For discussion PWSC(95-96)83
on 7 February 1996
ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE
HEAD 707 - NEW TOWNS AND URBAN AREA DEVELOPMENT
Hong Kong Island and Islands Development
(Civil Engineering - Land development)
424CL - North Lantau phase IIB development in Tung Chung, engineering works
Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee -
- the upgrading of part of 424CL, entitled North Lantau phase IIB development in Tung Chung, village resite houses, to Category A at an estimated cost of $81 million in money-of-the-day prices; and
- the retention of the remainder of 424CL in Category B.
There is a lack of village resite houses to accommodate indigenous villagers affected by the proposed public housing development at Tung Chung area 31 and site formation works in areas 39 and 40.
2. The Director of Territory Development (DTD), with the support of the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, proposes to upgrade part of 424CL to Category A at an estimated cost of $81 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for the construction of 47 village resite houses, a village office and ancillary works in Pa Mei North village resite area in Tung Chung.
3. The full scope of 424CL comprises engineering works to provide 29 hectares of formed and serviced land in Tung Chung for private residential development, schools, open space, government offices, institution and community facilities, and a village resite area at Pa Mei North.
4. The part of the project we now propose to upgrade to Category A comprises the construction of -
- 47 village resite houses;
- a village office and a Pai Lau; and
- ancillary paving, drains, waterworks and landscaping works.
5. We plan to develop Tung Chung into a new town in six phases with an ultimate population of 265 000. As part of the phase IIB development, the Director of Housing proposes to commence construction of a public housing estate in area 31 in late 1997 for completion in mid 2002. In order to provide the new residents with adequate community services, DTD plans to commence the site formation works in areas 39 and 40 to provide land for open space, government offices, institution and community facilities in mid 1998 for completion in mid 1999.
6. We will need to resume houses and building land owned by indigenous villagers for the proposed public housing development and site formation works. Under the current New Territories village removal policy1, we must re-house indigenous villagers affected by public works. We need to provide 47 village resite houses for these affected indigenous villagers.
7. To tie in with the overall land clearance programme of the phase IIB development in Tung Chung, we need to start construction of the village resite houses in mid 1996 for phased completion in mid 1997 and mid 1998 to accommodate the clearees.
8. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $81 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 9 below), made up as follows -
|
$ million
|
|---|
|
(a) Village resite houses
|
48.8
|
|
(b) Village office and Pai Lau
|
1.0
|
|
(c) Paving, drains and waterworks
|
5.6
|
|
(d) Landscaping works
|
3.0
|
|
(e) Contingencies
|
5.8
|
|
Sub-total
(at Decemberr 1994 prices)
|
64.2
|
|
((f) Inflation allowance
|
16.8
|
|
Total
( in MOD prices)
|
81.0 |
9. Subject to approval, we will phase expenditure as follows -
|
Year
|
$ million
(Dec 1994)
|
Price
adjustment
factor
|
$ million
(MOD)
|
|---|
|
1996 - 97
|
28.0
|
1.18250
|
33.1
|
|
1997 - 98
|
30.0
|
1.30075
|
39.0
|
|
1998 - 99
|
6.2
|
1.43083
|
8.9
|
|
64.2
|
|
81.0 |
10. We derive the MOD estimate on the basis of the Governments forecasts of trend labour and construction prices over the period between 1996 and 1999. We will tender the proposed works under a lump sum, fixed price contract because we have firm quantities for the village resite houses.
11. We estimate the additional annually recurrent expenditure to be $130,000.
12. We consulted the Islands District Board on Pa Mei North village resite area in July 1994. Members had no objection to the proposed works.
13. The consultants completed the environmental assessment for the North Lantau Development Study (the Study) in May 1992. Part of the Study covered the development in Tung Chung.
14. In respect of the development in Tung Chung, the Study concluded that from phase II onwards, the construction noise and dust impact could affect both existing and new sensitive receivers and that mitigation measures would be necessary. We will incorporate the noise mitigation and dust suppression measures as recommended by the consultants in the contract documents to control the impacts within the established standards and guidelines. These mitigation measures include the use of silenced plant, noise screening and insulation, water spraying, traffic speed control on unpaved road and minimizing the need for stockpiles and surcharges, etc.
15. The proposed works do not require any land acquisition.
16. We included this project in Category B in July 1994 for the provision of 29 hectares of formed and serviced land in Tung Chung. In January 1995, Finance Committee approved the upgrading of part of 424CL to Category A as 450CL North Lantau phase IIB development in Tung Chung, advance works for the formation of a village resite area at Pa Mei North. We started the works in June 1995 for overall completion in November 1996.
17. The Director of Architectural Services has completed the detailed design and working drawings for the village resite houses using in-house staff resources. We schedule to construct the proposed 47 village resite houses in two phases. The first phase consisting of 40 village resite houses will commence in mid 1996 for completion in mid 1997 to tie in with the public housing development in area 31. The second phase comprising the remaining seven village resite houses will start in mid 1997 for completion in mid 1998 to tie in with the development in areas 39 and 40.
18. We will implement the remainder of 424CL, estimated to cost $368.8 million at December 1994 prices, in further stages commencing from November 1996 for completion by May 1999.
1 -- The Executive Council endorsed the New Territories village removal policy in 1977. The policy was reviewed in 1979 and 1991. Under the policy, we need to compensate for every house or each 0.01 acre of building land surrendered or resumed which is owned by indigenous villagers or other qualified persons. The compensation can take three forms, a Government built village resite house, a Government formed site plus a building allowance or cash compensation. The indigenous villagers affected by the proposed housing development in area 31 and site formation works in areas 39 and 40 have opted for Government built village resite houses.
CHECKLIST FOR PWSC SUBMISSION
We need to seek the PWSC/FC funding approval for the partial upgrading of 424CL to Cat A at an estimated cost of $81million in money-of-the-day prices before inviting tenders for the construction works.
The proposed works have the support of SPEL as they form an integral part of the development in Tung Chung.
The current project estimate of 424CL is $433 million in the 1995 final RAE. There are sufficient funds for the construction of village resite houses in Pa Mei North.
We do not consider upgrading the project as a politically contentious issue.
We consider lobbying unnecessary.
If we encounter difficulties at the PWSC meeting, we would prefer to withdraw the paper for a re-submission at a subsequent meeting.
Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands (Mr. Bowen Leung),
Director of Territory Development (Mr. S S Lee), and
Chief Estate Surveyor/ New Airport (NT) of Lands Department (Mr. P N Clift) will attend the meeting.
NIL
Last Updated on 8 December 1998
