For discussion
on 20 January 1999
PWSC(98-99)57
ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE
| HEAD 703 | - BUILDINGS
|
| Education | - Primary
|
| 259EP - | Primary school in area 31, Tung Chung
|
Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 259EP to Category A at an estimated cost of $119.9 million in money-of-the-day prices for the construction of a 30-classroom primary school in area 31, Tung Chung.
PROBLEM
There are not enough primary schools in Islands District to meet the increase in demand for school places.
PROPOSAL
2. The Director of Architectural Services (D Arch S), with the support of the Secretary for Education and Manpower, proposes to upgrade 259EP to Category A at an estimated cost of $119.9 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices for the construction of a primary school in area 31, Tung Chung, Islands District.
PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE
3. The proposed primary school is a standard design 30-classroom school building. It will have -
- 30 classrooms;
- six special rooms, including a computer-assisted learning room and a language room;
- four remedial teaching rooms;
- a guidance activity/interview room;
- two interview rooms;
- staff rooms and a staff common room;
- a student activity centre;
- a conference room;
- a library;
- an assembly hall;
- a multi-purpose area; and
- ancillary accommodation including a lift and relevant facilities for the handicapped.
JUSTIFICATION
4. To meet the increase in demand for primary school places and to help achieve the policy target of enabling 60% of pupils in public sector schools to study on a whole-day basis by the commencement of the school year 2002/03, the Director of Education (D of E) has been making plans to build an additional 73 primary schools for completion by August 2002. To date, five of these schools have been completed, 38 school projects have been upgraded to Category A and are at various stages of construction, one school project is pending upgrading to Category A (1) .
5. Island District has 21 public sector primary schools providing 166 classrooms at present. D of E forecasts that an additional 169 classrooms will be required to meet the increase in demand for school places by the commencement of the school year 2002/03. This increase in demand is entirely due to the development of the Tung Chung New Town. Of the additional schools needed in Tung Chung, one primary school project providing 30 classrooms has already been upgraded to Category A and is planned for completion by August 1999. 259EP will further reduce the shortfall by 30 classrooms to 109 classrooms. The remaining shortfall will be met by other school projects which are currently being planned.
6. To tie in with the overall public housing development programme in area 31, Tung Chung, we will entrust the construction of the school to the Housing Authority.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
7. We estimate the capital cost of the project to be $119.9 million in MOD prices (see paragraph 8 below), made up as follows-
| $ million
|
|---|
| (a) Site formation
| 1.6
|
| (b) Piling
| 11.6
|
| (c) Building
| 49.0
|
| (d) Building services
| 10.8
|
| (e) Drainage and external works
| 9.7
|
| (f) Contingencies
| 8.3
|
| (g) 2% Housing Authority on-cost1.8
|
| ______
|
| Sub-total | 92.8 | (at December
1997 prices)
|
| (h) Provision for price adjustment | 27.1
|
| ______
|
| Total | 119.9 | (in MOD prices)
|
| ______
|
The construction floor area of 259EP is 10 526 square metres. The construction unit cost, represented by building and building services costs, is $5,681 per square metre at December 1997 prices. D Arch S considers this construction unit cost reasonable. A comparison of the standard cost of a primary school with the project estimates of this school is at the Enclosure.
8. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure as follows -
| Year | $ million
(Dec 1997)
| Price
adjustment
factor
| $ million
(MOD)
|
|---|
| 1999 - 2000 | 4.6 | 1.12890 | 5.2
|
| 2000 - 01 | 17.5 | 1.19663 | 20.9
|
| 2001 - 02 | 32.0 | 1.26843 | 40.6
|
| 2002 - 03 | 30.2 | 1.34454 | 40.6
|
| 2003 - 04 | 3.2 | 1.42521 | 4.6
|
| 2004 - 05 | 5.3 | 1.51072 | 8.0
|
| ______ | | ______
|
| 92.8 | | 119.9
|
| ______ | | ______
|
9. We derived the MOD estimates on the basis of Government's latest forecast of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1999 to 2005. The construction of the school, including the foundation and the building works, will be included in the housing estate development contract for area 31, Tung Chung. The contract will be let on a lump-sum basis with provision for price fluctuation because the contract period for the building works for the housing development will be longer than 21 months.
