SDC 9th Meeting Minutes [PDF]

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Minutes of the 9th Meeting of the Southern District Council (2016-2019)

Date Time Venue

: : :

16 March 2017 2:30 p.m. SDC Conference Room

Present: Mr CHU Ching-hong, JP Mr CHAN Fu-ming, MH Mr AU Lap-sing, MH Mr AU Nok-hin

(Chairman) (Vice-Chairman)

Mr CHAI Man-hon Ms CHAN Judy Kapui Mrs CHAN LEE Pui-ying Ms CHEUNG Sik-yung, MH Mr CHU Lap-wai Mr FUNG Se-goun, Fergus Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH Ms LAM Yuk-chun, MH Mr LO Kin-hei Dr MAK TSE How-ling, Ada, MH Mr TSUI Yuen-wa Ms YAM Pauline Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN

Secretary: Ms YIP Wai-see, Priscilla

Senior Executive Officer (District Council), Southern District Office, Home Affairs Department

1

In Attendance: Mr CHOW Chor-tim, JP Miss TSE Nga-lap, Lilian Mr CHAN Ip-to, Tony Ms LO Mun-wah, Cindy Miss CHOW Suk-yee, Jessica Mr LEE Kan-fat Mr CHAIONG David, Stanley Mrs LAI CHAN Wai-fan Mr HO Kwan-hang, Albert Ms CHAN Yee-lai Mr. CHAN Wai-man

Miss TSE Siu-wa, Janice, JP Mr FUNG Ying-lun, Allen Miss LAU Bo-yee, Winnie Ms CHAN Hau-yin, Margaret

District Officer (Southern), Home Affairs Department Assistant District Officer (Southern), Home Affairs Department Senior Executive Officer (District Management), Southern District Office, Home Affairs Department Senior Liaison Officer (1), Southern District Office, Home Affairs Department Senior Liaison Officer (2), Southern District Office, Home Affairs Department District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Southern), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Chief Leisure Manager (HKW), Leisure and Cultural Services Department Acting Chief Manager/M (HKI), Housing Department Chief Transport Officer/HK, Transport Department District Commander (Western), Hong Kong Police Force Assistant Police Community Relations Officer (Western District), Hong Kong Police Force Director of Home Affairs, for agenda Home Affairs Department item 1 Political Assistant to Secretary for Development, Development Bureau Chief Town Planner/Strategic Planning, Planning Department Senior Town Planner/Strategic Planning 5, Planning Department

2

for agenda item 4

The Chairman welcomed Miss TSE Siu-wa, JP, Director of Home Affairs, to this meeting for discussion of agenda item 1. 2. The Chairman extended his welcome to Members and regular government representatives to this meeting. 3. The Chairman continued that the meeting would be conducted in accordance with the established arrangement, under which each Member would be allotted a maximum of two three-minute slots to speak in respect of each agenda item. He also reminded Members to speak as concise as possible. The electronic timer would beep when it reached two minutes 30 seconds and three minutes of each speaking slot respectively. The suggested duration for discussion of the agenda items had also been e-mailed to Members before the meeting (Reference Paper - 1). The Secretary estimated that the meeting would come to a close no sooner than 6:35 p.m., and if Members wished to leave earlier, they should inform the secretariat staff as early as possible.

Part I – Items for Discussion Agenda Item 1:

Meeting of Director of Home Affairs with SDC Members [2:32 p.m. – 4:01 p.m.]

4. The Chairman said that Mr CHAI Man-hon and Mr TSUI Yuen-wa had put forward enquires to the Director of Home Affairs (DHA) in writing prior to the meeting. The respective enquiries and departmental written replies were given at Reference Papers 2 to 7. 5. The Chairman reminded Members that if they would like to discuss an individual topic, they might submit an agenda item in accordance with the Standing Orders. The Secretary would then arrange for departmental representatives to attend the meeting as necessary. The estimated duration for discussion of this agenda item was one hour and fifteen minutes, during which the Director Miss Janice TSE, JP would first briefly introduce the department’s work to Members, and then Members would be invited to take turns to raise issues for discussion with her. 6.

With the aid of PowerPoint presentation (PowerPoint 1), Miss Janice TSE, JP

introduced the work of Home Affairs Department (HAD). 3

She said that the

department had all along adhered to the policy objective of promoting “District Administration”, and thereon various major initiatives had been put in place for district administration, inter alia, the District-led Actions Scheme (DAS), Signature Project Scheme (SPS), promoting arts and cultural activities in the district, strengthening support for District Minor Works (DMW) programmes and youth development. (Mr AU Nok-hin and Ms YAM Pauline joined the meeting at 2:37 p.m. and 2:43 p.m. respectively.) 7.

The Chairman invited Members to raise comments or enquiries on the subject.

8.

Mr CHAN Fu-ming, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

With regard to the HAD’s proposal on reducing the ceiling on the remuneration rate of deed of mutual covenant (DMC) managers, he considered that the proposed reduction would benefit large housing estates but not old tenements and single tenement buildings. He pointed out that in view of the need of old tenements and single tenement buildings to undergo

(ii)

(iii)

large-scale maintenance in the future, certain property management companies were now willing to take care of the building management issues of these buildings so that they could yield a profit from the buildings concerned in the course of conducting large-scale maintenance. He enquired about the measures to be taken by HAD to prevent such circumstances; Nowadays some property management companies were not providing services of a professional property management company, and thus giving rise to a lot of disputes in building management. For instance, the transition from old to new owners’ corporation (OC) was not facilitated by a smooth handover process. He enquired if there were any measures, such as provision of mediation service to curb the said situation; and Owners normally were not keen to join an OC voluntarily. Also, most of the time OC’s members were the ones to blame in the event of any deficiency in building maintenance as well as the financial situation. Although HAD had been positively encouraging owners to set up an OC, owing to the lack of adequate support, owners were not only indifferent towards joining OC but even felt the great pressure of being a member of OC.

4

9.

Mr CHAI Man-hon raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

Concerning the DMW, there was still room for improvement in the resources injected by HAD, the publicity work conducted as well as the supporting facilities provided; As a rule of thumb, the contractors of Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) were required to give a detailed account of the effectiveness of their cleansing and security work done in the venues such as sports centre. He urged HAD to make reference to the practice of LCSD and

(ii)

ask its DMW contractors to report regularly the works progress to the respective District Councils (DCs). DCs should also be engaged in the work and procedures of the projects concerned, such as selection of contracts, assessment of the effectiveness of projects, in order to ensure compliance of the works being implemented. If any non-compliance with the standard of

(iii)

(iv)

the original design was detected, individual DC should be allowed to follow up matter with the contractor directly; He criticised that the progress of DMW projects was too slow. Some of the projects involving Works Contract Consultants had been pending for five years or more before they were implemented. He thus urged HAD to solve the problems proactively; and He opined that the publicity for DMW was not satisfactory. The web page on DMW Programme was loosely organised and lack of any new ideas. He suggested that HAD set up a website for each district. The contents should cover the respective district information, latest news and DMW project information etc. so as to facilitate public viewing.

(Mr LO Kin-hei joined the meeting at 2:51 p.m.) 10.

Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He gave compliments to the staff of HAD and Southern District Office (SDO) on their good work; As there was keen demand for the DMW projects, he urged HAD to inject additional resources into DMW and scrutinise the existing procedures with a view to expedite the progress; He pointed out that Southern District was similar to rural area. It was comparable to Sai Kung and also had a long coastline, unevenly distributed

(ii)

(iii)

population and a lot of water sports activities. Nevertheless, the department 5

(iv)

had been circumventing some DMW projects which involved the seabed. He mentioned that if such projects took place in rural area, HAD would have rendered assistance proactively in carrying out the required works. He called on HAD to treat those similar projects in the Southern District equally; HAD had been actively following up the provision of footpath in the rural area for connecting the main road. By the same token, the department should maintain the same attitude and render assistance actively in the implementation of similar projects in the Southern District; particularly, there were a lot of Green Belt areas in the country parks of the district requiring

(v)

connection with the main road. Furthermore, there were always difficulties in the provision of lighting for footpaths; and Despite the fact that most of the large-scale projects had to seek funding support from the Legislative Council (LegCo) by other government departments, he suggested that the preliminary works of these projects could be funded and undertaken through DMW in order to speed up the progress. He asked HAD to consider his above opinions.

11.

Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

Over the years, he had pressed for the construction of a civic centre in the Southern District. However, there was still no civic centre in the district. He hoped that even if the future Wong Chuk Hang Community Complex would not include a civic centre, HAD could still reserve sufficient space in the design stage for the provision of a performance venue with supporting facilities like dressing room. The standard of this performance venue should be better than a community hall in terms of its overall design and facilities so as to cater for the local needs in the district. He also requested reservation of space in the Complex for a car park; otherwise, the traffic congestion in Wong

(ii)

Chuk Hang would be aggravated; and In the past, Southern District Council (SDC) did raise numerous requests for the construction of a footbridge in Wong Chuk Hang Comprehensive Development Area to link up the shopping mall with Shum Wan Road. But Transport Department (TD) had not yet responded positively. He hoped that there would be a footbridge linked to the Wong Chuk Hang Community Complex. In this regard, he requested that for the convenience of the public, HAD should reserve a connection point of footbridge in planning the construction of the Complex.

6

12.

Mr LO Kin-hei raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

As the DMW projects had slow progress, he suggested that HAD make reference to the practices of the various District Offices in the rural area and set up a Works Section under SDO or draw up other proposals to expedite the implementation of DMW projects in the Southern District; and Southern District had a lot of single tenement buildings and OCs, involving many cases of building management and the cases were complicated. Although the staff of SDO had made every effort to provide assistance, the

(ii)

support from HAD was not adequate. He suggested that additional manpower be allocated to provide more assistance and support. 13. Ms CHEUNG Sik-yung, MH reflected that there was insufficient manpower in SDO to handle the building management issues, in particular, owing to the large number of single tenement buildings or old tenements in the Southern District. A lot of difficulties emerged in building management, such as no place for convening a meeting and unable to seek immediate legal advice. In case the owners wished to seek free legal advice service, they needed to wait for about three to four weeks. Hence, she requested that HAD should increase the manpower for handling building management. On the other hand, for those buildings with OCs, the arrangement on appointing a representative via the instrument of proxy (the proxy) had given rise to a lot of problems. She hoped that HAD could address the situation properly. 14.

