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1. Groups protest at plan to raze flats

2. Green groups attack Hunghom project

3. Green Property Management Awards Presentation Ceremony 2004

4. $800m for Lee Tung Street

1. Groups protest at plan to raze flats
Staff reporters, The Standard 26 March 2004

Environmental groups have banded together to bring pressure on developers not to tear down the Hung Hom Peninsula flats.

A joint petition drawn up by five environmental groups - Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth (HK), The Conservancy Association, Green Power and WWF Hong Kong - claims the case makes a mockery of the government's long-term vision of sustainable development.

Hung Hom Peninsula is a subsidised housing project that the government sold to New World Development affiliate NWS Holdings and Sun Hung Kai Properties at a loss of about HK$800 million earlier this year.

A NWS spokesman said last night that the group has not yet decided whether it will demolish the seven towers containing 2,470 new flats to make way for a luxury residential project.

The spokesman said the company has not received the joint petition but would ``of course, look into the concerns of the environmental groups''.

The petition also:

Attacks the confusion and inconsistencies of the government's housing policy, and says no consideration has been given to possible environmental consequences of redeveloping the site. ``It will also set an extremely poor example for the future handling of Kingsford Terrace in Ngau Chi Wan, which is another subsidised housing project kept in limbo and pending settlement between the government and the developers,'' it said.

Questions how the developers can claim to be good corporate citizens in terms of environmental protection when ``their intention to demolish the brand-new buildings is totally against the spirit of sustainable development''.

Says at least 200,000 tonnes of debris would result from demolition. ``If it all goes to landfills, it would be taxpayers footing the HK$25 million bill. This blatantly dishonours the `polluter pays' and `producer's responsibility' principles.''

Called on the government and legislators to draw up a landfill charge system to ensure ``polluter pays'' is entrenched within a regulatory framework.

Said profit was the only consideration of the developers.

Urged the developers to consult the public before proceeding with any demolition.

2. Green groups attack Hunghom project
MARTIN WONG, SCMP 26 March 2004

Green groups have attacked developers' moves to demolish the Hunghom Peninsula for redevelopment into luxury flats.

Five Hong Kong environmental groups delivered a joint petition to New World Development and its partner Sun Hung Kai Properties, urging them not to tear down the waterfront estate for rebuilding.

Their plan to demolish flats at Hunghom Peninsula showed "absolutely no environmental concern as regards construction waste and its treatment", the joint petition said.

The groups believed debris generated from the demolition might reach at least 200,000 tonnes and it would cost the government $25 million to manage the waste.

The Conservancy Association, Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong), Greenpeace, Green Power and the World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong signed the joint petition.

New World Development managing director Henry Cheng Kar-shun has said its unit NWS Holdings and Sun Hung Kai Properties would demolish the waterfront estate and build flats over a gross floor area of 1.55 million sq ft.

The project looks to be a windfall for the developers, with total costs estimated at $3,225 per sq ft and the luxury units likely to sell for about $10,000 per sq ft.

The developers bought the project back from the government last month for $2.77 billion, or $1,800 per sq ft, including a land premium of $864 million.

3. Green Property Management Awards Presentation Ceremony 2004
Housing Authority Press Release, 24 March 2004

The Housing Department, Friends of the Earth (Hong Kong), Green Power and the Conservancy Association have once again joined hands in organising the Green Property Management Award. Seventeen public housing estates have been recognised this year for their outstanding performance in promoting and implementing green management initiatives in the estates.

Members of the adjudication panel commented that estate staff's environmental awareness and knowledge in green property management has been enhanced since last year.

Officiating at the prize presentation ceremony of the Green Property Management Award today (24 March 2004), Mr. LAU Kai-hung, Deputy Director/Estate Management of the Housing Department said that the Housing Department has been making good progress in promoting environmental protection in public housing estates.

He said that with the support and collaboration of the estate offices and property management companies, the Housing Department continues to achieve good results in waste reduction, recycling, estate greening and applying environmental procurement measures in estates.

