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looking for. 1. Tamar opponents take up dare on poll
2.
Claims of deadly dioxin in Tamar site soil dismissed
3. Draft Mallory Street/ Burrows Street Development Scheme Plan approved
4. Draft Clear Water Bay Peninsula South Outline Zoning Plan approved
5. Three approved Outline Zoning Plans referred back for amendment
6. Construction of an outfall structure in West Kowloon
1. Tamar opponents take up dare on poll
Leslie Kwoh, The Standard 9 June 2006
In perhaps the most confrontational move they have taken yet, Tamar opponents said they will challenge Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's claim of majority support for the proposed HK$5 billion headquarters by conducting an independent public opinion poll.
"It is Donald Tsang's own proclamation that the project has won over 70 percent of the Hong Kong people, and we highly doubt that," said Dennis Li Kit-wai, director of the Society for Protection of the Harbour, Thursday.
The society and the Action Group on Protection of the Harbour are in the process of enlisting the help of a third party to conduct the survey, and invitations have been sent to Hong Kong University , Polytechnic University and the Chinese University .
Li said the poll will most likely begin next week, with the results to be published before June 23, when the Legislative Council is scheduled to cast the final ballot for the project.
He emphasized that the poll's aim is to obtain "convincing, scientific and objective results."
"Public polls can be easily manipulated through the careful drafting of questions," he said. "We are going to give very serious consideration to the formulation of the questions."
The announcement came in response to the chief executive's claims that 70 percent of the public supports the project, 20 percent oppose it, and 10 percent are indifferent.
Critics' demands to see the evidence behind the claims prompted exasperated officials Wednesday to issue an unexpected challenge: "If anybody has any doubt towards this [conclusion], they could conduct an independent, objective and scientific opinion survey."
The Civic Party said it is supporting the poll as it should be an effective means to gather the public's views, but insisted the task should still be the responsibility of the government.
"A responsible and transparent government should first justify its own figure before challenging the private sector to conduct a survey," said party legislator Alan Leong Kah-kit.
If the results back Tsang's claims, Leong said the party would cease all opposition.
"We will take whatever the results of the poll are," he said.
Meanwhile, independent lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said he and other lawmakers are planning to protest the project by launching a signature campaign.
2. Claims of deadly dioxin in Tamar site soil dismissed
CHLOE LAI , SCMP 9 June 2006
The government yesterday denied that soil at Tamar contained the highly toxic element dioxin, saying there was no evidence to substantiate the claim.
Environmentalist Wan Shek-luen revealed on Wednesday that a study of seabed sediment at Tamar conducted in 1994 found a high concentration of dioxin - 30 micrograms in every kilogram of sediment.
Reports of Mr Wan's findings have renewed calls for a rethink of the project by some lawmakers.
Mr Wan yesterday attributed the dioxin contamination to the site's previous role as a British military dockyard.
The Frontier legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing, who chairs the Legislative Council's Finance Committee, said: "The government shouldn't rush the project through, especially now there are suggestions that soil at Tamar is toxic."
She said the controversial development should be further discussed by relevant panels.
Independent legislator Kwok Ka-ki wrote to the planning, lands and works panel to demand an urgent meeting to discuss the issue.
A government spokesman said the administration had carried out a ground investigation for the Tamar project in 2003. Later, a separate environmental impact assessment for the Central reclamation and the Tamar site was conducted.
"Results of the assessment revealed a small amount of contaminant with traces of heavy metal, but these could be completely disposed of according to ordinary and established land-filling procedures," the spokesman said.
He said only incineration of waste containing certain types of plastics or similar materials with incomplete combustion would lead to chances of producing a large amount of dioxins.
Although Tamar Bay had previously been used for mooring, the present site occupied only a small corner of a maintenance depot.
"There is no reason to believe that such incineration has even taken place at Tamar," he said.
The Finance Committee will examine the $5.1 billion funding request to build a new government headquarters at Tamar on June 23. The government can expect a landslide victory, as the Democratic Party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the Liberal Party and The Alliance have pledged to back the project.
Legislators opposing the project have urged the government to postpone the funding discussion for three months to allow the public to comment on the proposal.
3.Draft Mallory Street/ Burrows Street Development Scheme Plan approved
Hong Kong Government, 9 June 2006
The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Mallory Street/Burrows Street Development Scheme plan (DSP).
"The approved DSP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the implementation of the Urban Renewal Authority Mallory Street/Burrows Street Development Scheme", a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (June 9).
The Development Scheme Area, covering about 780 square metres, is generally bounded by Mallory Street and Burrows Street .
The Area is designated as "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Open Space and Historical Buildings Preserved for Cultural and Commercial Uses". It is planned to be developed by means of the Development Scheme prepared under section 25 of the Urban Renewal Authority Ordinance.
The Development Scheme intends primarily to facilitate in-situ preservation and adaptive re-use of the historical buildings fronting Mallory Street for cultural and commercial uses, together with the provision of outdoor open-air public space for recreational uses serving the need of local residents as well as the general public.