Mr AU Nok-hin raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

Under the current Building Management Ordinance (Cap. 344) (the Ordinance), the arrangement for the proxy was still not working well. For instance, no specified provision had been laid down in the current Ordinance

(ii)

(iii)

to govern the collection of a proxy in exchange for certain advantages; He reflected that the proxy could be easily forged. He thus proposed that HAD should introduce security features with reference to the ballot papers used in an election or impose regulatory control by means of legislation, in order to avoid counterfeit proxy and prevent OCs from using bogus ballot paper; and Some of the prevailing DMC provisions had caused great difficulty for the owners to replace and terminate the appointment of DMC managers. He thus urged HAD to revise the relevant provisions in the Ordinance accordingly. 7

15.

Mr CHU Lap-wai raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

At the last meeting of the Working Group on District Minor Works Projects (the Working Group), it was reported that for the DMW projects with HAD as the lead department, 44 of them had obtained funding approval while 37 projects had been endorsed in principle; meanwhile, for the DMW projects with LCSD as the lead department, 24 of which had secured funding and five others had been endorsed in principle. All these added up to a total of 110 DMW projects;

(ii)

In view of the large number of DMW projects, the Working Group had strived to reduce the waiting time to take forward the projects, for example, the 20 items on addition of rain shelters had been combined into one project, or else there would be a total of 130 outstanding DMW projects. He said that Southern District was relatively large and had extensive geographic coverage compared with other districts. The number of DMW projects had been on the rise. As a matter of fact, application for the said project on addition of rain shelters had been arranged since the intermediate stage of the last term SDC, but the project was not yet completed to date. The problem of serious

(iii)

shortage of resources was already reflected to HAD last year and additional resources had been provided by the department accordingly. However, the existing resources were still not sufficient to meet the needs. He hoped that Southern District could be allocated more resources so as to increase its manpower and hiring of contractors, and in turn speeding up the progress of DMW projects; and He reflected that some of the DMW projects endorsed in principle were unable to commence for various reasons, such as not being undertaken by the relevant government departments, the project cost had exceeded the realm of a DMW project. Examples of such projects included the works on provision of footpath and slope maintenance on Island Road. To this end, he suggested that the functions of District Officer (DO) should be strengthened in order to step up the progress of DMW projects.

16.

Mrs CHAN LEE Pui-ying raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i) (ii)

She commended staff of HAD and SDO for their work efficiency; and In her opinion, the inadequacy of manpower and resources was the cause of the undesirable progress in DMW projects.

8

17.

Mr TSUI Yuen-wa raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

The power and function of DOs was too weak and could not fully fulfill their role in coordinating and steering district affairs. If district issues were not handled effectively, problems would accumulate and the district would end up not able to meet the target of “addressing district issues at the local level”; Under the prevailing system, DOs could not fully discharge their function of coordinating and steering district management. Although additional resources had been allocated, it would not help take forward the DMW

(ii)

(iii)

projects. Therefore, he urged HAD to review the current system and allow DOs to fully discharge their coordinating function. Otherwise, the district governance and administration would be retarded and become a mess; and In early years, DOs possessed greater power in district affairs. Nowadays their power had been weakened. He opined that even if it was not possible to strengthen the existing power of DOs under the current regime, DOs should be allowed to fully discharge their function in coordinating and steering the district management.

18.

Mr AU Lap-sing, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

As HAD proposed upon review of the Ordinance, the quorum of the meeting for passing a resolution for large-scale maintenance projects should be raised from 10% to 20% of the total number of owners. He asked HAD whether the said amendment i.e. the quorum of the general meeting was required to be 20% should also apply, when a resolution had to be adopted for projects not classified as a large-scale maintenance project; and Regarding the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme launched by the Government, so far no legislation had been put in place to govern the quality

(ii)

of contractors. He held that there was not enough protection for the owners’ rights. 19.

Dr MAK TSE How-ling, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

While each district had its own special features and localised needs, all districts were required to follow a unified policy stipulated by HAD in addressing the local issues. Moreover, the policy objective might not be readily changed from time to time. It was difficult for individual districts to make adjustment in the context of their local needs, and hence to a certain 9

(ii)

extent constraining implementation of their district-based initiatives, as reflected in the slow progress of the DMW projects in the Southern District. In this connection, she hoped that the Government could allow flexibility under the established policy for each of the districts to take forward its own district development according to its special features and localised needs; and Given the broad geographic coverage of Southern District, a large number of DMW projects were still pending implementation. With limited resources, however, a lengthy lead time was often expected for completing the projects. Besides, in determining the priority for each project, the lack of stipulated criteria had always resulted in disputes. In conclusion, despite the considerable assistance rendered by SDO officers, the local affairs being implemented in the district were still subject to the constraints arising from the established policy.

20.

Ms LAM Yuk-chun, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

She used to put forward a DMW proposal on addition of rain shelter four years ago. Owing to manpower shortage, the project had not been completed

(ii)

for the time being. In view that Southern District had a broad geographic area and its District Councillors were attentive to local concerns, the need for carrying out DMW projects was very demanding. She urged HAD to deploy additional resources to expedite the procedures of DMW projects in the Southern District; and Noting that an eight-storey building would be built as the Wong Chuk Hang Community Complex, while Southern District had tight supply of land and was in lack of a formal performance venue, she asked HAD about the feasibility of constructing the Complex with an addition of two to three more storeys in order to optimise the land use; she also requested that the Complex should be furnished with a standard performance venue accommodating at least 500 seats for the promotion of arts and cultural activities in the district.

21. The Chairman invited Miss Janice TSE, JP to give a response to Members’ comments and enquiries.

10

22.

Miss Janice TSE, JP gave a consolidated response as follows: Building Management (i)

HAD noted that there was expectation from various DCs and the public to increase the department’s manpower for handling building management issues. She said that in 2012-13, there were 120 Liaison Officers (LOs) engaged in building management duties in various districts. As at 2016-17, the number of LOs employed had risen to 128;

(ii)

The types of buildings in Hong Kong had been changing over the years from Chinese tenements of earlier times to high-rise buildings. The then Multi-storey Buildings (Owners Incorporation) Ordinance (Cap. 344) had also been retitled as the current Ordinance in order to vary with changes over time. Nowadays, the buildings in Hong Kong covered a wide range of premises, such as large housing estates comprising thousands of households, single tenement buildings with a few dozen households and “three-nil” buildings (i.e. buildings which did not have an OC, any form of owners’ / residents’ oganisations or engage any property management companies). Since the types of buildings in various districts were different from one another, the building management aspects that required attention were not the same as well. In order to assist owners in managing their buildings effectively, HAD had proactively launched a variety of measures and initiatives, including Building Management Professional Advisory Service Scheme (BMPASS) which provided one-stop advisory and support services for the “three-nil” buildings. The BMPASS Phase 2 had provided one-stop professional advisory service to 1 200 buildings. HAD was going to implement the BMPASS Phase 3 with the aim of providing professional advisory service to around 1 400 eligible buildings. Upon completion of the BMPASS Phase 2, some of the buildings with OCs had not yet completed their tender for maintenance. HAD would try to explore the possibility of providing advisory service for these buildings;

(iii)

On the appointment of DMC managers, HAD already noted that some of the old tenements were subject to the restriction of their DMC 11

provisions, so the Ordinance was not applicable to these buildings. As a result, the appointment of the DMC managers in these buildings could not be terminated. Since land lease was involved, the Lands Department (LandsD) had made amendment to its DMC Guidelines in this regard. In tandem, during HAD’s review of the Ordinance, a consultation on whether to continue the appointment of DMC manager after the formation of OC was conducted. There were views that the appointment of DMC managers was no longer necessary upon formation of OCs while some other views believed that if the DMC managers had good performance, the appointment could be continued after formation of OCs. In this connection, HAD proposed that an OC should be given discretion to choose whether to retain the appointment of DMC manager five years after its formation; (iv)

Under the DMC Guidelines issued by LandsD, ceilings had been set on the remuneration rates of DMC managers;

(v)

As regards non-compliant proxy, the department had proposed that the management committee (MC) should be required to display a list of flats with proxy instruments lodged in a prominent place of its building at least 24 hours before the meeting. HAD would also submit a further proposal to the Panel on Home Affairs of LegCo on 27 March 2017 for making amendment to the Ordinance, inter alia, tightening the proxy arrangements with a package of measures. Further information would be provided to Members via the SDC Secretariat in due course;

(vi)

HAD needed to consider the operation of the buildings and OCs in formulating the control measures. Imposing overly stringent control and heavy penalty would make the operation of OCs more complicated. Besides, for those single tenement buildings without hiring property management companies, their OC members had volunteered taking up the duties of building management. It could be envisaged that no owner would be willing to work for the OCs again.

