Minutes of the 11th Meeting of the Planning, Works and Housing Committee

Date: 5 December 2017 (Tuesday) Time: 2:30 pm Venue: Eastern District Council Conference Room

Present Time of Arrival Time of Departure (pm) (pm) Mr TING Kong-ho, Eddie 2:30 end of meeting Mr WONG Chi-chung, Dominic 2:30 end of meeting Mr WONG Kwok-hing, BBS, MH 2:30 5:00 Mr KU Kwai-yiu 2:30 end of meeting Mr HO Ngai-kam, Stanley 2:30 end of meeting Ms LI Chun-chau 2:30 end of meeting Mr LEE Chun-keung 2:30 end of meeting Mr LAM Sum-lim 2:30 end of meeting Mr SHIU Ka-fai 2:30 6:00 Mr HUNG Lin-cham 2:30 3:50 Mr CHUI Chi-kin 2:35 end of meeting Mr CHEUNG Kwok-cheong, Howard 2:35 6:00 Mr LEUNG Siu-sun, Patrick 2:30 6:40 Mr LEUNG Kwok-hung, David 2:30 end of meeting (Chairman) Ms LEUNG Wing-man, Bonnie 5:30 end of meeting Mr HUI Lam-hing 2:30 6:00 Mr KWOK Wai-keung, Aron, JP 2:30 3:00 Mr MAK Tak-ching 2:30 end of meeting Mr WONG Kin-pan, BBS, MH, JP 2:30 end of meeting Mr WONG Kin-hing 3:00 end of meeting Mr YEUNG Sze-chun 2:30 end of meeting Dr CHIU Ka-yin, Andrew 2:30 end of meeting Mr CHIU Chi-keung, BBS 2:30 end of meeting Mr LAU Hing-yeung 2:35 end of meeting Mr CHENG Chi-sing 2:30 end of meeting (Vice-chairman) Mr LAI Chi-keong, Joseph 2:30 end of meeting Mr NGAN Chun-lim, MH 2:35 7:00 Mr LO Wing-kwan, Frankie, MH 2:30 5:30

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Mr KUNG Pak-cheung, MH 2:30 end of meeting Ms KONG Yuk-foon, Doreen 2:30 4:30 (co-opted member)

Absent with Apologies

Ms CHOY So-yuk, BBS, JP Mr CHENG Tat-hung Mr KONG Chack-ho, Alex, MH (co-opted member)

In Regular Attendance (Government Representatives)

Mr CHUI Cheuk-yin, Assistant District Officer (Eastern) (2), Matthew Eastern District Office Ms CHENG Chung- Acting Senior Liaison Officer 2, yan, Lorraine Eastern District Office Mr HO Kwok-fai, Senior Engineer / 6 (South), Godfrey Civil Engineering and Development Department Mr NG Tak-wah Senior Town Planner/ (2), Planning Department Ms HO Mun-yee, Senior Estate Surveyor/Hong Kong East(3), Money District Lands Office (Hong Kong East) Mr WONG Wai-leung Chief Health Inspector (Eastern) 1, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Miss CHAN Wai-lin, Senior Housing Manager/ and Rose Islands, Housing Department Ms CHEUNG Wai-yu Maintenance Surveyor/ Hong Kong Island and Islands, Housing Department Mr CHENG Wai Kit, Building Surveyor/B4-1, Raymond Buildings Department Miss WAH Pui-yee, Senior Executive Officer (District Council), Vivian Eastern District Office Ms LEE Shuk-han, Executive Officer I (District Council)2, Phoebe (Secretary) Eastern District Office

2 In Attendance by Invitation (Representatives from the Government and Organisations)

Mr FUNG Ka-wai Senior Engineer, Drainage Services Department Mr CHEN Ka-yin Engineer, Drainage Services Department Mr AU Wang-tat, Engineer/ Eastern 3, Raymond Drainage Services Department Mr CHAN Hin- Project Manager, kwong BLACK &VEATCH HONG KONG LIMITED Mr LUK Yick-chun Project Engineer, BLACK &VEATCH HONG KONG LIMITED Ms NG Ching-yee Project Engineer, BLACK &VEATCH HONG KONG LIMITED Mr CHAN Chi-hung Senior Manager (Building Repair), Urban Renewal Authority Mr LEE Kin-kan Assistant Manager (Community Development), Urban Renewal Authority Mr WAN Chi-wai, Senior Building Surveyor/B1, Terry Buildings Department Mr LAU Wai-leung Acting Senior Engineer/Hong Kong 2, Water Supplies Department Mr WONG Oi-sing Engineer/Hong Kong (Customer Services) Inspection, Water Supplies Department Mr LIN Tang-tai Senior Engineer/Planning Policy, Water Supplies Department Mr KU Chung-yee Property Services Manager/ Property Services (Hong Kong Island and Islands 1), Housing Department Mr LO Wai-pan, Senior Executive Officer (Planning)5, Eddie Leisure and Cultural Services Department Miss CHAU Po-chu, Senior Librarian (Planning and Development), Sharon Leisure and Cultural Services Department Mr WEI Chiu-fan, Senior Project Manager 325, Job Architectural Services Department Mr SY Kin-man, Architect/209, Kevin Architectural Services Department Mr LAU Man-kuen, Project Manager 350, Ephes Architectural Services Department

