1 Lot in Tai Po sold for $4.55 billion
Hong Kong Government, 17 September 2007
The Lands Department this afternoon (September 17) held the fifth land auction of the 2007-2008 financial year, with a government lot in Tai Po selling for $4.55 billion.
The lot, Tai Po Town Lot No 186, at Pak Shek Kok Development Area, Phase I, Site B, Tai Po, New Territories, was sold to Pacific Bond Ltd. The opening bid was $3.08 billion. Tai Po Town Lot No 186 has a site area of about 22,126 square metres and is designated for private residential purposes. A minimum gross floor area of 39,827 square metres must be completed.
The auction was conducted at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, by Assistant Director of Lands, Mr Chris Mills, assisted by Chief Estate Surveyor, Ms Eugina Fok.
2 MTR Subsidiary to Manage Ngong Ping Cable Car
MTR Press Release, 18 September 2007
The MTR Corporation will set up a subsidiary company to manage and operate the
Ngong Ping cable car system.
Making the announcement at a news conference today (18 September 2007), MTR
Corporation Chairman Dr Raymond Ch’ien said the company understands the public’s concerns over the dislodgement of an Ngong Ping Skyrail cabin in June and regrets that visitors have had to be turned away from the attraction since then, which has affected the business of Ngong Ping Village tenants.
We have always emphasised that safety is the number one prerequisite in the
operation of the cable car and confirmation by the Government-appointed Expert Panel that the design and safety of the Ngong Ping cable car system are in line with prevailing international standards and practices is welcoming news,” said Dr Ch’ien.
We will now focus on reopening the tourist attraction after putting it through rigorous testing and re-certification, and we will do everything to re-establish confidence in Ngong Ping cable car as a reliable and efficient system.“
In accepting the Expert Panel’s recommendations for improvements in the management, operation and maintenance of the cable car system, and after reviewing the experience gained in operating the system, the Corporation made the decision to set up a subsidiary company to take on the management and operation of Ngong Ping 360. Agreement has been reached with the current operator, Skyrail-ITM (Hong Kong) on the transfer of management.
The new company will be led by an international management team comprising
MTR engineers and experienced cable car professionals,” Dr Ch’ien said. “We will strengthen the management approach by implementing ISO 9000 and transferring recognised best practices in safety and quality to further raise professional standards.”
Virtually all existing operation and maintenance staff will be transferred to the new company and will receive refresher training to enhance safety awareness and technical competence. Relevant staff members will be reassessed and be subject to further evaluation by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.
Over the last three months, work has progressed to prepare the ropeway for reopening. Damaged equipment has been repaired or replaced. Engineers and documentation experts are reviewing and improving the operations and maintenance manuals to more clearly spell out procedures for each work process and define the specific roles of personnel involved.
Going forward, the supplier Leitner GmbH will re-examine the ropeway before it is re-tested and re-commissioned. Guests will only be invited back onto the cable cars after all of the required improvements have been implemented, the statutory requirements satisfied and the necessary approvals received.
Like all cable cars around the world, the Ngong Ping system is subject to service disruptions caused by adverse weather or other conditions. In the event of such service disruptions in future, Dr Ch’ien asked members of the public for their understanding and pledged that the new operating company will reduce any inconvenience caused to visitors to a minimum through fast, precise and effective communication and recovery works.
The Corporation is committed to win back confidence in the Ngong Ping cable car system. The aim is to try and reopen the system around the end of the year. A reopening date will be announced upon the satisfactory completion of all testing and re-commissioning works. This is expected to take some time, and the new management company will keep all concerned parties and the public informed of the progress made.
With our partners, including Ngong Ping Village tenants, Hong Kong Tourism Board, the travel industry and the Lantau community, we will do everything to reestablish Ngong Ping cable car as a world-class tourist attraction for Hong Kong,” Dr Ch’ien said.