(vii)

HAD was now studying effective measures to address the problems arising from the handover of MCs and the property management companies’ refusal to submit financial statements. 12

When the

licensing system governing property management companies was officially launched, it was possible for Property Management Services Authority to cancel the license of a property management company which had contravened the requirements under the Property Management Services Ordinance (Cap. 626) and the related code of conduct, so as to safeguard the OCs and raise the overall service level of property management companies; DMW Projects (viii) DMW projects needed to undergo district consultation, tender procedures, etc. before proceeding to implementation. Due to the lead time required for the procedures, it took some time for a DMW project to proceed from the application all the way to implementation stages. HAD would make efforts to consider streamlining the above processes and working out other viable measures so as to expedite the progress of DMW projects. For instance, the appointment of term consultants had been arranged by HAD in order to save the time of employing term consultants by the respective districts; (ix)

On the performance and fee of term consultants, apart from the term consultants appointed by HAD, some were employed by Architectural Services Department. On the other hand, qualified term consultants for minor works were limited in the market and there was a certain degree of difficulty for HAD to find suitable term consultants. Nonetheless, HAD would make every effort to monitor the performance of term consultants on the progress of DMW projects with a view to minimising the impact on the project cost;

(x)

HAD noted Members’ views on the design of the website of DMW Programme. We would review the concerned design, for example, considering to add/improve the linkage of the website of DMW Programme with that of DCs and HAD;

Manpower Plan (xi)

Currently, there were more than 4 000 staff members in HAD. Half of them were civil servants while the other half consisted of contract 13

staff and part-time employees. There was not enough manpower; in particular, the number of district activities had been increasing over the recent years but the growth of new posts was limited. HAD would continue to seek additional resources proactively in an effort to address the inadequacy of manpower. DHA also thanked all colleagues for their unswerving commitments; Wong Chuk Hang Community Complex (xii)

The Government is actively investigating the feasibility of constructing the Wong Chuk Hang Community Complex. Situated next to a public transport interchange, the Complex was at a very favourable location. Relevant Government departments would continue to study the feasibility of including various facilities in the Complex having regard to the building height restriction, so that the development potential of the site can be maximised; and

Functions of DOs (xiii) There had not been any changes to the power of the DOs, except that they had to deal with local issues of greater complexity than before. To this end, District Management Committee chaired by DO had been set up in each district. Representatives of government departments dealing with livelihood affairs would also attend the meetings so as to help manage the facilities in the district and address the local issues more effectively. That said, some of the district issues, such as the traffic and environmental hygiene needs of various districts might not be in line with the relevant policies of the Government. HAD would reflect the local needs and views of the respective districts to the departments concerned as far as possible. Furthermore, to satisfy the different needs of various districts, additional resources had been allocated to the districts through the DAS and SPS launched in recent years. (Mr FUNG Se-goun joined the meeting at 3:26 p.m.) 23.

The Chairman invited Members for comments or enquiries.

14

24.

Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He appreciated the Energizing Kowloon East initiatives implemented in recent years which deserved the credit for effectively promoting the district affairs in such areas as Kwun Tong and Kowloon Bay. These initiatives had yielded promising results for the Development Bureau (DEVB) upon setting up of the Energizing Kowloon East Office, a contributive move to facilitate direct execution of the bureau’s work under the framework. To address the district affairs, the above initiatives could serve as a reference for the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) in terms of its functional framework. He hoped HAB and HAD could work closely together, and allow the DOs to play their roles in the district to the fullest extent so that the DOs could discuss the local affairs direct with the relevant government departments and address the local issues more effectively, with a view to promoting the district development; and

(ii)

In view of the fact that the design of Kai Tak Cruise Terminal had high aesthetic quality, he opined that DMW projects should make reference to this terminal in future. Additional resources should be deployed to inject more design elements in the projects so as to enhance their aesthetic values.

25.

Mr TSUI Yuen-wa raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He considered that DHA had been telling lie by saying that the power of DOs had remained unchanged. He pointed out that the power of the former DOs was greater before Hong Kong’s reunification than it was after the handover. Therefore, the DOs in those days were more effective in promoting policies. He criticised that as the power of incumbent DOs had been weakened, and limited power was devolved to DOs under the relevant policy, the District Offices had nothing to do but to convey the districts’ aspirations to the

(ii)

relevant government departments only, without solving the problems; and He expressed discontent and disappointment at the HAD’s intention to shift the responsibility of constructing recreation and sports (R&S) facilities in the Wong Chuk Hang Community Complex onto LCSD. He pointed out that apart from the construction of R&S facilities undertaken by LCSD, SDO was also responsible for the provision of some R&S facilities such as ball courts. In parallel, SDC had also participated in monitoring the facility management work of LCSD and SDO. Besides, the construction of the Wong Chuk Hang Community Complex was led by SDO and supported by LCSD. He considered that there was definitely enough space for adding R&S facilities in 15

the Complex. 26.

Mr CHAI Man-hon raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He suggested that HAD should make reference to the practice of the Housing Department and LCSD, whereby report on the performances of term consultants was made on a regular basis, enabling SDC and its Members to evaluate the performance of the consultants; There was obviously shortage of manpower in the Southern District. As a

(ii)

result, DMW projects had been making very slow progress. He gave the example of the construction of rain shelters in the Southern District and commented that its progress might even lag behind certain major infrastructural projects (such as the Kai Tak Sports Park project). He urged HAD to allocate additional resources to the Southern District for the

(iii)

deployment of additional manpower so as to expedite the construction progress of DMW projects in the district; and He suggested that strict compliance with the established specifications was not necessary in the construction of the community hall in the Wong Chuk Hang Community Complex; otherwise, it would have no character and could not satisfy the district needs, for instance, a performance venue with sufficient seats should be provided inside the hall. He also hoped that sufficient space could be reserved for the provision of a parking area.

27.

Mr AU Nok-hin raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He pointed out that the slow progress in the Southern District’s DMW projects had stemmed from inadequacy of resources. As such, HAD was urged to allocate additional resources proactively so as to expedite the construction

(ii)

progress; and He urged HAD to enhance the transparency in DMW works-related information, and suggested that additional details on the projects (such as design drawings and construction costs) could be disclosed via the website on DMW Programme, in order to enhance the transparency of projects and facilitate exchange of information on DMW projects across various districts.

28.

Ms YAM Pauline raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

While having a population of only about 20 000, Aberdeen was a business 16

centre with a variety of commercial activities, accounting for the largest number of commercial outlets and 70% of government-managed market stalls in the Southern District. With a daily people flow of more than 100 000, many issues (such as hygiene and traffic related problems) had emerged. As the District Councillor of the Aberdeen constituency, she had endeavoured to address local issues. Despite that SDO staff members were proactive to offer assistance she considered that the Government’s support was far from adequate. Thus, she had always come across difficulties in her attempt to address the issues; and (ii)

Given that a new Community Complex would be built in Wong Chuk Hang, she asked whether this would imply the intensive commercial activities of the Southern District would shift focus to Wong Chuk Hang thereby; if so, she would like to know the future role of Aberdeen in the development of the Southern District, and whether the Government had put in place any appropriate measures commensurate with such changes; if not, she asked whether HAD could allocate additional resources to tackle the local problems of Aberdeen.

29. The Chairman invited Miss Janice TSE, JP to respond to Members’ comments and enquiries. 30.

Miss TSE Siu-wa, JP gave a consolidated response as follows: Support for Local Affairs (i)

she noted Members’ comments on the HAD’s support for local affairs. HAD and SDO would strive to provide the necessary support in addressing various local issues, and would consult and coordinate with the government departments concerned accordingly.

DMW Projects (ii)

HAD noted Members’ views on DMW projects and would proactively study all possible measures in response to Members’ aspirations. In fact, the department had been collecting opinions on term consultants through District Offices and the DC Secretariats of the various districts;

17

(iii)

HAD and all District Offices had been dedicated to promoting DMW projects in the districts. In the past eight years, over 5 790 projects had been implemented and many of them had been completed. HAD would make the best endeavors to address the inadequacy of resources in order to expedite the progress of DMW projects. DHA also thanked all officers for their contribution and dedication;

Functions of DOs (iv)

Referring back to the remark that there had not been any changes to the power of DOs since the return of sovereignty, DHA would like to clarify that during the times before the then Urban Council and Regional Council were disbanded, district municipal facilities were generally managed by these two bodies, whereas at present the District Facilities Management Committee handles the related tasks. Therefore, she reiterated that DOs played important roles in district administration nowadays; and

Wong Chuk Hang Community Complex (v)

she was pleased to note that relevant Government departments would continue to study the feasibility of including various facilities in the Complex for the sake of residents’ convenience and to maximise the development potential of the site.

31. The Chairman thanked Miss Janice TSE, JP for attending the meeting and exchanging views with Members. He hoped that HAD would follow up Members’ views proactively after the meeting. 32. Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN said that since some of the questions raised in this meeting had not yet been answered, he hoped that HAD would provide a supplementary reply to Members’ enquiries in writing after the meeting. 33. The Chairman responded that HAD would forward its supplementary reply to the SDC Secretariat after the meeting. He also announced a five-minute break. (Post-meeting note: Supplementary information provided by HAD after the meeting was given at Annex 1.) 18

(Miss Janice TSE, JP left the meeting at 4:01 p.m.)

Agenda Item 2:

34.

Confirmation of the draft minutes of the 8th SDC meeting held on 19 January 2017 [4:07 p.m. - 4:08 p.m.]

The Chairman said that prior to the meeting, the draft minutes of the 8th SDC

meeting had been circulated to Members for comments. received any amendment proposals so far.

The Secretariat had not

35.

The Chairman asked Members to confirm the minutes of the 8th SDC meeting.

36.

SDC confirmed the minutes of its 8th meeting.

Agenda Item 3:

Matters Arising (SDC Paper No. 21/2017) [4:08 p.m.]

37.

The Chairman asked Members to note the contents of the paper.

38.

Members noted the contents of the paper.

(Mr FUNG Ying-lun, Miss LAU Po-yee and Ms CHAN Hau-yin joined the meeting at 4:08 p.m.)

Agenda Item 4:

Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030 (SDC Paper No. 22/2017) [4:08 p.m. – 5:38 p.m.]

39. The Chairman welcomed the following representatives of the relevant government departments to the meeting; (i)

Mr Allen FUNG, Political Assistant to Secretary for Development; 19

(ii) (iii)

Miss Winnie LAU, Chief Town Planner / Strategic Planning, Planning Department (PlanD); and Ms Margaret CHAN, Senior Town Planner / Strategic Planning 5, PlanD.

40. The Chairman said that this agenda item was raised by DEVB and PlanD. He suggested letting the representatives of DEVB and PlanD briefly introduce the content of the paper first, to be followed by Members’ discussion. The estimated discussion time for this agenda item was one hour 15 minutes. Members were asked to speak as succinctly as possible. The Chairman asked if Members agreed with the aforesaid arrangement. 41.

Members had no objection.

42.

