Provisional Legislative Council
PLC Paper No. CB(1)1317
(These minutes have been
seen by the Administration)
Ref: CB1/PL/PLW
Provisional Legislative Council
Panel on Planning, Lands and Works
Minutes of special meeting held on Tuesday, 10 February 1998, at 4:30 pm in Conference Room A of the Legislative Council Building
Members present :
Hon Edward HO Sing-tin, JP (Chairman)
Hon KAN Fook-yee (Deputy Chairman)
Hon HO Sai-chu, JP
Hon YUEN Mo
Dr Hon Charles YEUNG Chun-kam
Hon IP Kwok-him
Hon NGAN Kam-chuen
Members attending :
Prof Hon NG Ching-fai
Hon MA Fung-kwok
Members absent :
Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai, JP
Hon Ronald ARCULLI, JP
Hon LEUNG Chun-ying, JP
Hon CHENG Kai-nam
Hon LAU Wong-fat, JP
Hon CHOY Kan-pui, JP
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting
Public officers attending :
- Mr Wilson FUNG
- Principal Assistant Secretary for Planning,
- Environment and Lands/Planning
- Item I
- Mr T Y CHEUNG
- Project Manager/Hong Kong Island and Islands
- Development Office
- Territory Development Department
- Mr M T WONG
- Chief Engineer/Hong Kong (2)
- Hong Kong Island and Islands Development Office
- Territory Development Department
- Item II
- Mr T C MOUNTAIN
- Deputy Project manager
- New Territory West Development Office
- Territory Development Department
- Mr K H CHU
- Chief Engineer/Tuen Mun
- New Territory West Development Office
- Territory Development Department
- Mr C Y CHAN
- Engineer/Tuen Mun West
- New Territory West Development Office
- Territory Development Department
- Miss Agnes WONG
- Assistant Director-General of Industry/Infrastructure Support
- Industry Department
Clerk in attendance :
- Miss Odelia LEUNG,
- Chief Assistant Secretary (1)1
Staff in attendance :
Mrs Mary TANG, - Senior Assistant Secretary (1)2
Green Island Development
(PLC Paper No. CB(1)862)
The Principal Assistant Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands (PAS/PEL) briefly explained the background to the Green Island Development (GID). The GID involved reclamation of about 186 hectares of land to the north of Kennedy Town to provide land for residential development and for construction of new facilities to improve the environmental and traffic conditions in Western District. The reclamation would also accommodate a section of Route 7, the Green Island Link and the West Hong Kong Island Line. The project had been kept on hold since 1996 as a result of the objections raised when the Green Island Public Dump project was gazetted in 1995. In mid 1996, the Territorial Development Strategy Review (TDSR) reaffirmed GID as one of the strategic growth areas to help meet the territorial housing demand. The TDSR also recommended increasing the population capacity of GID from 103,000 to 135,800 with the first population intake targeted in 2008. In order to make up for the time lost, it was necessary to rephase the various implementation stages proposed and to conduct an updated engineering investigation and planning review study for GID. The proposed study would look at how the provision of infrastructural facilities could be synchronized with the population intake; how the housing production target under a revised reclamation programme could be achieved; and how the use of public fill could be maximized. In this connection, the Administration would wish to seek members' support for funding approval for the proposed study at the Public Works Subcommittee (PWSC) meeting on 17 February 1998. PAS/PEL added that the Administration would consider the findings of the various studies before making a decision as to whether to proceed with GID.
2 The Project Manager/Hong Kong Island and Islands Development Office, Territory Development Department (PM/HKI&Is, TDD) explained the Administration's proposed reclamation plan to implement GID as outlined in the information paper. He advised that the total cost of the proposed study was about $45 million and would include an engineering and planning review, a dredging assessment and a site investigation study.
3 Members noted that two studies on GID had been commissioned in recent years. These included the previously completed Green Island Reclamation Feasibility Study and the on-going Study on the Ecological, Water Quality and Marine Traffic Impacts of GID which was due for completion in August 1998. They queried the need for the proposed consultancy study, the scope of the study, whether it would overlap with the scope of earlier studies, and whether any further studies were planned for GID.
4 In response, the PM/HKI&Is, TDD and the Chief Engineer/Hong Kong (2), Hong Kong Island and Islands Development Office made the following points -
- The Green Island Reclamation Feasibility Study commenced in 1988 and was completed in July 1994. The study involved preliminary assessments in respect of the planning, engineering, transport, landscaping and environmental impacts of the proposed Green Island reclamation and some preliminary site investigations within the proposed reclamation area. The study did not make a detailed analysis of the various impacts on GID;
- The on-going Study on the Ecological, Water Quality and Marine Traffic Impacts of GID was conducted in response to the 19 objections received when the Green Island Public Dump was gazetted. The study commenced in May 1997 and was expected to be completed in August 1998. It would identify the exact alignment of the new fairway to be provided after the closure of the Sulphur Channel and determine the extent of the dredging assessment and the associated site investigation required in the proposed study;
- The proposed Engineering and Planning Review and Site Investigation Study aimed at reviewing the land uses and assessing the planning, engineering, environmental, traffic and drainage impacts that would arise from the increase in population. The study would also look at the feasibility of rephasing the various implementation stages of the Green Island reclamation and the provision of housing and transport infrastructures with a view to achieving the target set by the TDSR; and
- A Preliminary Project Feasibility Study for Stage 2 Reclamation would be conducted as part of the proposed study prior to the commissioning of the stage 2 reclamation project.
