Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, Mr Michael Suen, in the Legislative Council today (April 28):
Question
It has been reported that the developers which participated in the Hunghom Peninsula Private Sector Participation Scheme ("PSPS") project intend to demolish and rebuild the completed but not yet occupied PSPS blocks. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the estimated weight and volume of the construction and demolition ("C&D") waste involved, as well as the estimated costs borne by public funds if such waste materials are disposed of in landfills;
(b) of the methods to prevent the developers from demolishing the unoccupied blocks and thereby producing C&D waste as well as wasting public money; whether the authorities will convey, through public education, the message that such a demolition approach will waste the resources of the earth and run counter to the principle of sustainable development; and
(c) whether it has assessed if the transport facilities in Hung Hom can support a redevelopment project on the site at a plot ratio higher than the existing one, and the conditions under which the authorities will not approve such a redevelopment project; if it has, of the assessment results?
Reply
Madam President,
Before replying to the question raised by the Honourable Choy So-yuk, I must first of all emphasize that the Government has not received any application for demolition or redevelopment from the developer of Hunghom Peninsula. In the absence of any specific proposal, I can only provide hypothetical information based on rough estimates and set out the principles the Government will follow when processing an application for redevelopment. My reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
(a) As no specific proposal on demolition has been submitted by the developer, we are not in a position to estimate the quantity of construction and demolition waste that may be generated. Based on the gross floor area of Hunghom Peninsula (including the shopping arcade, residential buildings and carpark), it is roughly estimated that approximately 200,000 tonnes of construction materials are involved. If these materials are disposed of in landfills, the handling costs will be about $25 million. I must however point out that these figures are entirely hypothetical. The actual situation depends largely on whether the developer has any plan for demolition, and if so the scope and details of such plan.
(b) The Government has been encouraging and providing advice and assistance to the private sector on the prevention and minimization of construction and demolition materials. Through publicity and education, the Government proactively reaches out to various professional institutions and the construction industry to promote waste reduction and minimization of construction and demolition materials. Moreover, the Buildings Department has issued a Practice Note providing guidelines on waste minimization in the planning, design and construction for private developments to ensure that measures are taken at different stages of construction works to reduce construction and demolition materials.
For building demolition works in particular, where unavoidable, the Government has been urging private developers and their contractors to plan the whole process in a thorough manner, e.g. adopting selective demolition to maximize recovery of reusable and recyclable materials.
Furthermore, the Government has introduced the Waste Disposal (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2003 into the Legislative Council for the introduction of a construction waste disposal charging scheme to provide economic incentive for private developers and construction contractors to step up efforts in preventing and recovering construction and demolition materials through proper planning and implementation of appropriate measures. The Legislative Council has formed a Bills Committee to scrutinize the Bill. Subject to its enactment, the Government aims to implement the charging scheme in 2005.
(c) The approved Hung Hom Outline Zoning Plan has clearly stipulated the maximum domestic gross floor area, the maximum non-domestic gross floor area and the maximum building height for the Hunghom Peninsula site. In drawing up these development parameters, the traffic conditions of Hung Hom had been taken into account. The Outline Zoning Plan is a statutory instrument. Any development or redevelopment on the site is subject to the parameters and restrictions stipulated in the Plan. If a development proposal goes beyond any of these parameters, the Outline Zoning Plan has to be amended before implementation. In addition, any development and redevelopment of a site is subject to the terms and conditions set out in the land lease. For any redevelopment proposal which may result in material modifications to these terms and conditions, the developer must apply for permission from the Lands Department. The Lands Department will take into account all relevant factors in considering such application. If the proposed modifications are to be approved, depending on the scope of the modifications and their impact on the value of the site, the Government may ask for payment of a premium for the modifications.
In considering any amendment to the Outline Zoning Plan, the Town Planning Board will thoroughly and comprehensively examine all the planning factors, including possible implications of the proposal on the transport facilities and road capacity in the district. The above restrictions and procedures are applicable to any development on the Hunghom Peninsula site.
Ends/Wednesday, April 28, 2004
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