News Stories:

Click-on these handy "jump links" to quickly access the news item
you're looking for.

1. Kingsford Terrace sale still under discussion

2. University's Sha Tin school plan approved

3. LCQ11: Development plan for the former Kai Tak Airport site

4. Causeway Bay flyover reconstruction contract signed

1. Kingsford Terrace sale still under discussion
CHLOE LAI, SCMP 10 June 2004

The government still hopes the developer of Kingsford Terrace developer, New World Development, will buy the project despite the expirty today of a deadline for the authorities to buy it back.

Negotiations between the two sides over the fate of the Ngau Chi Wan estate is continuing, and a deal is unlikely to be reached today. An agreement signed in January 2000 stated that the government must buy back the flats from New World for $1.44 billion by today if they remain unsold to the public.

Kingsford Terrace was built under the Private Sector Participation Scheme.

It is one of the Home Ownership Scheme estates left in limbo by the suspension of subsidised-housing sales in November 2002.

A source close to the talks said there was a 30 per cent difference between the asking and selling price.

He said the government would like to sell the project to the developer since it already has too many empty subsidised flats.

"The government does not know how to deal with [the flats] if it buys them back from the developer. Remember they cannot put any subsidised flats on the market until 2006," he said.

"At the same time the developer would like to buy the project because the price must be cheaper than buying land through auction."

A Housing Authority spokeswoman said: "The negotiation is still ongoing."

It is understood that a Housing Authority committee had considered other disposal options if the government bought it from the developer.

There are 10,000 empty subsidised flats.

So far, the government has decided to turn 4,300 into disciplined services staff quarters and convert 3,000 into guesthouses for mainland visitors. The rest are being converted into public rental flats.

2. University's Sha Tin school plan approved
LINDA YEUNG, SCMP 10 June 2004

Baptist University's plan to build a school in Sha Tin offering both primary and secondary places won legislators' approval yesterday, after it was quashed last month.

Legislators on the public work subcommittee voted 12-6 in favour of the plan. The Democrats, who voted against it last time, remain the main opponents. They are concerned that the direct subsidy scheme school would pose a threat to other schools in the district, in light of the falling student population.

The $222 million plan, also opposed by school principals in the district, was voted down by a narrow margin last time.

Legislator Wong Sing-chi said Sha Tin was ranked first across Hong Kong in terms of the number of vacant public school places, and fifth in terms of vacant primary places.

"It is irresponsible of the government to continue building new schools, increasing the pressure on public schools. We don't want to see students being forced to leave their school due to under-enrolments without completing their education," he said.

But legislator Lau Kong-wah said the school would not have a big impact on other schools, given the university's plan to restrict admissions from Sha Tin to 15 per cent of the total intake.

"The issue is how we can ensure that the quota is not exceeded." Deputy Secretary for Education and Manpower Cherry Tse Ling Kit-ching cited a letter submitted by the university's president, Ng Ching-fai, to the Sha Tin District Council last month.

Professor Ng said in the letter, also copied to legislators for the latest meeting, that he would report admissions information to the bureau in September each year.

3. LCQ11: Development plan for the former Kai Tak Airport site
Hong Kong Government, 9 June 2004

Following is a question by the Hon Wong Sing-chi and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (June 9):

Question:

Regarding the development plan for the former Kai Tak Airport site, will the Government inform this Council of:

(a) the details of the plan, including the planning restrictions to be imposed, such as the restrictions on building height and development density, as well as the maximum area of land for development and the maximum floor area permitted; and

(b) the total cost of the development plan?

Reply:

President,

My answers to the two parts of the above question are as follows:

(a) The South East Kowloon Development ("SEKD") includes the former Kai Tak Airport site and is covered by the approved Kai Tak (North) and Kai Tak (South) Outline Zoning Plans ("OZP"). The maximum building heights specified in these two OZPs vary from 13 to 205 metres above Principal Datum. With regard to the development density, the domestic plot ratios range from 3 to 7.5 and non-domestic plot ratios range from 0.5 to 12. The maximum permitted gross floor area is 7.98 million square metres.

According to the above two OZPs, the original maximum area of land for development in SEKD is about 457 hectares, of which 133 hectares will be reclaimed land. In view of the "overriding public need test" laid down by the Court of Final Appeal ("CFA") on January 9, 2004 regarding reclamation, the Administration has decided to conduct a comprehensive planning and engineering review on SEKD to ensure full compliance with the CFA judgment. It is expected that when the review is completed, there will be changes to the above planning parameters and restrictions.

(b) The cost of implementing the above two OZPs is originally estimated to be about $26.6 billion. However, as the project is currently under review, the figure will need to be re-assessed.

4. Causeway Bay flyover reconstruction contract signed
Hong Kong Government, 9 June 2004

The Project Manager/Major Works, Major Works Project Management Office of Highways Department, Mr Adrian Ng Kwok-kee, today (June 9) signed a $73 million contract with Kier-Wai Kee (C&T) Joint Venture to begin the reconstruction of Causeway Bay Flyover and associated widening of Victoria Park Road.

The works are aimed at improving road capacity to relieve traffic congestion at the Causeway Bay Flyover and the Island Eastern Corridor westbound outside Victoria Park.

The contract includes the demolition of the existing Causeway Bay Flyover and the adjoining footbridge; construction of a 210-metre two-lane one way flyover connecting Victoria Park Road eastbound to Gloucester Road southbound; construction of a covered footbridge spanning Victoria Park Road; widening and realignment of a 170-metre westbound section of Victoria Park Road to five traffic lanes; realignment of a 225-metre eastbound section of Victoria Park Road and the associated works such as landscaping works.

Works start in June, 2004, for completion in mid 2007.