3 Lantau cable car operator should get ax for crash, suggests report
Staff reporter, The Standard 18 September 2007
Skyrail-ITM - the Australian operator of the cable car system at Ngong Ping 360 - should be replaced to restore public confidence in the running of Hong Kong's newest tourist attraction, a report has proposed.
According to a source, the report, due to be released today, says human error and the company's management are to blame for the crash of a cabin that plunged 50 meters to the ground after it was detached from the cable during a test run in June this year.
No one was injured in the incident, which occurred after operating hours.
The source said MTR Corp (0066), which owns the HK$1 billion project on Lantau Island, is keen to change the cable car operator following a series of incidents that have plagued the attraction since its opening in September last year.
The troubles included occasions on which hundreds of people were stranded in cabins for several hours due to technical glitches.
The report, conducted jointly by MTRC and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, was ordered by then Secretary for Economic Development and Labour Stephen Ip Shu- kwan to look into the causes of the cable car crash on June 11.
He had warned that the Skyrail-ITM management would have to be replaced if it was found to be responsible.
According to unconfirmed reports, both the government and MTRC intend to terminate the 20-year contract with Skyrail-ITM.
Company chairman Ken Chapman is already in Hong Kong for talks on the matter.
It is understood the Aust
ralian firm will agree to its contract being scrapped if it is allowed to make a "graceful exit" and without any huge compensation involved.
Bill Calderwood, managing director of Skyrail-ITM, said yesterday he had not made any decision yet on whether to resign.
"I think we'll have to wait and see what the report says. Then, we'll make a decision," he said.
A spokesman for the MTRC confirmed yesterday that a meeting had been held between the government and the corporation's management to discuss what steps to take.
The report into the crash will be released today by Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma Si-hang, MTRC chairman Raymond Ch'ien Kuo-fung, Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services Ho Kwong-wai, Commissioner for Tourism Au King-chi and MTRC project director Russell Black.
The Legislative Council's economic services panel will hold a special meeting today to discuss the report.
Cable car services at Ngong Ping 360, which have been suspended indefinitely since the crash, are not expected to resume until a new operator is named.
Operators at Ngong Ping market have complained that their businesses have been severely affected, and hope cable car services will return to normal as soon as possible.
3 Residents may get say on renewal
Quinton Chan and Helen Wu, SCMP 18 September 2007
Harry’s view.
The Urban Renewal Authority is considering allowing residents in old districts to initiate redevelopment plans to help minimise tensions.
Sources said a "demand-driven, bottom-up" development model could reduce conflicts between the authority and those affected by redevelopment projects.
"At present, our strategy is very much top-down, as we tell residents we redevelop their homes for their own good," an authority source said. "And this sometimes will create conflicts and arguments. Our goal is to improve the quality and standard of living of people in the old districts. So why don't we work on areas people really want us to redevelop?"
The authority has found itself in hot water over plans to redevelop areas such as Lee Tung Street (Wedding Card Street) in Wan Chai, Fa Yuen Street (Sneaker Street) in Mong Kok, and Peel and Graham streets in Central. Residents or shop owners have staged repeated protests. Some have taken their cases to the Town Planning Board and the Ombudsman in a bid to overturn the projects.
The source said all the authority's existing projects had to be continued because they were among the 25 schemes announced long ago by the now-defunct land development corporation. "We could face lawsuits if we did not carry out these plans, as residents affected have reasonable expectations of redevelopment," the source said.
Under the new model, residents could team up and draft a plan for consideration. "We want to work together with the residents."
The source said a challenge would be to ensure proposals were those of the residents. NGOs and community groups would play key roles in organising residents and shop owners to come up with ideas. "It is important for us to make sure the proposals are from residents and shop owners but not property developers or agents."
Another authority source said the government-proposed mandatory building inspection scheme, which targets all buildings more than 30 years old, would provide the authority with a benchmark to identify buildings in need of redevelopment.
Wan Chai District Council chairwoman Ada Wong Ying-kay said it would be difficult to implement the plan. "You cannot just leave this job to residents; the authority has to come up with a plan, but listen to people and what they want."
