SKYLINE Technologies -- News Update (9 June 2005 )

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1. Extra $ 27m approved for 'wasteful' bridge study
Chester Yung, The Standard 9 June 2005

The pro-government lobby in the Legislative Council won the upper hand Wednesday when it approved a request for an additional HK$27 million for technical studies on the planned Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.

The approval was given even though several legislators, notably independents and democrats, condemned the grant as a waste of taxpayers' money.

In backing the grant, legislators from the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and the Liberal Party urged the government to go ahead with the massive project as quickly as possible.

Tam Heung-man, of the accountancy sector, wanted to know why the government was asking for more funds when it had not yet publicly released the feasibility study on the project, which had cost taxpayers HK$59 million.

Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao said that report was being finalized and will be submitted to the central government for approval later this month.

However, Liao said she could not say if the report will be released to the public as ``we have to consult the state council [of the central government] and we have to stick to the mainland's schedule.''

Concerning the financing arrangement, Liao said the project is only in a preliminary stage of planning and the government is leaning towards raising the capital from the community. However, details will have to wait until the report is out.

Alan Leong, of the Article 45 Concern Group, argued that, since the government is not clear on the feasibility, spending a further HK$27 million would be a waste of money.

Independent Albert Chan said there should be a full discussion before more money is wasted, citing what he called the ``painful lessons'' of the past, including the Eastern Tunnel saga.

``If we don't carefully examine the funding before approving the HK$27 million we, as legislators, will be accused of not doing our jobs properly.''

Margaret Ng, of Article 45 Concern Group, agreed that more discussion is necessary before the money is approved, while Democrat Lee Wing-tat suggested that a special group be set up to discuss details of the project.

However, all suggestions were swept aside by the DAB, whose Chan Kam-lam said the project should not be delayed by lengthy discussions.

``This is only HK$27 million, which is a small amount of money compared with what is spent on other projects,'' he said.

Director of Highways Mak Chai-kwok said construction could begin next year and be completed in 2011.

KCRC officials appear to be leaning towards Kam Tin over West Kowloon as the site for the terminus of a planned cross-border express.

The Kam Tin option would be cheaper because it would require less track in Hong Kong and would increase the number of passengers on the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation's underused West Rail, a source said.

The railway operator is still studying the feasibility of the line, which would link Hong Kong to Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Transport officials earlier asked the KCRC to consider connecting the regional line to West Rail at the Kam Sheung Road station in Kam Tin, or to the proposed Kowloon Southern Link that would join West Rail and East Rail through West Kowloon - with the terminus in the West Kowloon Cultural District.

A KCRC spokeswoman confirmed both Kam Sheung Road and West Kowloon were being considered as terminus stations, but said a consensus had yet to be reached.

Stanley Ho Hung-sun, chairman of the Real Estate Developers' Association, spoke out on Tuesday against using the West Kowloon site, saying it would leave less land available for building flats.

West Kowloon is a planned station on the southern link, which would connect Tsim Sha Tsui East to Nam Cheong.

Meanwhile, lawmakers on the public works subcommittee yesterday approved funding for conceptual design work on the proposed bridge linking Hong Kong to Zhuhai and Macau.

Transport officials will now take their request for $26.8 million to the Finance Committee.

They said advance technical studies were to start in July and the conceptual design study to start in September.

The conceptual design will be based on the northernmost option of three proposed routes.

Experts from the three jurisdictions had concluded that option would create the least environmental impact.

But local district councillors have opposed that route and have indicated they favour a southern option to allow a new road to be built to Tai O.

Lawmakers once again raised concerns yesterday over the proposed public-private partnership to build the bridge.

They are concerned that a private bridge operator will not make public interest a priority and care only about profits.

Secretary for Environment, Transport and Works Sarah Liao Sau-tung promised lawmakers the government would study previous public-private partnerships on the mainland and in Hong Kong, and avoid any mistakes that had been made in the past.