impact assessment
had been required.
Government
departments encouraged Mr Siu to concrete the beds and banks of
the streams to control flooding.
Toyo
Greenland specialises in preventing slope erosion, largely by establishing
natural vegetation.
It
is a method of flood prevention that naturalists say should have
been used initially in Sha Kok Mei.
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