10. The cost of furniture and equipment, estimated to be $4.2 million, will be borne by the school sponsor as the school will be allocated for operating as a new aided school. We estimate the additional annually recurrent expenditure for the school to be $17.9 million.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
11. We consulted the Islands Provisional District Board in July 1998. Members of the Board supported the project.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
12. Based on the Preliminary Environment Review completed by Director of Housing (D of H) in April 1998, the Director of Environmental Protection agrees that the proposed school would not be subject to any adverse environmental impacts.
13. We will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisances during the construction through the implementation of appropriate mitigation measures in the relevant contracts.
LAND ACQUISITION
14. The project does not require any land acquisition.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
15. We upgraded 259EP to Category B in September 1998. D of H has completed site investigations for the project and is in the process of preparing the detailed working drawings and tender documents using in-house staff resources. He plans to start the construction works in August 1999 for completion in July 2002.
-----------------------------------------
Education and Manpower Bureau
January 1999
(PWSC0059/WIN3)
Enclosure to PWSC(98-99)57
A comparison of the standard cost of a 30-classroom primary school project
with the estimated costs of 259EP
| Standard
cost* | 259EP
|
|---|
| $ million
(at Dec 1997 prices)
|
|---|
| (a) Site formation | - | 1.6 | (See note A)
|
| (b) Piling | 9.7 | 11.6 | (See note B)
|
| (c) Building | 49.0 | 49.0
|
| (d) Building services | 10.8 | 10.8
|
| (e) Drainage and external works | 8. 0 | 9.7 | (See note C)
|
| (f) Contingencies | 7.8 | 8.3
|
| (g) 2% Housing Authority on-cost | - | 1.8 | (See note D)
|
| _____ | ______
|
| Total | 85.3 | 92.8
|
| _____ | ______
|
| (h) Construction floor area
| 10 526m2 | 10 526m2 |
(i) Construction unit cost
{[(c)+(d)](h)} | $5,681/m2 | $5,681/m2 |
* Assumptions for standard cost
1. The estimation is based on the assumption that the school site is uncomplicated and without abnormal environmental restrictions. No allowance is reserved for specific environmental restrictions such as the provision of insulated windows, air-conditioning and solid boundary walls to mitigate noise impacts on the school.
2. No site formation works/geotechnical works are required as they are normally carried out by other government departments under a separate engineering vote before the handing-over of the project site for school construction.
3. Piling cost is based on the use of 112 numbers of steel H-piles at an average depth of 30 metres, on the assumption that percussive piling is permissible. It also includes costs for pile caps, strap beams and testing. No allowance is reserved for the effect of negative skin friction due to fill on reclaimed land.
4. Cost for drainage and external works is for a standard 30-classroom primary school site area of 6 200 square metres built on an average level site without complicated geotechnical conditions, utility diversions, etc. (i.e. a greenfield site).
5. No consultancy services are required.
6. Furniture and equipment costs are excluded as they are usually borne by the sponsoring body of an aided school.
7. The standard cost for comparison purpose is subject to review regularly. We will review, and revise if necessary, the standard cost which should be adopted for future projects.
Notes
A. Site formation cost is necessary for levelling of the site platform to match with the levels of main roads and other adjacent developments of the school site.
B. The proposed school will be built on a reclaimed site with substantial rock fill. The piling cost is higher because of the use of 128 numbers of steel H-piles of an average depth of 30 metres which require pre-boring to a depth of 11 metres.
C. The school is to be built as part of the phase 5 of the public housing estate development in Tung Chung. The drainage and external works costs are estimated on the basis of the gross floor area of the school building as a proportion of the total gross floor area for the subject phase of the estate.
D. There is a standard arrangement to reserve 2% on-cost, for administrative and supervisory works, for projects entrusted to the Housing Authority.
(PWSC0059/WIN3)
[ (1)At the PWSC meeting on 16 December 1998, Members endorsed the upgrading of 260EP to Category A at an estimated cost of 114 million in MOD prices. Finance Committee will consider the recommendation on 15 January 1999.]