The approved DSP No. S/H5/URA1/2 is now available for public inspection during normal office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters in North Point and Sha Tin, the Hong Kong District Planning Office and the Wan Chai District Office.
Copies of the approved DSP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed on the Town Planning Board's website at http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb .
4. Draft Clear Water Bay Peninsula South Outline Zoning Plan approved
Hong Kong Government, 9 June 2006
The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Clear Water Bay Peninsula South Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
"The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development and redevelopment within the Clear Water Bay Peninsula South area," a spokesman for the Town Planning Board (the Board) said today (June 9).
The Planning Scheme Area of the Clear Water Bay Peninsula South OZP covers about 425 hectares of land. It is bounded by Sheung Sze Wan in the north, Clear Water Bay Country Park in the west and north-east, Clear Water Bay in the east and Tai Miu Wan in the south-west.
The general planning intention of the OZP is to conserve the undisturbed natural environment and to protect it from encroachment by development, to confine residential and village type developments to the already established areas to avoid overtaxing the limited infrastructure in the Area, and to create a suitable environment for both land-based and shore-based recreational activities.
A significant part of the area covered by undisturbed woodland and natural hillslopes is zoned "Conservation Area" while the inter-tidal sands in Sheung Sze Wan and the long stretch of natural coastlines in the eastern and southern parts of the area are zoned "Coastal Protection Area". The two zones take up an area of about 190 and 36 hectares respectively.
Another 28 hectares of densely vegetated areas around the villages and along roads is zoned "Green Belt" to define the limit of development and to provide land for roadside amenities.
About 37 hectares of land is zoned "Village Type Development" to cover five recognized villages in the Area, namely Ha Yeung (including Mau Po, Siu Hang Hau and Leung Fai Tin), Sheung Sze Wan, Tai Hang Hau, Tai Wan Tau (including Tai Au Mun and Tsiu Wo) and Po Toi O, and a non-recognised village, namely Ha Yeung New Village.
Two existing single dwellings fronting Clear Water Bay Road to the north-east of Tai Wan Tau and covering 0.2 hectare of land are zoned "Residential (Group C)".
About 2.4 hectares of land is zoned "Open Space" to cover the Clear Water Bay First and Second Beaches , and the two existing public open spaces at the Tin Hau Temple and near Po Toi O Village. Two sites, with a total area of about 0.5 hectare, are zoned "Recreation" to reflect the beach related uses at the Clear Water Bay First Beach and the shore-based recreational uses near the beach in Sheung Sze Wan.
About 121 hectares of land is zoned "Other Specified Uses" to cover the Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club, and the two existing piers at Po Toi O Village and Tai Miu Wan.
Another 2.4 hectares of land is zoned "Government, Institution or Community" to cover the Cham Shan Monastery, two Homes for the Aged, Tin Hau Temple and other Government and community facilities to serve the local population and visitors.
The approved Clear Water Bay Peninsula South OZP No. S/SK-CWBS/2 is now available for public inspection during normal office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters in North Point and Sha Tin, the Sai Kung and Islands District Planning Office, the Sai Kung District Office and the Sai Kung Rural Committee.
Copies of the approved plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed on the Town Planning Board's website at http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb .
5. Three approved Outline Zoning Plans referred back for amendment
Hong Kong Government, 9 June 2006
The Town Planning Board announced today (June 9) that the Chief Executive-in-Council had referred the approved Tseung Kwan O Outline Zoning Plan (OZP), the approved Kwun Tong (North) OZP and the approved Ho Man Tin OZP to the Town Planning Board for amendment.
Amendments to the above approved OZPs are necessary to reflect the latest land use proposals in the respective areas.
The OZPs incorporating the amendments will be exhibited for public inspection under the provisions of the Town Planning Ordinance.
The Tseung Kwan O OZP and the Kwun Tong (North) OZP were last approved by the Chief Executive-in-Council in November, 2004, while the Ho Man Tin OZP was last approved in May, 2004.
6. Construction of an outfall structure in West Kowloon
Hong Kong Government, 9 June 2006
The Government intends to construct an outfall structure which forms part of the Lai Chi Kok Transfer Scheme near the shipyard at Hing Wah Street West , West Kowloon .
The construction works, affecting about 650 square metres of foreshore and sea-bed, will involve removal of a section of the existing seawall of about 65 metres in length.
The works are scheduled to begin in 2008 and to be completed by end 2011.
A notice describing the extent of area affected is published in the Government Gazette today (June 9).
The notice together with a related plan can be seen on notice boards posted near the site. The plan can also be inspected at the Lands Department's Survey and Mapping Office, 23rd Floor, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road and Sham Shui Po District Office, Public Enquiry Service Centre, Ground Floor, Cheung Sha Wan Government Offices, 303 Cheung Sha Wan Road .
Any person who has an interest, right or easement in or over the foreshore and sea-bed involved can submit a written objection to the Director of Lands, 20th Floor, North Point Government Offices, on or before August 9, 2006 .
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