The Chairman invited the representatives of DEVB and PlanD to brief

Members on the content of the paper. 43. Mr Allen FUNG said that in the past decade, Hong Kong was facing huge challenges and opportunities both externally and internally. Externally, Hong Kong was facing fierce global and regional competition. In addition, the completion of a number of regional transport infrastructure in the coming years would bring about opportunities and challenges. Internally, the rapidly ageing building stock and population, as well as the public’s aspiration for a quality living environment had resulted in strong demand for land to accommodate housing, economic activities and community facilities. As such, the Government undertook a study entitled “Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030” (Hong Kong 2030+) in early 2015. Building upon the foundation of “Hong Kong 2030: Planning Vision and Strategy” (Hong Kong 2030) completed and promulgated in 2007, Hong Kong 2030+ aimed to provide an update to Hong Kong 2030 taking into account the latest circumstances, and to guide for the overall spatial planning, land and infrastructure development, as well as the shaping of the built and natural environment for Hong Kong beyond 2030. Through the efforts of the DEVB and PlanD, along with relevant Government departments, proposals for long term development had been put forth. A six-month public engagement had launched in end October 2016. 44. With the aid of PowerPoint presentation (PowerPoint 2), Ms Margaret CHAN briefed Members on the vision, planning goal and the three building blocks of Hong Kong 2030+ as well as the institutional setup for taking forward Hong Kong 2030+.

20

45.

The Chairman invited Members to raise comments and enquiries.

46.

Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He was dissatisfied that Hong Kong 2030+ had not put forward any planning proposals relating to the Southern District. With enormous potential, the Southern District could provide job opportunities and capacity for housing, open spaces and commercial activities, thus matching the planning objectives of Hong Kong 2030+. He thus requested DEVB not to neglect the economic benefits that could be brought about by the Southern District, such as by considering the economic benefits of Aberdeen waterfront, Aberdeen town centre, Wong Chuk Hang, Ap Lei Chau, etc. As such, a similar planning study for the Southern District and consult SDC on the future development planning of the Southern District should be undertaken; and

(ii)

He requested DEVB to make reference to the Energizing Kowloon East Office, and the Sustainable Lantau Office that was currently being set up, and set up a similar office in the Southern District so as to coordinate the various departments’ efforts in promoting the development of the Southern District more effectively. He contended that DEVB representatives would surely discover the potential and advantages of the Southern District if they could visit places such as Ap Lei Chau waterfront, Wong Chuk Hang and Aberdeen town centre in person.

47.

Mr CHAI Man-hon raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He was dissatisfied that Hong Kong 2030+ had not put forward any planning proposal relating to the Southern District. In recent years, one could witness continuous development in the Southern District. For instance, Wong Chuk

(ii)

Hang had been gradually transformed from the previous industrial area to a flourishing commercial area, similar to that of Kowloon Bay. Moreover, with the commissioning of South Island Line (East) (SIL(E)), Wong Chuk Hang would rapidly develop into an important commercial area of Hong Kong in the coming years. He thus requested DEVB not to neglect the potential of the Southern District, and it should also conduct a planning study for the Southern District; It was suggested in Hong Kong 2030+ that a number of large-scale development projects be carried out in the western part of Hong Kong with a view to developing that part into an important commercial centre. As the 21

(iii)

(iv)

Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge was about to be commissioned, he opined that it was of great urgency to strengthen the transport network between the western part of Hong Kong and the Southern District. For example, new railway lines and highways should be provided. He stressed that the South Island Line (West) (SIL(W)) Scheme should commence as soon as possible. If the SIL(W) failed to be completed by 2030, the future development of the Southern District would be slowed down; In view of the future development of Pok Fu Lam South, he urged DEVB to review the traffic and transport facilities around Pok Fu Lam, including reviewing the need for constructing new roads linking to other areas, so as to provide sufficient ancillary facilities; He suggested making attempt and exploration in different aspects when studying district planning strategies, including providing more public spaces, adding the elements of environmental protection and road design, considering different combinations of district public transport, etc.. He also suggested carrying out a trial run in the Southern District. For example, when planning for the future development of Pok Fu Lam South, consideration could be given to providing more public spaces;

(v)

(vi)

He suggested increasing the living space per person to enhance the liveability of Hong Kong. He contended that the Government could start increasing the living space per person in the public rental housing (PRH) to enhance the living environment of the public and add the element of environmental protection and set standards when planning. He pointed out that as a large-scale residential redevelopment project was being planned for the Southern District, a trial run of the aforesaid suggestions could be carried out in the Southern District; and He said that there was still room for improvement in the transport and ancillary facilities of Hong Kong. For example, there was the problem of insufficient pick-up/drop-off or loading/unloading points in a number of districts. He suggested that DEVB should study the provision of effective transport and ancillary facilities whilst studying the planning strategies of Hong Kong.

48.

Mrs CHAN LEE Pui-ying raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

Hong Kong 2030+ was of utmost importance to the future development of Hong Kong. She opined that successful implementation of the three building blocks proposed in the study report hinged on the coordination and support of 22

(ii)

(iii)

several crucial elements, including a resolute government with high popularity, a society in solidarity and strong support from the nation, none of which could be left out; Being an SDC Member, she was particularly concerned about the long-term impact of Hong Kong 2030+ on the economy, transport and livelihood of the Southern District. She believed that DEVB had thorough understanding of the planning of various districts and mapped out the planning vision and strategy accordingly. She added that the commissioning of SIL(E) last year had brought about great changes and economic opportunities to the Southern District, including job opportunities, economic and tourism development, etc.; and There were a number of famous tourist attractions in the Southern District, including the Ocean Park, Aberdeen fishing harbour, beaches, Stanley, Cape D’Aguilar, Shek O town, etc., with great potential in tourism development. She thus requested DEVB not to neglect the tourism development of Southern District when formulating the planning vision and strategy for Hong Kong. If the Government planned to strengthen the tourism sector of the Southern District, it should then consider improving and providing more transport ancillary facilities, such as constructing a railway line between Chai Wan, Shek O and Stanley, widening the existing roads between Wong Chuk Hang and Stanley and constructing a railway line linking these two areas.

49.

Dr MAK TSE How-ling, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

The Government had neglected the planning vision of Hong Kong in the past. It was thus commendable that the Government was forward looking in launching the Hong Kong 2030+. As it was a commonplace to talk of population ageing, it would be beneficial to the Hong Kong public if the

(ii)

(iii)

Government could make early plan on this issue; She was pleased to learn about the proposals in the Hong Kong 2030+ study, but was worried whether the Government had sufficient resources to implement the proposals. She was also worried about any factors that might hinder the implementation progress; and The Wah Fu Redevelopment Project was very important to the development of the Southern District and was closely coupled with the construction of SIL(W). She suggested that Wah Fu Estate should be redeveloped into an area with multi-storey buildings to increase the number of residents and shorten the waiting time for PRH. She urged the relevant departments to expedite the 23

Wah Fu Redevelopment Project. 50. Mr TSUI Yuen-wa said that Hong Kong 2030+ had proposed an overall and long-term planning strategy for Hong Kong, but did not mention the specific planning of Southern District in the decades ahead. He said that SDC had discussed a lot about the development of the Southern District, including the land use of the site vacated by Hong Kong Police College, such as constructing housing, developing into a comprehensive development area (CDA), enlarging the existing commercial area in Wong Chuk Hang, etc. As a number of development projects such as Wah Fu Redevelopment Project, SIL(W) Scheme and development of Pok Fu Lam South, would be launched in the Southern District successively, DEVB should give comprehensive consideration to the needs and development of each area in order to map out a plan for the overall future development of Hong Kong. 51.

Ms YAM Pauline raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

Hong Kong 2030+ did not contain any planning proposals relating to the Southern District. Yet the challenges, opportunities and resources mentioned in Hong Kong 2030+ could be found in the Southern District, such as buildings with different ages, commercial buildings, country parks, etc. The Government should take the initiative to study the future planning and work out strategies for the Southern District. For instance, as the Southern District had a vast area and a population of about 200 000, its residential density was relatively low as compared with other districts. The Government should study the future population and residential density of the Southern District. If it decided to increase the residential density and housing supply in the Southern District, it should then plan for the ancillary facilities, such as constructing a new railway line to tie in with the future development plan of

(ii)

the Southern District; and As Wong Chuk Hang was rapidly developing into a commercial area, she urged the Government to proactively study the future positioning of Aberdeen.

52.

Ms LAM Yuk-chun, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

Hong Kong 2030+ merely mapped out a territory-wide development strategy from a macroscopic perspective without planning strategies that addressed the needs and development of individual districts. For example, Wah Fu (I) Estate was completed in stages between 1967 and 1969, while Wah Fu (II) 24

(ii)

Estate was completed in stages between 1970 and 1971 (with the additional Wah Chui House and Wah King House completed in 1978). While the Government had announced redevelopment of Wah Fu Estate several years ago, Hong Kong 2030+ did not mention any development strategy in light of the redevelopment project. She stressed that SIL(W) should be constructed simultaneously with the redevelopment of Wah Fu Estate to tie in with the population increase in that area; and Built in early 1980s, Ap Lei Chau Estate would reach an age of about 50 years in 2030. But Hong Kong 2030+ did not mention any planning development of Ap Lei Chau. She urged DEVB to map out planning strategies according to the needs and development of each district.

53. Mr AU Nok-hin commented that Hong Kong 2030+ would become “opium” of DCs. He quoted Mr LUI Tai-lok’s comment on Hong Kong 2030+ as saying that Hong Kong 2030+ was like a primary pupil composition titled “My Career Aspiration” in that it merely mentioned the planning vision for Hong Kong, but avoided discussing many issues and had no specific plan to achieve the vision and objectives. He continued to quote the following comments on Hong Kong 2030+ made by Mr LUI Tai-lok: (i)

(ii)

(iii)

Hong Kong 2030+ only vaguely mentioned the policies on industries. For instance, it mentioned the high-technology and knowledge-based industries in the Eastern Knowledge and Technology Corridor, but did not state clearly the aspects involved, the specific plans and objectives, whether to adopt a strategy of national rejuvenation through science and education, whether to develop science and technology industries and whether to build up a technological digital community similar to Cyberport, etc.; When formulating public policies, the Government should in general clearly state the allocation of the dedicated resources. But Hong Kong 2030+ did not mention any information about the allocation of resources and which aspects or industries the policies would be focused on; and Making no mention of regional development, Hong Kong 2030+ had tried to limit the scope of discussion within Hong Kong. Quite a number of reports had already discussed the development of the region around Qianhai and Pearl River Delta, but Hong Kong 2030+ made no mention of any relevant information, and how Hong Kong could complement the regional development. It obviously had tried to avoid discussing the conflicts between the Mainland and Hong Kong. 25

54.

Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He was dissatisfied with the Government’s planning and consultation on the waterfront site of the previous Hong Kong School of Motoring at Lee Nam Road, Ap Lei Chau. The Government decided to construct 1 400 residential units in an area with 100 000 residents and set no limit on the population increase of Ap Lei Chau. He criticised the Government for completely neglecting the long-term planning of the Southern District when proposing

(ii)

(iii)

rezoning of the aforesaid site; The Government had announced the construction of SIL(W) several years ago to tie in with the population increase after the redevelopment of Wah Fu Estate, but it had not mapped out any specific plan yet; In the coming years, a number of large-scale development projects would be launched while some projects would be completed in the Southern District, including the Wong Chuk Hang CDA, Ocean Park Water World, Ocean Park hotel project, etc., which would inevitably add to the traffic pressure of the Southern District. However, Hong Kong 2030+ had not worked out a

(iv)

planning strategy for the aforesaid problem; and He was worried about the future development of the Southern District. For example, Ap Lei Chau Main Street had not only become a tourist attraction, a number of luxury apartments had also been commissioned there, which would bring about great changes to the area. He urged DEVB to work out a comprehensive development and planning strategy with foresight for the Southern District.

55.

Mr FUNG Se-goun raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

The website for Hong Kong 2030+ had rich content, with a lot of information and topical papers; He agreed that DEVB should formulate strategies to resolve the problem of ageing buildings. Citing from the topic paper titled “Baseline Review: Population, Housing, Economy and Spatial Development Pattern”, he pointed out that assuming no demolition from now on, a total of over 300 000 private housing units would be aged 70 years or above by 2046, which was nearly 300 times of the building stock in 2015. However, Hong Kong 2030+ did not propose any solution to the problem of ageing buildings in the Southern

(ii)

District.

Neither did it give a full account of the Wah Fu Estate 26

(iv)

Redevelopment Project; He pointed out that the roads in the Southern District were dilapidated and narrow, resulting in frequent occurrence of traffic accidents. Frequent flow of large coaches between tourist attractions in the district often led to traffic jams. He had reported the situation to the TD, which had not followed up the issue proactively. He requested the Government to map out a long-term plan for the traffic condition of the Southern District in order to resolve the above problems; Tourism is one of the four pillar industries of Hong Kong. SDC had

(v)

discussed tourism development in the Southern District for several times, such as promoting the development of water-borne transport and marine tourist attractions. He urged DEVB to incorporate the above issues into the Hong Kong 2030+; and To improve the environment, Hong Kong 2030+ should propose a strategy for

(iii)

strengthening the public’s environmental awareness. He suggested that DEVB would enhance the method of refuse treatment and the recycling process, especially that of recycling glass containers, by making reference to the practices of other countries. He was disappointed to hear the Government’s announcement earlier on about the revised first registration tax concessions for electric vehicles and pointed out that the revised concessions could not reduce air pollution effectively. 56.

Ms CHAN Judy Kapui raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

She was pleased to learn that the Government had conducted the Hong Kong 2030+ study to explore the planning strategies for Hong Kong transcending 2030, but did not cherish high hopes as regards when the proposals in the report could be implemented;

(ii)

She pointed out that the Government often failed to resolutely implement its policy objectives. She cited the following cases as examples: it took more than four years to complete the DMW of constructing a rain shelter in the Southern District. The efforts of securing the construction of SIL(E) spanned three terms of SDC. The Hong Kong Blueprint for Sustainable Use of Resources 2013 – 2022 published by the Environment Bureau in 2013 stated that sustained efforts would be put in to strengthen waste separation at source. But the Government’s effort in strengthening the scheme had yet to be seen. In contrast, the Singaporean Government would resolutely implement its policy objectives, such as implementing the requirement of 27

(iii) (iv)

providing a duct in each building for conveying disposed food waste to the central treatment centre; Apart from resolutely implementing its policies, she also urged DEVB to listen to the views of DCs and local stakeholders; and She pointed out that with a population of less than 300 000, the Southern District was an ideal place for carrying out trial runs of various policies. The Southern District should thus be incorporated into the study of Hong Kong 2030+.

57.

Ms CHEUNG Sik-yung, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

The macro planning strategies put forth in Hong Kong 2030+ could enable the general public to envisage the future prospects of Hong Kong. However, the planning strategies relating to the Southern District’s future development had

(ii)

not been mentioned; and Members might take the opportunity to raise their comments and enquiries on the current situation and future development of the Southern District during the briefing on Hong Kong 2030+ by DEVB and PlanD at this meeting. She asked the government representatives attending this meeting to note Members’ views and respond to enquiries on Wah Fu Estate redevelopment project and the SIL(W) scheme as well.

58.

Mr CHAN Fu-ming, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He asked whether the proposals in Hong Kong 2030+ had fully covered the current situation and development of various old communities across the territory. As far as the Southern District was concerned, the Government had proposed infill developments, redevelopment of old housing estates as well as

(ii)

construction of SIL(W), etc. in the Southern District. Nevertheless, the Government had failed to provide the construction schedule of SIL(W) so far. It was considered that in prioritising the construction of supporting transport infrastructure and housing development projects, the former should precede the latter; The land-based transport network of the Southern District was characterised by a single trunk road and the absence of service roads. It was highly probable that the traffic would be paralysed in the event of a traffic accident. In this regard, DEVB was urged to include the planning of the Southern District’s land-based transport network into the study on Hong Kong 2030+; 28

(iii)

(v)

DEVB was urged to explore the feasibility of redeveloping Ap Lei Chau Estate in parallel with its study on the Wah Fu Estate redevelopment project; DEVB was asked about the feasibility of connecting various parts of Hong Kong with an island-wide railway; and He commented that the Southern District was facing the acute problems of traffic congestion and illegal parking of vehicles, and that the main cause for the latter was a shortage of parking spaces in the district. In this regard, DEVB was urged to identify solutions proactively, e.g. constructing a multi-storey car park.

59.

The Chairman invited the government representatives to respond.

60.

Mr Allen FUNG gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i)

Hong Kong 2030+ was a high level strategic plan with a view to focusing discussions on how to further enhance the liveability and economic competitiveness of Hong Kong as well as creating capacity for sustainable growth through territory-wide disposition of land uses and infrastructure.

(iv)

(ii)

(iii)

However, Hong Kong 2030+ did not omit the consideration of the relatively specific regional planning, but was not able to set out in detail the development and planning of individual districts in the strategic plan. Regarding details of individual development projects and planned works, DEVB would consult relevant stakeholders in accordance with the established procedures; All along, the Government was very concerned about the latest development of the Wah Fu Estate redevelopment project and SIL(W) scheme. Regarding the provision of supporting transport infrastructure preceding housing development projects, DEVB had been closely following up on the SIL(W) scheme by maintaining a close liaison with the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB); and The population of Hong Kong had increased from over three million to the current over seven million, and the development of new towns was definitely crucial to the territory’s overall planning and development. Since the 70s, the Government had developed new towns such as Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Tai Po, Fanling and Sheung Shui successively, with further development of new towns such as Tseung Kwan O, Tin Shui Wai and Tung Chung between the 90s and 2000. Subsequently, as there had been no new strategic growth areas, the pace of development had slowed down. 29

In this connection, Hong

Kong 2030+ primarily aimed to pursue the development of two proposed strategic growth areas (i.e. the East Lantau Metropolis and New Territories North) and the development of the planned developments, such as developments in the North East New Territories, Hung Shui Kiu, Yuen Long South and Kam Tin South, with a view to increasing development capacity. He added that at present, economic development, living environment and supply of PRH were hampered by capacity constraints. DEVB wished that Hong Kong 2030+ could address the above capacity constraint problem, enabling the sustainable development of Hong Kong. Regarding district-based planning, DEVB and PlanD would consult DC in accordance with the established mechanism. 61.

Miss Winnie LAU gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i)

Hong Kong 2030+ was a strategic high-level territorial plan. It covered a wide range of issues, including strategic directions pertaining to the environment, climate change, transport, land uses, etc. As such, the development of various districts had not yet been set out;

(ii)

As for the development and planning of the Southern District, the positioning of Wong Chuk Hang as an “emerging office and business node” had already been stated under the heading of “Metropolitan Business Core” in page numbers 64 and 65 of the Hong Kong 2030+ public engagement (PE) booklet. PlanD had all along been concerned about the supply of and demand for office and business floor space in the territory, and had already considered earlier on the development potential of Wong Chuk Hang as a secondary business node upon the commissioning of the SIL(E). As a matter of fact, the Government had been promoting the transformation of Wong Chuk Hang through sale commercial land in recent years;

(iii)

The elements of the territorial development strategy as put forth in Hong Kong 2030+ bore close relevance to various districts. For instance, the problem of ageing building stock and population covered in Building Block 1 also concerned the Southern District; As for the implementation of specific proposals, it was proposed that for instance, the provision of suitable elderly-friendly facilities would be devised based on the population size. Upon achieving public consensus after completion of the PE exercise on Hong Kong 2030+, the process of modifying the relevant planning standards under the Hong Kong Planning Standards and

(iv)

Guidelines would be initiated ; 30

(v)

(vi)

A number of key policy areas were involved in the strategic directions and relevant key actions as proposed in Hong Kong 2030+. To ensure timely implementation of the Hong Kong 2030+ proposals, the Government had proposed to set up a high-level steering structure within the Government after the anticipated completion of the Hong Kong 2030+ study in 2018, as the institutional setup for coordinating, prioritising and monitoring various relevant initiatives undertaken by various bureaux and departments based on the overall strategic framework of Hong Kong 2030+. ; It was stated in the 2017 Policy Address that THB would carry out the strategic study on railways and major roads beyond 2030, based on the development strategy of the Hong Kong 2030+, so that the planning of major transport infrastructure could support the long-term land use strategy of Hong Kong. As SIL(W) had already been designated a priority project under the “Railway Development Strategy 2014” (RDS 2014), in conducting the study

(vii)

(viii)

(ix)

