In response to media enquiries about whether an alternative plan proposed by the Society for Protection of the Harbour (SPH) for the Central Reclamation III (CRIII) is feasible, a spokesman for the Housing, Planning and Lands Bureau today (November 27) gives the following reply:
"Representatives of the Society for Protection of the Harbour met with the Government technical team on November 24 during which the Society presented alternative reclamation plans for CRIII.
"On the reduced reclamation proposal, which the SPH claimed could reduce the reclamation extent by 50%, our engineers pointed out a number of technical problems at the meeting.
"The anticipated technical problems of the proposal include:
- No information has been provided for the seawall;
- The seawall is very close to the alignment of the Central-Wan Chai Bypass. No consideration has been given to the wave-absorbing design of the seawall and the reprovisioning of the pump houses which at present are located along the existing shoreline;
- The reprovisioning of public piers/landing steps appears to be inadequate; and
- The proposal does not give any thought to the work sequence on the implementation of the reclamation scheme.
"We will present to the SPH our views on its proposed plan."
Ends/Thursday, November 27, 2003
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