CB(1)1010/98-99(04)
For consideration
on 23 March 1999
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
PANEL ON PLANNING, LANDS AND WORKS
Tsuen Wan Bay Further Reclamation
BACKGROUND
Tsuen Wan Bay Further Reclamation (TWBFR) is one of the urban Strategic Growth Areas identified in the Territorial Development Strategy Review to provide land for housing. The Town Planning Board (TPB) endorsed the TWBFR project on 7 August 1998 and the relevant Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) was gazetted on 25 September 1998 for consultation. The Legislative Council was informed of the details and background via the Legislative Council Brief issued to Members on 21 September 1998.
2. The scope of the TWBFR project comprises the following -
| (a) | reclamation of about 31 hectares of land and construction of about 1,500 metres of seawall at Tsuen Wan Bay;
|
| (b) | provision of necessary new roads and drains on the site and improvement and upgrading of the existing road network, stormwater drainage system and sewerage system necessitated by the development;
|
| (c) | reprovisioning of the existing Tsuen Wan Dangerous Goods Anchorage (DGA) and reprovisioning of other marine facilities and marine accesses affected by the project; and
|
| (d) | all associated waterworks and landscaping works.
|
PROPOSAL
3. The Government proposes to upgrade part of 299CL to Category A to cover the site investigation works and detailed design for the DGA at an estimated cost of $32 million in MOD prices; and intends to make a submission to the Public Works Sub-Committee (PWSC) on 14 April 1999. The Government will submit another paper for consideration by the PWSC in late-1999 on the site investigation and detailed design for TWBFR. The estimated cost of the site investigation works and the consultants' fees to undertake the detailed design for TWBFR is about $300 million in MOD prices.
JUSTIFICATION
4. The main purpose of TWBFR is to provide sites for housing development to meet strategic growth and in that process provides decanting space to facilitate urban renewal of Tsuen Wan New Town. The proposed scale of reclamation in Tsuen Wan Bay is about 31 hectares, which is the optimal scale to provide sufficient land for meeting the needs for housing development as well as transport infrastructure and essential community facilities. The proposed master development plan is set out in the site plan at
Annex A. The following is a summary of the proposed land uses budget:
| Use
| Zoned Area (ha)
| % Land Area
|
| (a)
| Residential
| 13.88
| 44.77
|
| (b)
| Commercial
| 1.53
| 4.94
|
| (c)
| Open Space
| 6.20
| 20.00
|
| (d)
| Institution/Community
| 0.26
| 0.84
|
| (e)
| Education
| 2.63
| 8.48
|
| (f)
| Road Reserve
| 4.60
| 14.84
|
| (g)
| Amenity
| 1.90
| 6.13
|
| Total
| 31.00
| 100.00
|
5. As one of the Strategic Growth Areas in the urban area, the TWBFR would provide land to partly meet the growing housing needs of the territory. It is planned to produce a total of 11,000 flats in a public-to-private ratio of about 3:1 (in terms of number of flats) to accommodate about 30,000 people.
6. The housing development in TWBFR will provide a mix of public rental housing, Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS), and private residential developments to facilitate the decanting of some 19,000 people living in 280 old and dilapidated buildings in Tsuen Wan town centre which are expected to undergo redevelopment in the coming years.
IMPLEMENTATION
7. We need to relocate the existing DGA at Tsuen Wan Bay to facilitate the TWBFR project. We have identified a suitable site near Tang Lung Chau (to the south of Ma Wan) for the relocation of the DGA (see site plan at Annex B). In October 1998, a detailed environmental impact assessment was conducted and it concluded that the risk and environmental impacts associated with the new DGA at the proposed location are within acceptable limits. The relocation would improve marine safety in the Rambler Channel as a number of slow moving barges and dangerous goods vessels would stop using the channel, thus reducing traffic conflicts in the relatively narrow channel.
TIMING
8. In accordance with the public housing development programme, we plan to commence housing construction on TWBFR in 2007 with the target first population intake in 2010. In order to provide the necessary land and supporting infrastructure to tie in with the very tight housing development programme, we need to complete the detailed design works for the DGA by 2000. We also need to start the detailed design for TWBFR in early 2000 for completion in phases from mid 2003 to mid 2005. This will enable the construction works of the DGA and TWBFR to proceed in phases commencing in early 2001 for full completion by 2009. As the necessary consultant selection process would take about six months, we will need to seek funding approval from the PWSC and FC by mid-1999 to allow detailed design works to commence in early-2000.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS
9. The EIA studies for TWBFR and the new DGA were completed in November 1997 and October 1998 respectively. The EIA study concluded that the proposed detailed design and site investigation works will not have any adverse environmental implications. Environmental permits for the construction works of the TWBFR under the EIA Ordinance (Cap.499) have been issued.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
10 The total engineering cost of the TWBFR project is estimated to be about $4.7 billion at December 1997 price ($5.1 billion at December 1998 price). No resumption of private land will be required.
11. New land to be formed by reclamation would be disposed of around 2008-2009. The potential revenue that would be generated from the disposal of the PSPS, private housing and commercial sites is estimated to be $15.1 billion at December 1997 price level.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
12. We consulted the Tsuen Wan Provisional District Board (TWPDB) on 20 October 1998. The main concerns of the TWPDB Members were the noise nuisance during construction and water quality problems that might be caused by this project. Members' concerns were discussed at the ACE meeting on 27 October 1998 and the ACE endorsed the findings of the EIA and was content that the project would not cause any insurmountable adverse impact to the environment.
13. The Ma Wan Rural Committee and the Ma Wan Fishermen Rights Association were also consulted on 30 November 1998. They shared similar concerns as that of the TWPDB members. We have presented and explained the results of the EIA to them at the meeting.
14. We have scheduled a second round of consultation sessions with the Tsuen Wan PDB and ACE in April and May this year respectively to brief Members specifically on the relocation of the DGA.
Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau
March 1999
