For discussion PWSC(96-97)68
on 20 November 1996

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

HEAD 703 - BUILDINGS
Public Safety - Ambulance Services
29BA - Chai Wan ambulance depot

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 29BA to Category A at an estimated cost of $35.3 million in money-of-the-day prices for the construction of an ambulance depot at an unnamed road adjacent to Shing Tai Road, Chai Wan.

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PROBLEM
PROPOSAL
PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE
JUSTIFICATION
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
LAND ACQUISITION
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

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PROBLEM

The existing ambulance station at Hing Wah Estate is unable to cope with the current and future demand for emergency ambulance services in the Chai Wan and Shaukeiwan areas.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Architectural Services, with the support of the Secretary for Security, proposes to upgrade 29BA to Category A at an estimated cost of $35.3 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for the construction of a four-bay ambulance depot at an unnamed road 20/5 adjacent to Shing Tai Road, Chai Wan.

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The project comprises the construction of a standard ambulance depot with a four-bay appliance room, offices, an exercise room, barracks, a canteen, stores, a lecture room and toilets with shower facilities.

JUSTIFICATION

4. The existing two-bay ambulance station at Hing Wah Estate provides emergency ambulance cover to the Chai Wan and Shaukeiwan areas. Its facilities have already been stretched to the maximum as the number of emergency ambulance calls in these areas increased from 11 114 in 1994-95 to 12 337 in 1995-96 (an increase of 11%) and reached 6 661 in the first half of 1996-97. We were only able to meet 87.36% of emergency calls within our target travelling time of ten minutes in 1995-96 and 88.56% in the first half of 1996/97. We expect that the demand for emergency ambulance service will continue to increase, especially with new developments in the areas such as Siu Sai Wan and Aldrich Bay. Based on statistics of recent years, we project that the average rate of increase in the number of emergency ambulance calls over the territory will be 10% per annum in the next few years and that for Chai Wan and Shaukeiwan areas the increase in demand will also be at about this level.

5. To improve the existing service and cope with the anticipated increase in emergency ambulance calls, we propose to construct a new standard four-bay ambulance depot at an unnamed road 20/5 adjacent to Shing Tai Road to serve the areas concerned. Our present plan is to decommission the existing station at Hing Wah Estate upon completion of the new ambulance depot. Nevertheless, to ensure adequate emergency cover, we shall continue to review regularly the actual demand for service in the areas. Once the new depot is commissioned, we shall again review the situation before finally releasing the site of the existing ambulance station.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

6. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $35.3 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 7 below), made up as follows -

7. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure as follows -

8. We have derived the MOD estimate on the basis of the Government’s forecasts of trend labour and construction prices over the period between 1997 and 2001. We will tender the works under a fixed-price lump-sum contract because we can define clearly the scope of works in advance.

9. We estimate the additional annually recurrent expenditure of the project to be $256,000 for the operation and maintenance of the new ambulance depot. We do not require additional recurrent staff costs as we shall redeploy existing ambulances and staff, including those of the station at Hing Wah Estate, to the new depot. As we have explained at the meeting on 6 November 1996, provision for additional ambulances and crews is dealt with separately.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

10. We consulted the Community Building Committee of the Eastern District Board in March 1996. The Committee supported the project.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

11. Although an Environmental Review of the proposed facilities completed by the Director of Environmental Protection proposed facilities in June 1995 had concluded that the project would have no long term environmental impacts and that no Environmental Impact Assessment is therefore necessary, we will take all the necessary actions will be taken tto ensure that disturbance to nearby residents will be kept to the minimum during the construction stage as well as after opening. During construction, we will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisances to comply with the established guideline/standards through the implementation of mitigation measures in the relevant contract. When the depot comes into operationAfter completion and the station becoming operational, the Director of Fire Services will implement administrative measures and enforce strict control on the use of ambulance sirens and public address system to minimise noise nuisance during the daily operation of the ambulance depot. The loud speakers in the drill yard will be switched off during night time.comply with the established guideline/standards through the implementation of mitigation measures in the relevant contract.

LAND ACQUISITION

12. This project does not require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

13. The Government Property Administrator had conducted joint user search in mid 1994 and mid 1996 for the proposed site but was unsuccessful. We have also considered the alternative of selling the site together with adjacent areas for a combined ambulance and non-domestic development. However, the required rezoning and planning procedures will be very time-consuming and will certainly delay the project. Furthermore, the rezoning application may not be successful. In view of the urgent need to improve ambulance service in the areas, we consider that although the potential of the site cannot be fully utilised, the proposal already represents the best use of the site under the circumstances. The size of the proposed site (about 1 700 square metres) is the smallest area acceptable to meet the standard requirements.

14. We upgraded this project to Category B in January 1996. We are finalising the working drawings and tender documents using in-house staff. We plan to start works in March 1997 for completion in August 1998.

15. This paper is a resubmission. Members considered PWSC(96-97)57 on this project at the meeting held on 6 November 1996 and raised certain queries relating to the utilisation of the site of the new depot, the plan for the existing depot and noise disturbance to nearby residents. We have incorporated additional information on these aspects in the present submission.

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