SKYLINE Technologies -- News Update (2 August 2006 )

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The government has hit back at an alternative vision for the site of the former airport at Kai Tak, unveiled by the leading pro-Beijing political party last month, saying it has found numerous "technical problems" in the plan.

The Planning Department said a careful examination of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong's alternative blueprint for the 328-hectare site revealed a series of logistical flaws.

Among other suggestions, the DAB model challenges the government's proposed harborfront location for a 45,000-capacity stadium complex, recommending it be moved further inland near the proposed Sha Tin-Central link station. But such a move, according to Deputy Director of Planning Ophelia Wong Yuen-Sheung, would mean post- event chaos as spectators charge to the nearest transport terminus.

"You can't have a stadium next to a station. Imagine what it will be like after a concert - 45,000 rushing down to the station," she said. "If people have to walk longer, then that will help crowd dispersion."

The government's proposal would allow for a 700-meter stretch between the stadium and the nearest transport link - a 10- to 20-minute walk. By comparison, the distance between Hong Kong Stadium and the Causeway Bay MTR station is slightly longer than a kilometer.

Wong said locating the 23-hectare stadium at the waterfront would allow the public an unobstructed view of the landmark of the " new city ." She said: "You drive into Kai Tak and the first thing you'll see is the stadium."

She also defended the government's proposal to place a green "Metropark" on the airport runway, an idea pitched during the first two phases of public consultation.

The DAB's plan has recommended moving the park inland to ensure pedestrian accessibility from nearby districts. But relocating the park would be virtually impossible, as there are already several "constraints" in place, like the piling for the proposed public housing at the north of the site, Wong said.

According to architect and Wan Chai District Councillor Steve Chan Yiu-fai, piling is generally "not a difficult problem" to remedy.

"It's not an uncommon situation in the private sector," he said. "From a professional point of view, anything can be changed. It's just a matter of cost. It may be a waste of money, but you should always have a comprehensive scheme and public consultation before you have these things decided."

Apart from the piling, Wong said, moving the park would leave the runway essentially barren, as the man- made platform would be unable to support the weight of commercial or residential developments. According to the government's proposal, part of the runway would be demolished and rebuilt on top of a deck, to allow water to flow freely between the polluted nullah and the harbor.

"You can't place high-rises on a deck, so the most logical solution is a park," Wong said.

As for the DAB's proposed HK$800 million emission-free monorail to link one end of the site to the other, Wong said she understood the suggestion was "highly popular" but cautioned it"may not be viable" because of its cost.

She emphasized, however, that the Kai Tak development project is an "ongoing process" and could take up to 20 years to complete. Meantime, the government will continue to "keep an open mind" to the public's ideas.

"I envision a lot of changes in the coming years, new improvements," she said, adding the government would remain "quite committed" to some aspects, such as the proposed cruise terminal and stadium complex.

The two blueprints, released within weeks of each other, are the main competitors going into the project's third and final phase of public consultation.

Property surveyor Margaret Brooke said she prefers the DAB's plan for its attention to linkage and accessibility to nearby districts such as Kwun Tong.

"The DAB's plan is much more thought out," Brooke said. "If you look closely at the government's plans, Kai Tak is an isolated island, full of roads that people can't cross properly, and spots where pedestrians must climb three flights of stairs."

Furthermore, both Chan and Brooke said, the government's insistence on building a stadium at the site demonstrates an irrational focus on building "hardware" instead of cultivating "software."

"The government thinks that by producing hardware, it can build up sports in Hong Kong ," said Brooke, a former British Olympic swimmer.

"There is no culture of sports here. Children are not brought up with sports. The only thing that's popular is football betting," she said.

Chan agreed and called on the government to develop a more coherent policy on sports education. If the government is insistent on a new stadium, he added, then he recommended building it at a less developed location, such as the New Territories , to help stimulate economic development there.

2. Noise curbs bill looms for developers
Leslie Kwoh, The Standard, 2 August 2006

A new government plan to tackle the territory's noise pollution could mean developers will have to dig into their pockets.

The Environmental Protection Department said Tuesday that despite previous efforts, noise pollution continued to remain a significant problem affecting a large number of people in the territory.

"Because of the continuous growth in the economy, population and transport demand, as well as the scarcity of land, about 1.1 million people are still exposed to high levels of road traffic noise exceeding 70 decibels," a spokesman said. "Excessive road traffic noise detracts from the quality of life."

Included in the nine-point plan is a proposal to "promote the disclosure of noise information in flat sales brochures," thereby ensuring potential buyers understand the degree of noise pollution they may face.

But while the Consumer Council Tuesday praised the proposal as a "step in the right direction" in protecting consumer rights, property experts say developers may feel less enthusiastic.

"Of course from a buyer's point of view, this means more information to help them make better selections," said James Cheung King-tat, senior associate director at Centaline Surveyors. "But it may make life a little more difficult for developers, who will feel pressure to retain their competitive edge."

Nevertheless, he pointed out, there are a variety of quick remedies a developer can use to comply with the proposal.

Installing more insulation and creating artificial noise barriers are just several options that will be "relatively inexpensive" in terms of overall construction costs.

Cheung also questioned the effectiveness of the proposal in terms of buildings that have not yet been developed as the degree of noise pollution would be difficult to estimate.

But, at the end of the day, he said he doubted the new measure would affect sales, as consumers continue to place environmental concerns at the bottom of their priorities checklist.

"When it comes to purchasing, at the moment the main priorities are still view, price and location.'

A Swire spokeswoman said that while it had yet to examine details of the proposal, it "fully supports the idea of protecting the environment."

Recent construction and demolition activities at One Island East in Taikoo employed noise-reducing techniques to prevent adverse impacts on nearby residents and workers. As for noise caused by traffic, the spokeswoman said Swire had not received any complaints.

Other proposals in the government's plan include installing more road-noise barriers and resurfacing more than 70 road sections with low-noise materials.

The department will also update a comprehensive noise-level study covering 100,000 buildings, and consider reviewing a 1997 professional practice note on road traffic noise in residential developments.

District councils, developers and other stakeholders will be consulted on the new proposals.