SKYLINE Technologies -- News Update (17 June 2006 )

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1. Sarah Liao rejects call for Tamar dioxin tests
CHEUNG CHI-FAI and DIKKY SINN , SCMP 17 June 2006

The environment minister has rejected calls to test for dioxin at Tamar, saying the claim the site contained excessive amounts of the toxin is unfounded.

Dr Liao was speaking a day after Laurie Wan Shek-luen gave members of the Civic Party his study from 1993, which claimed high levels of dioxin were present in marine sediment near Tamar.

Political parties remained firm in their support for the project, making it all but certain Legco's Finance Committee will vote to approve the government's $5.1 billion funding request on Friday.

But copies of the report remain hard to get and seemed to have contributed to uncertainty on the part of lawmakers over the need to run tests.

Dr Wan yesterday gave copies to the Legislative Council Secretariat but attached a letter asserting his copyright. The secretariat refused to distribute the copies to lawmakers, citing the letter.

Dr Liao said regular studies carried out by the government and City University scientists in 2002 found the dioxin level was 30 to 50 times lower than the international permissible level.

There was also no reason to believe that burning or heavy industrial activities had taken place at the former British naval base, she said.

The construction of the government headquarters would not dig more than 10 metres below current land level and the future basement would remain above the seabed.

Civic Party legislator Alan Leong Kah-kit last night said that the government was irresponsible for refusing to conduct a dioxin test at the site.

"I'm concerned whether the site is safe for people to work at. The chief executive and his office will be there," he said. "I'm also concerned how much it would cost to remove the dioxin from the site."

He said the government wanted to bulldoze the project through. "Anything that is not on its side must be gotten rid of."

Some legislators called for a special meeting to discuss the issue before the Finance Committee considered the funding request. But the proposal was rejected.

Independent lawmaker Kwok Ka-ki said he was disappointed many legislators dismissed the request without having first seen the report.

"It's meaningless to argue whether dioxin exists at the site. Why doesn't the government run some tests at the site to solve the problem?"

Choy So-yuk, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said it was wrong to conclude the dioxin levels at Tamar were unsafe simply because no tests had been conducted.

2. Silence on pressing Tamar questions speaks loudly
Letter to the Editor, SCMP 17 June 2006

• The Tamar saga raises a number of questions that beg to be answered, the most pertinent of which being: is there actually a need for more office space for civil servants? What are the current and projected shortfalls in space, measured in the number of staff and floor area?

The government has failed to answer this and many other questions raised by prominent members of the community. I can only hazard a guess as to why, and this is that it does not have a real need for the space.

The real reason for the Tamar project is that the government wishes to build a symbol of power in line with its "philosophy" (philosophers, pardon me for borrowing this term) of "strong governance". Obviously, it cannot admit this to the public.

I would also like to ask the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong and the Democratic Party why they changed their minds and dropped the idea of moving the headquarters to Kai Tak. Are they satisfied with the government's justification for occupying the Tamar site?

Someone suggested the government move to Cyberport. What a brilliant idea! Not only would this boost Cyberport's occupancy rate, the proximity of the IT industry (if there is any there) would lift the IT skills of civil servants.

• Before the Legislative Council Finance Committee agrees to give $5.1 billion to the government to build at Tamar, it must take responsibility for the fact that this spells the death of Victoria Harbour as a working sea route. With all the additional buildings, people and cars, the roads will again be jammed in 10 years' time. The government will then have no option but to break its promise to protect our harbour, and reclaim yet more land for more highways. While some people may not mind about the stupidity of building accommodation for public servants on prime land, almost everyone cares about Victoria Harbour .

So legislators, if you want to be voted in next time, take care of our harbour, and say no to the government next Friday.

• Donald Tsang Yam-kuen is never backward in coming forward about being a devout Catholic. With more than a passing knowledge of Catholicism, I therefore readily accept that he did not lie when he claimed 70 per cent of the public support the government's plans for Tamar.

I would like to offer him a challenge that could financially benefit his church: provide proof of the 70 per cent or offer the public a choice of building the headquarters at Tamar or Kai Tak. I will donate $2,000 to his church or the charity of his choice if the proof is acceptable to the University of Hong Kong 's pollsters, or the public chooses Tamar.

Can people fall for Hong Kong 's overcast skies and rain? Jazz musician Jamie Cullum certainly thinks so. During his June 6 concert at the Asia World Expo, the first stop on a regional tour, the young Briton compared Hong Kong to London when introducing London Skies , which he wrote for his Brazilian girlfriend.

