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1. Public trust at risk in Tamar plan, says Ng

2. Government says Tamar critics err on estimates

1. Public trust at risk in Tamar plan, says Ng
Leslie Kwoh, The Standard 8 May 2006

The government's plan to house the Legislative Council and administrative offices under one roof at Tamar may jeopardize the legislature's independence and undermine public trust, Civic Party lawmakers said.

"We don't want Legco to be stuck together with the rest of the complex. We've different needs," said barrister- lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee.

"And we want to have a lot of open space for the public, to create an accessible and friendly atmosphere."

But such an atmosphere would not be likely if the government surrounded the HK$5 billion HQ with high fences and security guards, she said.

Staying at the present Legislative Council building will also not be a viable option because of the space constraints and high expenses incurred by leasing temporary office space nearby, but the government should still consider other locations in Central or Sheung Wan, she said Sunday.

"We do need more space. But, of course, the government is bundling Legco with the other offices so that if its proposal is voted down, then we cannot get that extra space."

If lawmakers are given no other choice but for the legislature to be housed at Tamar, however, she insisted on a "clear separation from the executive branch," although she acknowledged the distance will be limited by the size of the two-hectare plot.

Fellow party lawmaker Audrey Eu Yuet-mee agreed there was a need for separation, but said she was "not optimistic" the government would listen.

She added that while the party did not oppose the Tamar project "categorically," it would not give its support until the government engaged in a dialogue with the public about a number of planning and environmental issues.

Meanwhile, the party is organizing its own stakeholder dialogue, expected to take place some time this month along with a series of public polls and surveys, Eu said.

The statements were made at the first of a two-part public workshop series hosted jointly by the Central and Western district councils and environmental group Citizen Envisioning@Harbour.

More than 50 people attended the workshop, but noticeably absent were members from the government and the Harbour Business Forum, who apparently declined an invitation to present their views.

Activist Paul Zimmerman, who recently resigned from the business forum's executive committee, was indiscreet in his opinion of members' absence. "They had a meeting with the chief executive and were told under no uncertain terms to shut up, so they have done so," he explained, referring to a private meeting in mid-March.

He nevertheless presented the forum's recommendations, as posted on its Web site, along with his own to demonstrate "they share the same concepts."

Other speakers included Civic Party vice chairman Albert Lai Kwong-tak and Civic Exchange chief executive Christine Loh Kung-wai.

Following a second workshop on May 21, a final proposal will be drawn up and presented to the Legislative Council.

2. Government says Tamar critics err on estimates
NG KANG-CHUNG , SCMP 8 May 2006

Critics of the controversial Tamar development project have misunderstood the estimated costs, says the government.

The Architectural Services Department yesterday argued the $4.8 billion price tag for the new government headquarters is a bargain at today's prices, coming in at under the price for grade A office space in the area.

The department said that of the $4.8 billion overall capital outlay, $1.85 billion, or 38.5 per cent, would go to the building of two footbridges, a two-hectare civic square, and other foundation works.

Some $2.95 billion would be for the construction, building services, and fitting out of the government headquarters and the Legislative Council complex, which would cover a total floor area of 201,910 square metres.

The average cost would thus be about $14,500 a square metre.

And if the fitting-out cost was deducted, as is the normal private market practice in assessing building costs, the project's average construction cost would be about $11,600 a square metre, according to the department.

"Compared with the average unit-construction cost of grade A office buildings in the private market - about $13,000 per square metre - the unit-construction cost of the Tamar project is very reasonable," said Director of Architectural Services Yue Chi-hang in an interview with the government-run news website, news.gov.hk.

Legislator Chan Kam-lam, of the pro-government Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said his party accepted the project was cost-effective, and would support it.

The party had previously wanted the headquarters to be built on the former Kai Tak airport site.

Greg Wong Chak-yan, president of the Hong Kong Institute of Engineers, also said the project cost was acceptable. But he urged the government to release more details of the cost estimates to the public.

But some industry players have remained sceptical and dismissed the government's argument as irrelevant.

They say the administration should take into account the possible loss in social and economic benefits should the prime site on the waterfront be used to build office towers.

Midland Realty chief analyst Buggle Lau said construction cost was a side issue.

He said: "We do not erect a building because it is cheap to build it. The main focus should be on the value of the land. Tamar is a prime site and the supply of [potential] grade A office space in Central will significantly drop if the land is used for building government headquarters."

Property consultant Pang Shui-kee called on the government to release more details of the project, saying the "opportunity cost" of using the land this way could be high.