(x)

on Hong Kong 2030+, it had already assumed that the related works would be implemented accordingly. Thus, SIL(W) had not been elaborated in detail in the PE document; Having considered the existing, planned and committed developments as the baseline, Hong Kong 2030+ had further drawn up proposals to meet the long term needs of the population, economic and social development etc.. For instance, the housing demand and supply analysis in Hong Kong 2030+ had already taken the planned residential developments in Wong Chuk Hang into account; The Southern District possessed an abundance of blue and green natural assets, bearing close relevance to the initiative of leveraging blue and green natural assets as stated in Hong Kong 2030+. The territory’s blue-green natural assets had been consolidated under Hong Kong 2030+, including water bodies, beaches and country parks, with a view to leveraging these assets for providing amenity as well as recreation spaces for public enjoyment, fostering the development of eco-tourism, etc.; Hong Kong 2030+ had projected the land requirement to meet long-term housing needs based on the assumed flat size of 50 m2 and 75 m2 Gross Internal Floor Area for new public and private housing units respectively. Despite that Hong Kong 2030+ had not set a quantitative standard for living space per person, it was hoped that enhancing capacity would provide the condition for increasing the flat size; In the aspect of the economic situation, the Government was aware that in recent years, the vacancy rate of economic land, including Grade A office 31

space, storage and industrial buildings, had reached a very low level. This low vacancy rate was not conducive to maintaining Hong Kong’s competitiveness. In planning for a new economic node, the availability of relevant supporting infrastructure and locational advantage would be taken into account. She illustrated with the following examples: the “Western Economic Corridor” in the Conceptual Spatial Framework had already considered the strategic transport infrastructure facilities and strategic development projects in the region, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and topside development at the Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities Island. It was considered that the region concerned was suitable for the development of high value added economic activities, and those that could grasp the economic opportunities brought by the regional transport infrastructure. The “Northern Economic Belt” comprised six existing boundary crossings and the Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point under construction. It was considered that the region concerned was suitable for storage, modern logistics, emerging industries, and special industrial uses. Hong Kong 2030+ had considered the fast-paced development of Hong Kong as a whole, and it was projected that there would

(xi)

be a shortage of central business district office floor space. In this regard, it was proposed to create the third Central Business District in the East Lantau Metropolis; and On the environmental protection front, Hong Kong 2030+ had proposed to adopt a smart, green and resilient city strategy, for instance exploring the installation of district cooling system in new development areas, enhancing the system of reusing sewage effluent, the addition of aesthetically pleasing flood control facilities that also possessed recreational functions (such as artificial lakes), etc.

(Mr FUNG Se-goun left the meeting at 5:19 p.m.) 62. The Chairman asked Members to raise comments or enquiries in their second round of speaking. 63.

Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He was aware that the Hong Kong 2030 released in 2007 had not been realised in the absence of a high-level steering structure within the Government, whilst it was now proposed to set up a high-level steering 32

(ii)

structure within the Government as the institutional setup for coordinating, prioritising and monitoring various relevant initiatives undertaken by various bureaux and departments based on the overall strategic framework of Hong Kong 2030+; and Regarding DEVB’s comment on conducting consultation with relevant stakeholders on details of individual development projects and planned works in accordance with the established procedures, he pointed out that after PlanD had released the Preliminary Report on the Focus Study on Aberdeen Harbour in 2001, despite that at that time, the Government had implemented proposals of the above report in accordance with the established procedures, and the plan ultimately fell through. He stressed that the Southern District had enormous potential for development and competitive edge, which was conducive to creating jobs and opening up opportunities for business operations. In this regard, the Government was urged to explore the Southern District’s development potential proactively and set up the “Energising Southern District Office” as an institutional setup for direct execution of the related initiatives under the bureau concerned by modelling upon the “Energizing East Kowloon Office”. If the Government still adhered to the established procedures in its study on the development and planning of the Southern District, its future development would become stagnant.

64.

Mr AU Nok-hin raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

His comment of “opium” raised just then meant to point out that the DEVB and PlanD representatives had attended this meeting for the purpose of completing the entire consultation procedures for Hong Kong 2030+ only, failing to deliberate matters directly relating to the planning of the Southern

(ii)

District at this meeting; and Hong Kong 2030+ should not just confine the development of the Southern District to “blue and green natural assets” as well as scenic spots such as country parks and beaches. As a matter of fact, SDC had, from time to time, given valuable views on and deliberated the Southern District’s development, including improvement to transport facilities in the Bays Area, addition of water sports facilities and development of water-borne transport. If the Government failed to clearly outline the future development directions for the Southern District and to consider the above proposals, Members could hardly put forward concrete options. 33

65.

Mr TSUI Yuen-wa raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

Given that Wong Chuk Hang had gradually transformed into a business area already, the Government should not regard its development as a visionary goal for inclusion in the Southern District’s macro planning over the next two to three decades; and Despite that a wide range of issues were involved in the macro planning, so far as individual districts were concerned, the development of districts outside

(ii)

the core development area should also be taken into account. Citing Wong Chuk Hang as an example, he said that consideration should be given to the rezoning of Hong Kong Police College site nearby as well as the redevelopment of Aberdeen Sports Ground or even in such areas as Aberdeen and Wah Fu Estate. Should the Government consider that the above proposed developments were district-based in nature, there was no need to consult SDC on Hong Kong 2030+. As such, he urged the Government to review its consultation mode with the objective to gauge Members’ views under the established framework; otherwise, it would yield unsatisfactory results. On the contrary, district development should start from the district level. The Government should recognise the need to respect local views and get a good grasp of the latest development of various districts. A comprehensive proposal on the territory’s future development should be drawn up only after the formulation of specific planning strategies for the future development of respective districts. 66. Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH said that different information sources revealed that the construction of SIL(W) was still pending. As such, DEVB was asked about the latest development of SIL(W) and whether it would be constructed as scheduled. 67.

The Chairman invited the government representatives to respond.

68.

Mr Allen FUNG gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i)

DEVB would be very delighted to hear views on Hong Kong 2030+ from different community stakeholders. Despite that the overall planning of Hong Kong 2030+ from a macro perspective might bore no direct relevance to the development of various districts (including the Southern District), DEVB had pursued planning initiatives of different scales for some older districts; 34

(ii)

(iii)

DEVB welcomed Members’ proposals if they considered that individual development projects in the Southern District were conducive to formulating Hong Kong’s overall planning. As for the proposal to establish the “Energizing Southern District Office”, this proposal could only be realised subject to availability of sufficient resources. He supplemented that the “Energizing East Kowloon Office” had yielded promising results since its establishment over five years ago. DEVB had proposed to set up the “Sustainable Lantau Office” with the objective to coordinate interdepartmental efforts, in a bid to facilitate the implementation of various development projects. As to whether a similar office would be set up for the Southern District, it would depend on the allocation of resources upon formation of the next Special Administration Region Government; and Regarding the latest development of SIL(W), DEVB was aware that the above project had been designated a priority project under RDS 2014, and it had been assumed that SIL(W) would be constructed in the Hong Kong 2030+ study. Concrete details of the development of SIL(W) would be pending THB’s announcement.

69.

Miss Winnie LAU gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i)

As Figure 26 in page 52 of the Hong Kong 2030+ PE booklet had already indicated that SIL(W) was a railway scheme recommended in RDS 2014, PlanD had made the assumption that SIL(W) would be constructed in the Hong Kong 2030+ study; and Regarding the Hong Kong 2030+ PE exercise, DEVB/PlanD had held over 160 briefings, collecting different stakeholders’ views on Hong Kong 2030+, including all DCs.

(ii)

70.

In closing, the Chairman concluded as follows:

(i)

In general, Members considered that in formulating territory-wide planning strategies, consultation should not be conducted under a preset framework. Instead, DEVB should regard SDC as a partner, and adopt a bottom-up approach in collecting views from SDC and the community. Detailed deliberation should be withheld until taking the situations of various districts into account; and lastly, the overall planning for the territory from a macro perspective should be drawn up accordingly. Otherwise, its efforts would be of no avail; 35

(ii)

(iii)

Following its adoption of 470 000 units as the new public and private housing total supply target for the coming 10 years as announced in the 2014 Policy Address, the Government had reviewed the land use rezoning and/or an increase in residential development density of about 150 sites. He was worried about the probability of success for the above rezoning exercise, and criticised that substantial controversies had been aroused in society during the consultation process, which was a waste of resources and time-consuming. Moreover, the land involved could only be deployed for the construction of a scanty number of buildings, while certain sites would be designated for the construction of luxury flats. Under this circumstance, the percentage of land devoted for development of public housing would be exceptionally low; The development of relevant supporting transport infrastructure should be accorded priority over new town developments, and the construction of SIL(W) should precede the implementation of the Wah Fu Estate redevelopment project. Information revealed that the Government had already invited MTR Corporation Limited to put forth proposals on four project items under RDS 2014, namely Tuen Mun South Extension, Northern Link and Kwu Tung Station, East Kowloon Line as well as Tung Chung West

(iv)

Extension, demonstrating that the Government wished to give priority to the development of railway network in the New Territories. Therefore, he expressed doubt if the Wah Fu Estate redevelopment project would be conducive to implementing SIL(W); and He thanked the representatives of DEVB and PlanD for attending this meeting and engaging in mutual exchange of ideas with Members. Members might give further views on Hong Kong 2030+ for the Government’s consideration before the closing of the PE exercise by the end of April 2017.

(Mr Allen FUNG, Miss Winnie LAU and Ms Margaret CHAN left the meeting at 5:38 p.m.)

Agenda Item 5:

71.

Application for SDC Funds: 2017 Southern District Tourism and Culture Festival and Other Matters related to the Activities (SDC Paper No. 23/2017) [5:38 p.m. – 5:49 p.m.]

The Chairman requested Members who had declarable interests to raise their

hands and complete a declaration form accordingly. 36

72. The Chairman declared that he was the Honorary President of the 2017 Southern District Tourism and Culture Festival Organising Committee (the OC). 73. Mr CHU Lap-wai declared that he was the Chairman of the Working Group on Closing Ceremony and Tourism Activities under the OC. 74.

Dr MAK TSE How-ling, MH declared that she was Advisor to the OC.

75.

Mrs CHAN LEE Pui-ying declared that she was Advisor to the OC.

76.

Mr TSUI Yuen-wa declared that he was Advisor to the OC.

