Another judicial review looms - the second in five years - in the battle between workers of a Tuen Mun steel mill and the Airport Authority over the authority's plan to build the world's largest aviation-fuel depot near their workplace.

Workers of Shiu Wing Steel said Thursday they will launch the review on the grounds the authority had misevaluated the risks in an environmental assessment report.

"The law requires [the Airport Authority] to specify the impact of the risks associated with the project in order to protect public safety. But they have ignored the risks facing those living and working in the neighborhood," said Ho Ping-ki, a representative of the workers. The plan came a day after the Environmental Protection Department gave the authority the final go-ahead to build the proposed permanent aviation-fuel facility between Butterfly Beach and Lung Kwu Tan, just about 50 meters from the high-temperature mill.

Ho said in risk calculation, human lives and the environment should be assessed on an equal weighting. But the risk evaluation gave a 51.25 percent weighting on the risks to the environment, including risks to water quality and ecology, while the risk calculation on human lives was given only a 19.25 percent weighting.

Ho said the report's prediction of 189 deaths at the depot in the event of a major disaster is also unacceptable.

He described the government's approval for the authority to construct 12 tanks to store 420,000 cubic meters of oil - only 28.5 meters from the mill's 1,000-plus degrees Celsius smelter - as a "black box assignment."

He said the Town Planning Board even deferred the hearing of the workers' land-use rezoning application while awaiting the EPD's decision because the government wanted to approve the project.

The judicial review will be the workers' last attempt to stop the construction of oil depots at the site.

They had written to Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen 10 days ago asking him to intervene in the dispute.

However, Pong Yeng, a director of the steel mill, refused to say whether management will back the workers in launching a second legal battle.

She said the company cares about the workers' safety and had spent tens of millions of dollars on the first legal battle in 2002.

But she said the fight has proved to be too costly and time-consuming for the factory, and stalled its plans to build an electric arc furnace to cut production costs.

In 2002, Shiu Wing won a judicial review in the case after the Court of Final Appeal overturned the EPD's original approval for the fuel depot, saying the Airport Authority had failed to assess the risks of a 100-percent fuel leakage scenario and the fatalities that could be inflicted.

The Consultative Committee on the Core Arts and Cultural Facilities of the West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD) discussed its draft report today (June 1).

The Consultative Committee examined in details the need and the justifications for the arts and cultural facilities recommended by the Performing Arts and Tourism Advisory Group (PATAG) and the Museums Advisory Group (MAG). The pros and cons of various financial options were also compared.

The facilities proposed by the PATAG and MAG include a mega performance venue, a xiqu centre, a concert hall, a chamber music hall, a great theatre, medium-sized theatres, black box theatres, the M+ (Museum Plus) which showcases the visual culture in the 20th to 21st centuries and an exhibition centre. According to these proposals, the seating capacity of the arts and cultural performance venues in Hong Kong will increase by almost 40% and Hong Kong will also have modern museum facilities comparable to those in other big cities in the world.

The Consultative Committee also considered the latest report by the Government Economist on the economic impact of the WKCD project. The report acknowledged that the project would have positive economic impact on Hong Kong, which includes developing creative industries, promoting Hong Kong's overall arts and cultural development, nurturing local arts and cultural talents, improving the quality of life, attracting high-quality immigrants and retaining investors, fostering convergence with the Pearl River Delta Region and building up Hong Kong 's image as a world city. The construction works of the WKCD will stimulate the economy and provide more job opportunities. Activities in the WKCD will also generate direct benefits, stimulate internal consumption and increase tourism receipts.

After in-depth discussions, the Consultative Committee is now consolidating the recommendations and results of relevant studies submitted by the three advisory groups and will draw up the final report on the financial arrangements, the development model and the way forward for the arts and cultural facilities in the WKCD. The report will be submitted to the Chief Executive before the term of the Consultative Committee expires at the end of this month. The Consultative Committee believed that the Government should take appropriate measures to explain to the public the work and recommendations of the Consultative Committee before making its final decision.

The Chairman of the Consultative Committee, Mr Rafael Hui, thanked the committee members and the 65 members of the three advisory groups for their hard work for the past year or so. The Consultative Committee and its three advisory groups - the PATAG, MAG and Financial Matters Advisory Group, were set up in April 2006 to re-examine the need for the core arts and cultural facilities in the WKCD.

The Town Planning Board today (June 1) announced the publication of the draft Urban Renewal Authority (URA) Hai Tan Street/Kweilin Street and Pei Ho Street Development Scheme Plan (DSP).

The scheme area covers about 7,440 square metres which comprises three linked portions of land fronting Hai Tan Street and dissected by Kweilin Street . It is planned to be developed by way of a development scheme prepared under section 25 of the URA Ordinance.

The scheme area is designated as "Comprehensive Development Area".  The development scheme intends to achieve environmental improvement through comprehensive redevelopment, promoting efficient land use and providing open space accessible to the public.  

The proposed comprehensive redevelopment will accommodate residential, commercial and Government, institution or community uses.  A public open space of not less than 1 500 square metres at grade with direct street frontage will also be provided.  

The URA will be required to submit a Master Layout Plan for the scheme area to the Town Planning Board for approval.

In accordance with section 25(9) of the URA Ordinance, the draft DSP replaces the draft Cheung Sha Wan Outline Zoning Plan in relation to the area delineated and described in the draft DSP.
 
The draft URA Hai Tan Street/Kweilin Street and Pei Ho Street DSP No. S/K5/URA2/1 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters in North Point and Sha Tin, the Tsuen Wan and West Kowloon District Planning Office and the Sham Shui Po District Office.
 
Any person can make written representations in respect of the draft DSP to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before August 1. Representations made to the Town Planning Board will be available for public inspection.

Copies of the draft DSP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei.  The electronic version of the DSP can be viewed at the Town Planning Board's website at http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb/ .

The Town Planning Board today (June 1) announced an amendment to the draft Cheung Sha Wan Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendment involves the rezoning of Hing Wah Street Playground to the west of Un Chau Estate from "Residential (Group A)" to "Open Space" to reflect the current use.

The draft Urban Renewal Authority Hai Tan Street/Kweilin Street and Pei Ho Street Development Scheme Plan (DSP) No. S/K5/URA2/1 has replaced the draft Cheung Sha Wan OZP No. S/K5/29 relating to the area delineated and described therein from the date that the exhibition of the DSP is first notified in the Gazette on June 1, 2007.  

The draft Cheung Sha Wan OZP No. S/K5/30 incorporating the amendment is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters in North Point and Sha Tin, the Tsuen Wan and West Kowloon District Planning Office and the Sham Shui Po District Office.

Any person can make written representation in respect of the amendment to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before August 1.  Representations made to the Town Planning Board will be made available for public inspection.

Copies of the draft OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei.  The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed at the Town Planning Board's website at http://www.info.gov.hk/tpb .