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1. Planning board must pay costs of harbour group

2. Appointment of Town Planning Board members

1. Planning board must pay costs of harbour group
SARA BRADFORD. SCMP 3 April 2004

The Town Planning Board must pay the legal costs of a group that took it to court over the Wan Chai reclamation project, Hong Kong's highest court has ordered.

Chief Justice Andrew Li Kwok-nang, sitting in the Court of Final Appeal, rejected the board's appeal against an order to pay the full costs of the Society for Protection of the Harbour in a case last summer. The society was awarded full costs after winning its landmark case against the board on July 8 last year.

Madam Justice Carlye Chu Fun-ling made the order in December after concluding that the case had been brought in the public interest.

In July, she had ruled in favour of the society's challenge against the Wan Chai reclamation project, finding approval of the waterfront plans to be in contravention of the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance.

Yesterday, Mr Justice Li upheld Madam Justice Chu's ruling in a written judgment, finding she had properly exercised her discretion in a case that possessed "special and unusual features".

That the proceedings were brought to protect a public asset which is a central element in Hong Kong's heritage rather than to assert some private right or interest was "plainly relevant" to the exercise of discretion, he said.

2. Appointment of Town Planning Board members
Hong Kong Government, 2 April 2004

Published in the Government Gazette today (April 2) is the composition of the Town Planning Board for a two-year term from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2006.

It comprises as Chairman, the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Planning & Lands), as Vice-chairman, Professor Patrick Lau Sau-shing, and five official and 33 non-official members. All these appointments were made by the Chief Executive.

Professor Patrick Lau, currently Professor in the Department of Architecture at the University of Hong Kong, has been a member of the Town Planning Board since 1998. He has been appointed vice-chairman of the board in place of the Director of Planning. The latter will continue to serve as a board member.

Among the 33 non-official members, 18 are re-appointments while the remaining 15 are new appointments. They come from a diverse professional background and will provide the Town Planning Board with the needed knowledge and community input in discharging its statutory role.

Members of the Town Planning Board are also appointed to serve on the Board's Planning Committees, namely the Metro Planning Committee and the Rural & New Town Planning Committee.

Following is the full membership:

Chairman

Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Planning & Lands)

Vice-chairman

Professor Patrick Lau Sau-shing, SBS

Official Members

Director of Planning

Deputy Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works (Environment & Transport)T1, or alternate member

Director of Home Affairs, or alternate member

Director of Environmental Protection, or alternate member

Director of Lands, or alternate member

Non-official Members

The 18 re-appointed members are :

Name Profession

Dr Rebecca Chiu Lai-har Housing

Mr Wong Chi-kui Landscape Architecture

Mr Alex Lui Chun-wan Architecture

Mr Erwin A Hardy, BBS Business/Industry

Ms Carmen Chan Ka-mun Education

Dr Alex Chan Siu-kun Engineering

Dr Peter Wong King-keung, BBS, JP Engineering

Mr Francis Lui Yiu-tung Engineering/Construction

Dr Greg Wong Chak-yan, JP Engineering

Dr Robert Moir Kennard Engineering

Professor Ho Kin-chung Environment

Professor Nora Tam Fung-yee Environment

Dr Pamela Rumball Rogers Heritage

Mrs Angelina Lee Wong Pui-ling, JP Legal

Mr Michael Lai Kam-cheung, JP Social Welfare

Mr Ng Shui-lai, JP Social Welfare

Mr Keith Gordon McKinnell Surveying

Mr Tony Tse Wai-chuen Surveying

The 15 new appointees are:

Dr Ng Cho-nam Environment/Conservation

Professor David Dudgeon Environment/Ecology

Professor Bernard Vincent Lim Wan-fung Architecture

Mr Leslie H C Chen Landscape Architecture

Ms Sylvia Yau Siu-fee, JP Business/Finance

Dr Lily Chiang Business/Engineering

Mr Nelson Chan Wah-yu Business/Industry

Mr David Chan Wai-ming Business/Service

Mr Daniel To Boon-man Business/Design

Mr Stanely Wong Yuen-fai Finance

Mr Edmund Leung Kwong-ho, JP Engineering

Professor Leung Nai-kong, JP Medical & Health

Mr Tony Kan Chung-nin, BBS, JP Legal

Mr Alfred Donald Yap, JP Legal

Professor Peter Ronald Hills Environmental Policy

/Town Planning

Secretary

Deputy Director of Planning (District)

A government spokesman said today that all TPB members were appointed on an ad personum basis.

"The government thanks those retiring members who have dedicated their efforts to the work of the TPB. We look forward to a very productive new two-year term of the board. We have confidence in the ability, independence and dedication of all the members appointed," he said.