77.

Mr CHAI Man-hon declared that he was Secretary of the OC.

78.

Ms CHAN Judy Kapui declared that she was Advisor to the OC.

79.

Ms CHEUNG Sik-yung, MH declared that she was Advisor to the OC.

80. Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH declared that he was the Chairman of the Working Group on Overall Publicity, Sponsorship and Administration under the OC. 81. Ms LAM Yuk-chun, MH declared that she was the Chairlady of the Working Group on Opening Ceremony and Arts and Cultural Activities under the OC. 82. OC.

Mr CHAN Fu-ming, MH declared that he was Honorary Vice-President of the

83. Ms LAM Yuk-chun, MH said that the highlight of the 2017 Southern District Tourism and Culture Festival – Opening Ceremony was successfully completed on 25 February 2017, thanks to the support and collaboration of various government departments and organisations including SDO, LCSD, Hong Kong Police Force, TD, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), Auxiliary Medical Service, Civil Aid Service as well as other relevant organisations and individuals. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all departmental officers. 84.

Mr AU Lap-sing, MH declared that he was Advisor to the OC.

37

85. The Chairman invited Mr CHAN Fu-ming, MH, Vice Chairman of the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race Committee to brief Members on the fund application for the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Races 2017. 86. Mr CHAN Fu-ming, MH supplemented his declaration of interests that he was the Vice Chairman of the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race Committee and proceeded to his briefing on the fund application for the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Races 2017 as summarised below: (i) (ii)

the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Races 2017 were scheduled to be held on 30 May 2017 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the seashore off the Aberdeen Promenade; Aberdeen Dragon Boat Races had a very long history in the Southern District. This year, it was planned that a Juvenile Dragon Boat Training Class be held prior to the event in order to attract participation of local residents as well as other visitors and help them understand this historical and traditional sports event. Meanwhile, the dragon boat photography competition and photo exhibition which had been well received by participants over the past years would also be continued;

(iii)

(iv)

the total spending of this event was estimated to be $1,250,000; accordingly, an application was made to seek SDC funding in the amount of $466,000 for this event, with an advance payment of 50% of the approved fund to meet the initial expenses of the activity; and on behalf of the Organiser, he invited SDC to send a team for participation in this year’s dragon boat event.

87. Mrs CHAN LEE Pui-ying supplemented her declaration of interests that she was the Chairlady of the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race Committee. (Details of declaration of interests were given at Annex 2.) 88. The Chairman invited Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH to brief Members on the sponsorship of the 2017 Southern District Tourism and Culture Festival. 89. Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH said that the OC would arrange for various activities to be held between February and October 2017. Apart from the activities mentioned in paragraph 2 of SDC Paper No. 23/2017 which were subsidised by SDC fund and some activities being funded by the organisers themselves, the OC had to seek sponsorship for the remaining activities in order to cover the expenses. Hence, the OC had started 38

soliciting sponsoring since the year end of 2016 and had met with positive response from individuals and organisations. The OC had currently raised over $3 million (including cash and non-cash) from sponsors. Details were given at Annex 2 of SDC Paper No. 23/2017. 90.

The Chairman invited Members to raise comments or enquiries on the subject.

91. Mr LO Kin-hei said that a number of Members were also advisors in the OC. In spite of the fact that Members had no practical involvement in the OC, they could take part in the discussion and resolution of a funding application submitted by the OC. This could easily arouse misunderstanding from the public. He hoped that fellow Members would pay heed to the issue and act carefully if such situation occurred again in the next year’s festival. 92. The Chairman responded that Members could join the OC as advisors on a voluntary basis. Meanwhile, Members were asked to note the above view. (Mr CHAI Man-hon, Mr CHAN Fu-ming, MH, Mrs CHAN LEE Pui-ying, Mr CHU Lap-wai, Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH and Ms LAM Yuk-chun, MH withdrew from the meeting at 5:47 p.m.) 93. The Chairman invited Members to note the details and arrangements provided in paragraphs 3 to 5 of SDC Paper No. 23/2017 and asked Members whether they would endorse the fund allocation of $466,000 at Annex 1 of SDC Paper No. 23/2017 in support of the 2017 Southern District Tourism and Culture Festival organised by the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race Committee, with an advance payment of half of the allocation to meet the initial expenses of the activity; and whether SDC would send a team for participation in said event. 94.

Members raised no objection.

95. In closing, the Chairman concluded that the SDC endorsed the fund allocation of $466,000 at Annex 1 of SDC Paper No. 23/2017 in support of the 2017 Southern District Tourism and Culture Festival organised by the Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race Committee, with an advance payment of half of the allocation to meet the initial expenses of the activity; and endorsed sending a team to participate in the said event. Actual participants had yet to be determined later.

39

(Mr CHAI Man-hon, Mr CHAN Fu-ming, MH, Mrs CHAN LEE Pui-ying, Mr CHU Lap-wai, Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH and Ms LAM Yuk-chun, MH returned to the meeting at 5:49 p.m.)

Agenda Item 7:

Work Progress Report and Proposed Work Plan for 2017-18 on the District-led Actions Scheme of the Southern District (SDC Paper No. 25/2017) [5:49 p.m. – 6:17 p.m.]

96. The Chairman said that a Member had just informed the Secretariat that he/she was feeling unwell and needed to leave earlier. Hence, he suggested proceeding to the discussion of Agenda 7 first. The Chairman asked Members whether they agreed with the arrangement. 97.

Members raised no objection.

98.

The Chairman said that this agenda item was raised by the SDO. He invited

Miss Lilian TSE, Assistant District Officer (Southern), to brief the meeting on the subject agenda. 99.

Miss Lilian TSE briefly presented the contents of the SDC paper.

100. The Chairman asked the departmental representatives in attendance whether they would like to give any further comments. 101.

The departmental representatives in attendance had no further comments.

102.

The Chairman invited Members to raise comments or enquiries on the subject.

103.

Ms YAM Pauline raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

Under Initiative 3 of the DAS of the Southern District, she found that the list of locations selected for focused cleansing had not yet covered some of the locations considered to be the worst case in environmental hygiene in Aberdeen. She pointed out the environmental hygiene condition of Tsung Man Street and Sai On Street, especially, the two fruit and vegetable shops adjacent to Golden Gate Restaurant, was much worse than the locations 40

(ii)

selected under the Initiative. She enquired about the criteria of those selected locations; and She reflected that improvement was shown in the shop front extensions (SFEs) of all Aberdeen shop premises in the recent month, except a vegetable shop under the flyover of Aberdeen Main Road. She observed that staff of FEHD visited the shop for an inspection of its SFE condition and photographs were taken for record purpose. However, the FEHD officers were not fully aware of the situation, such as overlooking the numerous polyfoam boxes being piled up outside the shop and fastening of its dry products to the railings. After she had alerted the FEHD officers to the situation, more pictures were taken on the said SFE problems of the shop.

104.

Mr CHAN Fu-ming, MH raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

FEHD had been effective in using the resources under the DAS to hire additional workers of the outsourced cleansing service to enhance the provision of cleansing service, particularly, for the area of Yue Shi Cheung Road and Tin Wan Praya Road. The improvement of the hygienic condition

(ii)

was significant. He hoped that FEHD could continue with the implementation of the aforesaid measure; and Tin Wan was often swamped with tourists, but the cultural difference had also made the hygiene condition less satisfactory. He hoped that the current initiatives could be continued with a view to improving the environmental hygiene of the district. He also praised FEHD officers for their dedicated efforts.

105.

Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN raised the following comments and enquiries:

(i)

He requested to have the figures about the amount of marine floating refuse scavenged and domestic refuse collected from boats at Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter and the related figures regularly, and the actions that have been taken by the relevant government department so as to facilitate members to supervise and review the progress and efficiency as well as to raise relevant opinion; Since a section of Victoria Road near Wah Fu Estate had been provided with the addition of railings by the TD, it had effectively prevented large vehicles from illegal parking on that section of road; and

(ii)

(iii)

Regarding the illegal parking problem of Cyberport, he said that the public 41

usually drove to Telegraph Bay and the nearby Cyberport Waterfront Park, and hence causing serious illegal parking problem in the neighbourhood of Cyberport. He urged the Police to pay more attention to the illegal parking around Cyberport cinema and supermarket; in addition, he proposed that SDO consider the possibility of using resources under the DAS to produce banners giving information on the nearby car parks and paid parking areas, in order to let drivers know where to park legally. He pointed out that some of the drivers might have misunderstanding that they were not allowed to carry their dogs with them into the car park for going to the Cyberport Waterfront Park. Therefore, instead of entering the car park, they ended up illegal parking elsewhere. (Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH left the meeting at 6:00 p.m.) 106.

The Chairman invited Miss Lilian TSE to respond.

107.

Miss Lilian TSE gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i)

Member’s views on more details for the marine refuse at Aberdeen Typhoon Shelters and the production of banners to give parking information were noted. The suggestions would be followed up accordingly; and FEHD would make use of the resources under the DAS to continue hiring two additional workers of the outsourced cleansing service in 2017-18 for strengthening efforts to address the cleanliness problem of Yue Shi Cheung Road and Tin Wan Praya Road.

(ii)

108. The Chairman invited the FEHD representative to respond in respect of the criteria for selecting the locations for focused cleansing service. 109.

Mr LEE Kan-fat gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i)

On the criteria for the selection of locations for focused cleansing service, since the illegal dumping of bagged refuse along Old Main Street, Aberdeen and its surrounding had been very serious, FEHD hired two additional workers of outsourced cleansing service with the resources from the DAS so as to carry out focused cleansing service on the Old Main Street, Aberdeen. With significant improvement in the problem of illegal dumping on this road section, the service had proved its effectiveness; 42

(ii)

Referring to the environmental hygiene problem caused by the two fruit and vegetable shops on Sai On Street, the FEHD officers had made dedicated efforts to rectify the situation. There was also improvement in the hygienic condition of the street concerned. Owing to the business nature run by the shop, always a large volume of refuse, such as paper cartons needed to be disposed. FEHD noticed that the trader concerned had arranged four to five cleansing workers to take care of the discarded refuse. Nevertheless, FEHD would continue to discuss with the shopkeeper how to speed up clearing the refuse in order to improve the environmental hygiene of the street; and

(iii)

FEHD would strengthen its surveillance of the SFE situation about the vegetable shop under the flyover of Aberdeen Main Road.