I could picture it but, unfortunately, the suggestion didn't work for Cullum's girlfriend.

Backstage after the concert, I asked her whether she could imagine the sun behind our grey skies.

KARI JENSEN, Pokfulam

4. Construction of Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground enhances athletics development in Hong Kong
Hong Kong Government, 17 June 2006

Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground will be the first venue suitable for holding international athletics competitions in Hong Kong .

The ground-breaking of Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground today (June 17) signified a major step forward in local athletics development. The sports ground will be the first venue suitable for holding international athletics competitions in Hong Kong .

Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground is designed and built to International Association of Athletics Federations standards. It comprises a main sports ground, a warm-up secondary sports ground, and other facilities for holding large-scale international competitions. It is a significant public works project of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, and it will become the main venue for track and field events for the 2009 East Asian Games.

Officiating at the ceremony were the Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Patrick Ho; Chairman of the 5th East Asian Games Planning Committee, Mr Timothy Fok; Vice-President of the Chinese Olympic Committee, Mr Cai Zhenhua; Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Anissa Wong; Director of Architectural Services, Mr Yue Chi-hang; Vice-Chairman and President of China Overseas Holdings Ltd, Mr Kong Qingping; President of the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association (HKAAA), Mr Moh Ho-chap; Chairman of Sai Kung District Council, Mr Ng Sze-fuk, Vice-Chairman Francis Chau, Chairman of Culture, Recreation and Sports Committee Mr Hiew Chin, and women's 10,000 metres gold medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games Xing Huina.

Delegates from member places of the East Asian Games Association, representatives of sports sector, elite athletes, and Sai Kung District also attended the ceremony to show support.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Cai said he understood Hong Kong had been actively preparing for the 2009 East Asian Games. Noting that $1billion would be invested in the construction and improvement of various sports venues, he was confident that Hong Kong would be well prepared for the 2009 Games with international standard facilities.

“The 2009 East Asian Games will be the first international multi-event sports competition to be held in Hong Kong . The Chinese Olympic Committee and State Sport General Administration will give our full support. To demonstrate the country's support of sports development and the staging of mega sports events in Hong Kong , we will be sending our best athletes to the 2009 Games.”

With the good progress of the preparation works, Mr Cai believed Hong Kong would hold the 5th East Asian Games successfully. He called for concerted efforts from the whole community, in particular the sports sector, to make the Games successful.

Officiating at the ceremony, Dr Ho said that with the new sports ground of international standard, Hong Kong would be better equipped to hold major athletics competitions on an international or regional scale. “This will provide more chances of exchange among athletes in Hong Kong and neighbouring places,” he said.

“The sports ground will not only serve the 50 primary and secondary schools in Tseung Kwan O new town which has a 300,000 population, but also becomes an ideal training base for athletics in Hong Kong ,” Dr Ho said.

Mr Moh, of the HKAAA, said that he was looking forward to the completion of this sports ground which would contribute towards the nurturing of budding athletes with its good facilities for athletic training and competition. His view was echoed by Hong Kong elite athlete Tang Yik-chun.

Occupying an area of about 5.9 hectares and located at Po Hong Road in Tseung Kwan O, the track and field facilities conform to International Association of Athletics Federations standards. Facilities of the main sports ground include an eight-lane 400-metre all-weather synthetic running track, a javelin-throw circle, high jump take-off runways and pits, long jump and triple jump runways and pits, a pole-vault runway and landing area, steeple chase facilities, a hammer and discus cage, a shot-put throwing area, an 11-a-side natural football pitch conforming to the Federation Internationale de Football Association standards, a covered spectator stand with a seating capacity of about 3,500 and spaces for a temporary spectator stand with 1,500 seats.

The secondary sports ground includes a warm-up track and field facilities and a seven-a-side natural turf football pitch.

Other ancillary facilities include doping control rooms, weight-lifting rooms, control rooms, press facilities and necessary facilities for organising events and conferences as well as holding training exercises.

Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground has included the five Olympic Rings and the emblem of the 2009 East Asian Games in the master planning and the design of the spectator stand. The building design and planning have also taken full consideration of the effect of microclimate on both players and spectators. The lighting and public announcement systems are carefully designed whereas logistic strategy and operation need of holding international athletics competition have also been taken into consideration.

Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground has demonstrated various environment design concepts in order for it to become a leading sustainable green sports venue in Hong Kong .