Statistics showed that waste produced in public housing estates has been on the decline for several consecutive years. In the year 2002-03, each resident generated an average of 0.82kg refuse per day. This is about 8.9% less than that of the previous year. During April to December last year, a total of 1.5million kg of waste paper, 0.2 million kg of aluminum cans and 0.15 million of plastic bottles were collected in estates. This shows a steady trend in the amount of recyclables collected.

On environmental procurement initiatives in public housing, guidelines have been issued to cleansing contractors on the use of cleansing materials that may help to reduce adverse impact on the environment. Environmental friendly equipment and machinery have also been introduced for horticulture works. Greening and landscape improvement programmes, as well as tree planting activities were organised in estates last year, covering an area of over 100 000 square meters.

The Green Property Management Award is another initiative to further encourage estate offices to provide quality green management services and to get more of the estate staff, tenants and HD's business partners involved in environmental protection in public housing estates.

This year's award contained two categories. Butterfly Estate won the Housing Department Category while Ma Tau Wai Estate and Ping Tin Estate were joint winners of the PSC/MBO/PMA Category (Private Services Company / Management Buy-out / Property Management Agent).

During the Award Presentation Ceremony, winners of the two categories shared their experience and skills with other participating companies and guests. The information will also be uploaded onto the Housing Department website (http://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/).

Co-officiating guests at the ceremony included: Mr. LAM Kin-lai, Director of the Conservancy Association, and members of the adjudication panel: Ms. Mabel MAK, Head of Community Relations Unit of Environmental Protection Department; Mr. Edwin LAU, Assistant Director of Friends of the Earth (HK); Dr. MAN Chi-sum, Chief Executive Officer of Green Power; Mr. Rico WONG, Project Manager of the Conservancy Association; Mr. LAI Ip-cheung and Mr. WONG Bay, Assistant Directors/Estate Management of the Housing Department.

4. $800m for Lee Tung Street
Raymond Wang, The Standard 26 March 2004

The Urban Renewal Authority will spend HK$800 million on land purchases and tenant rehousing after 46 per cent of the 647 affected homeowners at the Lee Tung Street redevelopment agreed to accept compensation offers of HK$4,079 per square foot.

The HK$3.58 billion Lee Tung Street/McGregor Street redevelopment in Wan Chai covers 8,900 square metres and is the largest and most expensive project the authority has undertaken.

Land purchase began early this year and is scheduled to be completed by early 2006, with about HK$1.74 billion set aside for property acquisition, tenant rehousing or compensation, an authority spokesman said.

The project involves about 647 property interests, 930 households and 2,000 residents.

``Negotiations are still going on and we intend to invite private developers to participate in the project after completing land purchases in two years,'' he said.

Homeowners affected by urban renewal projects are offered compensation equal to the market price of a seven-year-old flat in the same district, even though home prices are now up to 50 per cent lower than the market peak in 1997.

Construction is expected to commence in 2006 and is due for completion in 2009 or 2010.

Separately, the authority this week invited 28 real estate developers to tender for the joint development of the Johnston Road project in Wan Chai after 32 developers expressed interest in the project earlier this month. The tender deadline is May 12.

Cheung Kong (Holdings), Sun Hung Kai Properties, Henderson Land Development, New World Development, Hopewell Holdings, Wharf Holdings, Shun Tak Holdings, Chinese Estates Holdings, China Overseas Land and Chinachem Group will be among the bidders.

The 28,000 sq ft site, bounded by Johnston Road, Ship Street, Tai Wong Street West and Tai Wong Street East, should generate 28,000 sq ft of retail floor area and 190,000 sq ft of residential floor area when completed in 2007.

Total investment is estimated at between HK$800 million and HK$900 million, including construction expenses and HK$650 million in compensation to homeowners, demolition costs and interest. The authority has also invited 20 developers to tender for the joint development of the Yeung Uk Road project in Tsuen Wan. The tender deadline is next month.

The project has a site area of about 77,800 sq ft, which can be used to build residential units covering 360,000 sq ft and retail properties with a gross floor area of 53,000 sq ft.

Developers estimated total investment at between HK$1.6 billion and HK$2 billion.