(Mr AU Nok-hin left the meeting at 6:03 p.m.) 110. Mr CHAI Man-hon was delighted to see that the initiatives under the DAS had made good progress and achieved effectiveness. He enquired about when the DAS be put under review again in terms of its implementation scope and coverage and whether a larger review would be conducted. 111.

Ms YAM Pauline gave a consolidated response as follows:

(i)

Noting that a tender exercise was being conducted by TD for the engagement of traffic consultant to study the traffic conditions of Aberdeen, she urged the department to expedite the progress and report to Members on the progress of the traffic consultant’s study; She pointed out that paragraph 13 of the paper only provided the figures on complaint cases before and after the implementation of the focused cleansing, but there was no account for the other locations not selected for the focused

(ii)

(iii)

cleansing. Thus she opined that the data had not reflected the full picture of the overall environmental hygiene condition of the district; Apart from strengthening the cleansing service in the district, FEHD should look into the causes of such a poor hygienic condition. The underlying cause was in fact dumping of refuse by certain traders; in particular, the shops on Tsung Man Street had dumped wasted carton boxes, polyfoam boxes and food waste. She enquired of FEHD the reasons for not selecting Tsung Man Street as one of the locations for focused cleansing and why those traders were not prosecuted. She added that if there were any other factors that hindered the department from taking prosecution against the offending traders, 43

(iv)

112.

FEHD could seek assistance from the Police; and She reiterated that the locations selected for focused cleansing service were not the worst cases of environmental hygiene problems in Aberdeen. She was not satisfied that FEHD had neither accounted for the criteria of its selected locations nor consulted District Councillor of the constituency concerned. The Chairman invited the FEHD representative to respond.

113. Mr LEE Kan-fat said that FEHD had all along been concerned about the environmental hygiene at the rear lane of Tsung Man Street. If any traders were found in contravention of the related public cleansing ordinance, enforcement action would be taken by FEHD officers in case there was sufficient evidence. FEHD would also advise its officers to enhance the management work on the environmental hygiene of Tsung Man Street. 114.

The Chairman invited Miss Lilian TSE to respond.

115. Miss Lilian TSE thanked and noted the above Members’ views. SDO would conduct a review on the coverage of DAS if the circumstances warranted, and would discuss the selection of locations for focused cleansing with the relevant Member in order to plan for an enhancement. 116. Mrs CHAN LEE Pui-ying was delighted to find that the cleanliness of the beaches in Shek O and Stanley as well as the surrounding areas had improved. She hoped that FEHD and the other relevant departments could continue with their cleansing services and step up the anti-mosquito measures around the bus stops. 117. The Chairman reminded Members that beach cleanliness was not included in this agenda item. 118.

The Chairman invited the Police representative to respond.

119. Ms CHAN Yee-lai said that Information Crescent of Cyberport had been listed as one of the 25 traffic blackspots. In the third and fourth quarters of 2016, the Police issued 121 and 229 fixed penalty tickets respectively. Police officers would continue to patrol the area and carry out enforcement action, targeted on the combat against illegal parking in Cyberport. 44

120. Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN advised that apart from patrolling around the Cyberport Waterfront Park to combat illegal parking, patrol officers also needed to pay attention to the illegal parking in the vicinity of Cyberport Arcade, especially at night time. 121. The Chairman asked the Police to note Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN’s comments and said that Members were generally satisfied that there had been improvement in Aberdeen town centre and typhoon shelter. Nevertheless, some of the road sections still had environmental hygiene concern and required further improvement. He asked the Assistant District Officer (Southern) to discuss the enhancement plan with the District Councillor of the Aberdeen Constituency after the meeting. 122.

Dr MAK TSE How-ling, MH said that quite a lot of the fruit and vegetable

shops in Aberdeen had disregarded the law and dumped the refuse wherever they liked. She suggested that FEHD strengthen its ticketing action. Once there was sufficient evidence, the offenders should be ticketed immediately. She considered this action could have a deterrent effect on the offending traders. 123. In closing, the Chairman concluded that FEHD was requested to continue its efforts on the environmental hygiene issues of the district while the Police should also keep up with their enforcement action. (Ms YAM Pauline left the meeting at 6:17 p.m.)

Agenda Item 6:

Application for SDC Funds: Employment of Contract Staff for the Secretariat (SDC Paper No. 24/2017) [6:17 p.m. - 6:23 p.m.]

124. paper.

The Chairman asked the Secretary to brief Members on the contents of the

125.

The Secretary briefed Members on the contents of the paper as follows:

(i)

in 2016-17, the Secretariat had employed four full-time Executive Assistants (EAs), five full-time Project Coordinators (PCs) and more than a dozen 45

(ii)

126.

part-time Project Assistants (PAs). It was now proposed to continue to employ contract staff comprising four full-time EAs, five full-time PCs and not more than 20 part-time PAs in 2017-18 with a budget of $2,232,814, representing 14.99% of the total allocation to SDC; and the estimated expenditure had been drawn up based on the assumption that pay adjustment of contract staff would be made by HAD with effect from August 2017 with reference to the movements in Composite Consumer Price Index up to December 2016. The Chairman asked Members to raise comments or enquiries on the subject.

127. Mr LO Kin-hei commented that other than the annual pay adjustment, HAD had not granted any annual increment to full-time contract staff up to their respective maximum pay points just like civil servants. To enhance the stability of contract staff, he suggested that HAD should consider modelling upon the arrangement of civil servants, whereby salary increments would be granted to various grades of contract staff, and SDC be given the autonomy to increase the salary of contract staff when they got their contracts renewed. 128.

The Chairman asked the Secretary to respond.

129. The Secretary responded that matters relating to the recruitment of contract staff, including their terms of appointment, had been administered in accordance with the criteria drawn up by HAD. 130. Mr CHAI Man-hon suggested that HAD should scrutinise the respective employment packages of the Secretariat’s contract staff in a timely manner to attract suitable candidates in applying for posts in the Secretariat, with a view to maintaining service quality. 131. Dr MAK TSE How-ling, MH expressed concern over the fact that the Secretariat’s contract staff were only granted contracts for a term of one year only, and considered that this practice had given inadequate protection for them. She hoped that consideration could be given to the extension of contract period, in order to enhance the continuity of various contract staff posts, thereby coping with the operational needs of the Secretariat. 132.

The Chairman asked the Secretary to respond. 46

133. The Secretary responded that the Secretariat would review the situation in a timely manner and reflect views to HAD if circumstances warranted. 134. The Chairman suggested that as the criteria for recruiting contract staff were adopted across the board by the 18 DCs in the territory, the Secretariat should reflect views to HAD in a timely manner, and Members could raise the above comments for further deliberation at the future meetings on District Administration for the 18 districts. 135. The Chairman asked Members whether approval should be given to a grant of $2,232,814 to the Secretariat for employing four full-time EAs, five full-time PCs and not more than 20 part-time PAs in 2017-18. 136.

Members did not raise any objection.

137. In closing, the Chairman concluded that SDC approved a grant of $2,232,814 to the Secretariat for employing four full-time EAs, five full-time PCs and not more than 20 part-time PAs in 2017-18.

Agenda Item 8:

Any Other Business [6:23 p.m.]

138. The Chairman asked Members whether there were any other matters to be raised for discussion. 139.

Members did not raise any other matters.

Part II – Items for Information 140.

The Chairman invited Members to note the following documents:

(i) (ii)

Report from the Area Committees (SDC Paper No. 13/2017); Report of the 7th Meeting of the District Facilities Management Committee (SDC Paper No. 14/2017);

(iii)

Report of the 7th Meeting of the Community Affairs and Tourism 47

(iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii)

Development Committee (SDC Paper No. 15/2017); Report of the 7th Meeting of the District Development and Housing Committee (SDC Paper No. 16/2017); Report of the 7th Meeting of the Traffic and Transport Committee (SDC Paper No. 17/2017); Report of the 3rd Meeting of the 6th Hong Kong Games Organising Working Group (SDC Paper No. 18/2017) Report of the 194th Meeting of the Southern District Management Committee (SDC Paper No. 19/2017); and Financial Statement in respect of SDC Funds (as at 6.3.2017) (SDC Paper No. 20/2017).

Date of Next Meeting 141. The Chairman informed the meeting that the 10th SDC meeting would be held on 18 May 2017 (Thursday) at 2:30 p.m. 142.

There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:23 p.m.

Secretariat, Southern District Council May 2017

48

Annex 1

49

50

Annex 2 9th Meeting of Southern District Council (2016-2019) Declaration of Interest Members of Working Group on Vetting who have already declared interests at the meeting on 28.2.2017 did not have to declare interests again at this SDC meeting. (Extract of declaration of interest of the captioned Working Group on Vetting Meeting is at Reference Paper-8)

Agenda

Project Title

Organiser/ Co-organiser(s)/ Assisting organiser(s) Organiser: Aberdeen Dragon Boat Race Committee

Member

Capacity in the Applicant Organisation as

Being an executor of the project

-

-

-

Mrs. CHAN LEE-Pui-ying

Chairlady

Yes

-

-

-

Mr AU Lap-sing, MH

Consultant

-

Mr CHAI Man-hon

Secretary

Yes

Ms. CHAN Judy Kapui

Consultant

-

Mrs CHAN LEE Pui-ying

Consultant

-

Ms CHEUNG Sik-yung, MH

Consultant

-

Mr CHU Lap-wai

Chairman of the Working Group on Closing Ceremony & Tourism Activities

Yes

Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH

Chairman of the Working Group on Overall Promotion, Sponsorship and Administration

-

Ms LAM Yuk-chun, MH

Chairman of the Working Group on Opening Ceremony, Cultural & Arts Activities

-

Dr MAK TSE How-ling, Ada, MH

Consultant

-

Mr TSUI Yuen-wa

Consultant

-

Co-organiser:Southern District Dragon Boat Racing Committee

5

2017 Southern District Tourism and Culture Festival - Aberdeen Dragon Boat Races 2017

Assisting organiser: 2017 Southern District Tourism and Culture Festival Organising Committee

51

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