(Translation)

For Information WCDC Paper On 7.7.2015 No.: 58/2015

Progress Report of the 22nd Meeting Food and Environmental Hygiene Committee 4th District Council

The Food and Environmental Hygiene Committee (FEHC) held its 22nd meeting on 9 June 2015 and discussed the following issues:

1. Action Checklist of the FEHC of WCDC

The departments concerned had updated the Action Checklist in the light of the discussion results at the last meeting.

During discussion on the problem of shop front extensions, Members pointed out that the street obstruction problem caused by construction material companies on had been worsening. They suggested that the Assistant District Officer (Wan Chai) should raise this issue at the District Management Committee for discussion and follow-up. The Chairperson also pointed out that there was a suspected illegal extension on the building external wall from a shop in the side lane of Wai Tak Building at the junction of Canal Road West and Lockhart Road. Since the extension was obviously unauthorised building works constructed by the shop owner, the Chairperson requested the Buildings Department to take enforcement action directly againtst the owner and issue a removal order where necessary.

Members said that the overall environmental hygiene condition of the district had been worsening. They took the view that this was because the performance of cleansing contractors varied. It was suggested that the department should step up monitoring and inspection of the contractors’ cleansing work. After discussion, Members agreed that more frequent inspections for monitoring the hygiene condition of the district should be carried out. They also requested the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) to provide the street cleaning workflow regularly so that Members could inspect the hygiene condition of streets in the district with the FEHD according to the workflow.

After discussion, Members agreed to include the following additional items in the Action Checklist and requested the FEHD to report on the items at the next meeting:

1 4th term_fehc_pr_22_e - Monitoring of the hygiene condition of refuse collection points in the district

- Monitoring of illegal hawkers causing street obstruction

2. Environmental Hygiene Blackspots Action Checklist of the FEHC of WCDC

The Environmental Hygiene Blackspots Action Checklist had been updated in the light of the discussion at the last meeting. The departments concerned had also updated the latest situation shown in the Checklist.

After discussion, Members agreed to delete the following environmental hygiene blackspots from the Checklist:

- The rear lane at 477-491 (near Shining Building)

- Gloucester Road Refuse Collection Point

- On Lok Lane (the passageway on the lower floor of Lee Cheong Building leading to Cheong Ip Building)

- 1 Swatow Street (the open area off Mountain View Mansion on Swatow Street)

- 36-44 Queen’s Road East

The following additional environmental hygiene blackspots be included in the Checklist:

- The rear lane at 142-148 Lockhart Road

- The side lane on and the pavement of Lun Fat Street

- Under Canal Road Flyover

- Chan Tong Lane (near Bowring Road Market)

- Jardine’s Bazaar (near Tang Lung Chau Market)

3. Proposed Construction of a Public Columbarium in - FEHD

The FEHD reported to Members on the initial plan on the construction of a public columbarium in Wan Chai District. Members raised concerns over the traffic impact of the construction of a columbarium in the proposed site. It was hoped that the relevant departments would step up crowd and traffic control measures, in particular during the Ching Ming and Chung Yeung Festivals, in order to reduce traffic congestion. Members suggested that publicity work should be enhanced to widely inform the public that the

2 4th term_fehc_pr_22_e columbarium was a smoke-free area and encourage them to use flowers to pay respects to their ancestors. The Chairperson also suggested that the FEHD should provide more green facilities in the building and consider the feasibility of giving priority to local residents in applying for niches in the proposed public columbarium.

4. Progress Report of the Hawker Assistance Scheme – FEHD

The FEHD reported to the Committee on the progress of the Hawker Assistance Scheme. Members thanked the relevant departments for their efforts in implementing the scheme and were delighted to learn that the stall reconstruction and relocation work was about to complete. In respect to the laying of electric wires and installation of electrical panels by contractors, Members expressed that communication between the contractor and the hawkers concerned was insufficient. It was hoped that close communication with WCDC, the Home Affairs Department and the hawkers concerned would be maintained in arranging the remaining installation work. It was also suggested that the FEHD should suitably monitor and support the contractor with a view to achieving smooth completion of the scheme.

The Chairperson hoped that the scheme could be completed within this year, which would enhance the fire safety of the hawker stalls in the district. It was also suggested that the FEHD would, through this scheme, fully communicate with the hawkers concerned and provide them with support where necessary.

5. Wan Chai District Anti-mosquito Campaign 2015 (Second Phase) – FEHD

Members noted the relevant paper submitted by the FEHD and expressed that the number of mosquito blackspots in the district had been increasing and their condition had been worsening. They requested the FEHD to include the site area on Jaffe Road (formerly known as Central Mansion), Kennedy Road and into the mosquito blackspots checklist. Moreover, Members urged the FEHD to actively liaise with other departments to conduct joint anti-mosquito action.

6. Applications for WCDC Funds

The Committee received two applications for WCDC Funds. After discussion, the Committee approved the following applications for co-organisation and offered amendment exemptions.

(i) Territory-wide Cleansing Action for Wan Chai District

(ii) Workshop cum Talk on Body Fitness for Wan Chai District

Wan Chai District Council Secretariat June 2015

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