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1. Anti-reclamation groups look to carnival to harness people power

2. Sports club plans $300m upgrade

3. Draft San Tin Outline Zoning Plan amended

4. Draft Shek Kip Mei Outline Zoning Plan amended

5. Twenty-four expressions of interest received for Tai Wai Maintenance Centre property development project

1. Anti-reclamation groups look to carnival to harness people power
CHLOE LAI, SCMP 11 November 2005

Three anti-reclamation groups will stage a carnival on Sunday in Wan Chai in the hope people power will convince the government to abandon its plan to build itself a new headquarters at Tamar and shopping malls on reclaimed land in Central.

The Society for Protection of the Harbour, the Action Group on Protection of the Harbour and Friends of the Harbour yesterday urged the public to attend their Sunday carnival at Golden Bauhinia Square. The carnival is part of a week-long series of events named Harbour Week, which will end on Sunday.

But the carnival coincides with Harbour Day, an event organised by several prominent corporations, for which the South China Morning Post is media sponsor. Its organising committee said on Wednesday that its aim was to promote the harbour's beauty, energy and diversity and its concerns went beyond Central and Wan Chai reclamation.

But Winston Chu Ka-sun, an adviser to the conservation groups organising Harbour Week, said of the Harbour Day organisers: "I think they miss a very important point. If reclamation keeps going, we will lose our harbour. How could we appreciate and enjoy it? It is our last chance to tell the government we don't want reclamation, and reclaimed land shouldn't be shopping malls."

The harbour activist warned against developments in Central, saying they would generate additional traffic, paving the ground for the government to further reclaim land off the harbour.

He said the groups had spent $500,000 on the Harbour Week and expect 10,000 people to attend the carnival.?

2. Sports club plans $300m upgrade
FELIX CHAN, SCMP 11 November 2005

One of Hong Kong's oldest sport clubs plans a $300 million expansion to provide a modern training and support facility for athletes taking part in the East Asian Games and other major competitions.

The South China Athletic Association said yesterday the proposed development, to be built on the north grand stand of the soccer pitch at Caroline Hill Road in Causeway Bay, would comprise a clubhouse complex, with a hostel and staff quarters.

New sports and recreational facilities and pro shops would be part of the complex. The 252-room hostel would provide affordable accommodation for visiting athletes.

The sports club, which celebrated its centenary last year, said it had applied to the Town Planning Board to expand its land use rights to include a hotel and residences.

The association said if approval was granted, construction would start late next year and finish in late 2008, in time for the 2009 East Asian Games.

Association chairman Andy Lo Yun-sum said: "The proposed development has been in the pipeline for a while. However, due to the economic downturn in recent years we have not proceeded with it. But with the East Asian Games coming to Hong Kong in 2009 and an improved economy, we feel it is time to implement it.

"We have discussed our plan with the Home Affairs Bureau, which has indicated [its] support, subject to Town Planning Board approval and us resolving the issue of land premium with the Lands Department."

While the project, which the association will finance, has an estimated price tag of $300 million, the amount could go up if the government demands a higher land premium because of the change in land use.

Mr Lo also said it would be too early to predict the occupancy rate of the proposed hostel, but preliminary projections showed it would take between eight and 12 years to break even. He said no decision had been made on whether the sports club would seek an outside partner to run the hostel.

The association hopes the new facilities will boost usage of its current facilities by up to 10 per cent and raise membership from 50,000 to 80,000.

3. Draft San Tin Outline Zoning Plan amended
Hong Kong Government, 11 November 2005

The Town Planning Board today (November 11) announced amendments to the draft San Tin Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendments involve the revision to the definition of "existing building" in the covering Notes of the OZP by deleting the reference to "and any other Government requirements, as may be applicable".

The Remarks of the Notes for the various zones with control relating to filling of land, filling of pond or excavation of land have been refined to reflect clearly the intended control.

The draft San Tin OZP No. S/YL-ST/7 incorporating the amendments 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 Tuen Mun and Yuen Long District Planning Office, the Yuen Long District Office, and the San Tin Rural Committee.

Anyone affected by the amendments can submit a written objection to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board by December 2.
Copies of the draft plan are available for sale at the Map Publications Centre 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 Shek Kip Mei Outline Zoning Plan amended
Hong Kong Government, 11 November 2005

The Town Planning Board announced today (November 11) amendments to the draft Shek Kip Mei Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendments involve rezoning a site at Kowloon Tong Station of the Kowloon-Canton Railway East Rail from "Government, Institution or Community (3)" to "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Kowloon-Canton Railway" to reflect the existing use of the site.

The definitions of the "existing use of any land or building" and "existing building" in the covering Notes has been revised and the planning intention for the "Open Space" zone of the OZP has been refined.

The draft Shek Kip Mei OZP No. S/K4/20 incorporating the amendments 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.

Anyone affected by the amendments can submit a written objection to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board by December 2, 2005.

Copies of the draft Shek Kip Mei OZP 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. Twenty-four expressions of interest received for Tai Wai Maintenance Centre property development project
KCRC Press Release, 11 November 2005

A total of 24 expressions of interest were received for the joint venture property development for Tai Wai Maintenance Centre at the close of submission today.

KCRC said the Corporation was very pleased with the response, which reflected the market's confidence in the potential of the site and the property market.

Occupying an area of about 7.06 hectares, the project has an approximate gross floor area of 339,845 sq. m., comprising 313,955 sq. m. for residential use and 25,890 sq. m. for non-residential uses.

The current development proposal comprises 12 residential towers housing about 4,304 flats, two schools and one Integrated Use Centre facility. The Tai Wai Maintenance Centre at ground level of the development podium has already been completed and put into operation in December 2004.

KCRC proposes to implement the project under two joint venture packages. According to the current programme, the tenders (i.e. Tender 1 and Tender 2) for the project will be awarded in the 1st quarter of 2006, target for completion in phases by 2010.

The Tai Wai Maintenance Centre property development project is the fourth property development project of the Corporation inviting expressions of interest in 2005.