Following is a question by the Hon Tam Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (February 19) :
Question :
The consultant commissioned by the Territory Development Department has completed a review on the noise issues of the two sections of Route 5 Extension passing through Discovery Park in Tsuen Wan. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the conclusions of the consultancy study, in particular, whether it has recommended the provision of noise enclosures for the road sections concerned; if it has, whether the consultant has mentioned how the noise enclosures are to be constructed and their effectiveness in mitigating noise impact; and
(b) whether it will provide noise enclosures for the road sections concerned; if it will, of the commencement and completion dates of the works; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
(a) According to the findings of the consultancy study, it is possible to erect noise barriers additional to those to be built as part of the Route 5 Extension project to mitigate traffic noise impacts. The additional noise barriers would be very costly: a rough estimation indicates that they will cost about $52 million in capital cost and $3 million in annual maintenance cost. The consultant was only asked to examine if the erection of additional noise barriers is possible. The study report contains no recommendation as to whether they should be provided.
(b) In approving the Master Layout Plan of Discovery Park in 1993, the Town Planning Board imposed specific requirements on the developer to address the traffic noise impacts including those that would arise from the Route 5 Extension project. Those requirements included leaving space in the building structure of Discovery Park to allow the Route 5 Extension to go through in future such that a section of the road will be covered by the podium of the building, and the use of suitable building orientation and setting back. As it was predicted that some units of Discovery Park would still be exposed to excessive traffic noise after the provision of the above-mentioned direct mitigation measures, the developer was required to provide those units with indirect traffic noise mitigation measures in the forms of good quality windows and air-conditioners. It was considered that those measures, together with the planned noise mitigation measures that would be implemented as part of the Route 5 Extension project, would appropriately address the traffic noise impacts on Discovery Park. Discovery Park was subsequently built in compliance with the approved Master Layout Plan and the requirements imposed on the developer.
As we explained at a recent meeting of the Legislative Council Panels on Environmental Affairs and Transport on 23 January 2003, the responsibility of providing traffic noise mitigation measures could rest with Government and/or the developer depending on the circumstances of individual cases. In the case of Discovery Park and Route 5 Extension, the developer of Discovery Park and Government share the responsibility. As the traffic noise mitigation measures that have already been implemented by the developer and those that Government will carry out as part of the Route 5 Extension project would appropriately address the traffic noise impacts on Discovery Park, no additional noise barriers will be provided.
End/Wednesday, February 19, 2003
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