5 As regards the population capacity of GID, members were informed that the Green Island Reclamation Feasibility Study completed in July 1994 recommended the accommodation of a population of about 103,000 in GID upon completion. In mid-1996, TDSR reaffirmed GID as one of the strategic growth areas which would eventually produce 48,000 flats to help meet territorial housing demand. The TDSR also recommended increasing the population capacity of GID from 103,000 to 135,800 with the first population intake targeted in 2008.
6 Addressing a member's concern about the impact of dredging activities on the ecology of marine life and the consequential effect on the livelihood of local fishermen, PM/HKI&Is, TDD advised that the preliminary findings of the on-going Study on the Ecological, Water Quality and Marine Traffic Impacts of GID indicated that the marine and territorial flora and fauna found on the Green Island and its surrounding waters were mostly common species with limited ecological value. Furthermore, the surrounding waters were not spawning grounds for fishes. Nevertheless, with the completion of the study by August 1998, the Administration would decide whether some of the species of marine and territorial flora and fauna needed to be relocated.
| 7 Members were disappointed that the information paper provided by the Administration depicted a detailed background of GID but contained insufficient information on the proposed study. Noting that the Administration would be seeking funding approval for the commissioning of the study at the forthcoming PWSC meeting on 17 February 1998, members asked for a more comprehensive paper on the proposed study, including a breakdown on the cost and scope of each of the studies on GID.
| Admin
|
|---|
(Post-meeting note: A supplementary information paper on GID was provided by the Administration and circulated to members vide PLC Paper Nos. CB(1)961 and 990.)
II Reclamation and servicing of Tuen Mun Area 38 for special industries
(PLC Paper No. CB(1)896)
8 The Chief Engineer/Tuen Mun, New Territory West Development Office, Territory Development Department (CE/TM, TDD) advised that the existing roads linking the western part of Tuen Mun with Tuen Mun Road did not have adequate capacity to cope with the anticipated increase in traffic generated from the river trade terminal (RTT) and special industries developments in Tuen Mun Area 38. To solve the problem, the Administration proposed to construct a Foothills Bypass between Tuen Mun West and Wong Chu Road, and to carry out road improvement and noise mitigation works along Wong Chu Road in Tuen Mun.
9 CE/TM, TDD explained the nature and scope of works by making reference to the information paper and the attached site plan of the proposed works. The cost estimate of the proposed works was about $1,490 million and funding approval would be sought from the PWSC at its meeting on 17 February 1998.
10 The Chairman enquired about the interfacing traffic arrangements during the period of construction. CE/TM, TDD explained in response that since the Tuen Mun Highway was one of the key highways linking Tuen Mun to other parts of Hong Kong, contractors undertaking the proposed works would not be allowed to close the highway during the construction period. Where there was a need to close some of the lanes, such as in the case of transporting and installing bridge component parts, the works would need to be carried out at night when traffic was light and closure of part of the carriageway for a short period of time could be permitted. As regards the interchange at Tuen Mun Road and Wong Chu Road, members noted that a temporary flyover would be installed to divert the traffic at the interchange while construction of the new bridge was in progress.
11 A member queried the need for the construction of the Foothills Bypass which was parallel to Lung Mun Road, given that the bulk of the cargo at the RTT would be by way of marine transport.
12 CE/TM, TDD explained that transportation of cargo to and from RTT would be by land and by sea. It was estimated that there would be a flow of about 500 lorry loads of goods per hour at peak hours upon the commissioning of RTT. According to a consultancy report commissioned by the Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation, the number of vehicles entering and leaving the industrial estate in Tuen Mun Area 38 was estimated to be about 1,300 and 1,000 respectively per day.
13 Regarding the member's further enquiry on the land traffic requirements of RTT, the Engineer/Tuen Mun West, New Territory West Development Office, Territory Development Department explained that the RTT would handle some 700,000 tons of break-bulk cargoes per year. These cargoes would be re-distributed to retailers and freight stations in Hong Kong by land. Meanwhile, part of the containerised cargoes would proceed to the cargo terminals at Kwai Chung by container trailers.
14 As to members' enquiry on whether some of the urban cargo handling areas would be closed as a result of the commissioning of RTT, CE/TM, TDD said that this would not be the case as their services would still be required.
| 15 Members opined that the paper provided inadequate information on the land transport needs of the RTT and advised the Administration to be better prepared in this regard at the PWSC meeting on 17 February 1998.
| Admin
|
|---|
16 There being no other business, the meeting closed at 5:30 pm.
Provisional Legislative Council Secretariat
19 May 1998