3 Mr LAM Kwai-sang Chief Project Manager 103, Architectural Services Department Mr CHAN Kwok- Senior Project Manager 137, chiu, Simon Architectural Services Department Mr CHOI Chun-hung, Project Manager 143, William Architectural Services Department Mr LEE Siu-kai Senior Superintendent (Works and Planning), Correctional Services Department Mr CHU Cheuk-yin, Officer (Works and Planning) 2, Patrick Correctional Services Department Mr KWAN Wing-yip Engineer / Eastern 2, Transport Department Mr CHU Ho, Larry Assistant Secretary (Harbour)1, Development Bureau Mr LEE Kwok-lun Scientific Officer, Hong Kong Observatory

Welcome Remarks

The Chairman welcomed all Members and representatives from the government departments to the meeting.

I. Confirmation of the draft minutes of the 10th meeting of PWHC

2. The Committee confirmed the above draft minutes without any amendments.

II. Report of Working Group (PWHC Paper No. 35/17)

3. Members noted the report of the Working Group on Harbourfront Development and Housing Management.

III. Condition Survey and Rehabilitation of Underground Sewers and Stormwater Drains - Stage 1 (PWHC Paper No. 36/17)

4. The Chairman welcomed Mr FUNG Ka-wai, Senior Engineer, and Mr CHEN

4 Action Ka-yin, Engineer of the Drainage Services Department (DSD); Mr CHAN Hin- kwong, Project Manager, Mr LUK Yick-chun, Project Engineer, and Ms NG Ching- yee, Project Engineer of the Black & Veatch Hong Kong Limited (B&V) to the meeting. Mr FUNG Ka-wai of the DSD and Mr CHAN Hin-kwong of the B&V briefed the meeting on PWHC Paper No. 36/17.

5. The views and queries of 20 Members about the issue are summarised as follows:

(a) Ms LI Chun-chau supported the implementation of the above project works by the DSD and pointed out that several streets in the area of , especially the roundabout area, were prone to frequent flooding during heavy rainstorms. She hoped that the DSD could step up the survey to ensure that the drains in the area of Chai Wan were free from blockage.

(b) Mr Stanley HO said that the above project works would help improve the drainage system in the district and hence were worth supporting. He enquired of the DSD about the criteria for selecting drains for survey and whether the rehabilitation works would narrow the diameter of the drains and reduce their discharge capacity. He also pointed out that there had been frequent flooding in recent years and hoped the DSD would endeavour to enhance the discharge capacity of the drains and pay particular attention to individual sites in Shing Tai Road.

(c) Mr KU Kwai-yiu said that the ageing of pipes was a common issue and he did not understand why the DSD only surveyed and rehabilitated the drains of a small area. He hoped the DSD could conduct a comprehensive survey on all drains in the district and consult the District Council on particular rehabilitation works. Besides, he pointed out that the “trenchless” rehabilitation technology had been widely adopted by other government departments, and enquired of the DSD about the impact of sound pollution of the relevant works and details of the temporary traffic arrangements.

(d) Mr WONG Kwok-hing welcomed the survey and the rehabilitation works of the DSD but opined that there were deficiencies in the project. As the area of Chai Wan had suffered serious flooding during heavy rainstorms, he suggested the DSD construct an underground stormwater

5 Action storage tank to cope with serious flooding. He also pointed out that voluminous storm water flooded into the Siu Sai Wan section of Chai Wan Road causing serious flooding in the neighbouring residential estates as well as the Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground. He hoped the DSD could improve the drainage pipes and provide effective measures to prevent flooding.

(e) Mr Dominic WONG said that there was serious flooding in the streets in the area of Shau Kei Wan during heavy rainstorms and the drainage capacity was unsatisfactory. He enquired of the DSD about the reason for only selecting a small section of the drains for survey and rehabilitation and the prioritisation criteria for the implementation of works at different locations. Besides, he hoped that the DSD could minimise the inconvenience caused to residents in the neighbourhood during the relevant project works.

(f) Mr Eddie TING said that the area of had also suffered serious flooding and enquired of the DSD about the criteria of selecting the drains to be surveyed and rehabilitated. He also pointed out that the relevant works would occupy road surface for a long duration, affecting the traffic and the daily life of the residents. He suggested the DSD remove relevant engineering supplies during peak hours to keep the traffic smooth. In addition, he also suggested that the DSD should maintain close communication with the relevant District Councillor(s) in order to release latest updates to the residents.

(g) Mr LAM Sum-lim said that there had been severe flooding in the area of Shau Kei Wan where some vehicles had been submerged under water. He enquired of the DSD about the criteria for selecting the drains for survey and rehabilitation, whether the relevant works were of maintenance or preventive nature, whether it could guarantee non- occurrence of flooding after the completion of relevant project works, and the reasons for the relatively great number of surveys of drains in the area of North Point.

(h) Mr CHUI Chi-kin asked the DSD to provide more information, including the locations of sewers and drains, the time required for a territory-wide survey and rehabilitation of drains and the estimated project schedule to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the relevant project works.

6 Action

(i) Mr Howard CHEUNG welcomed the above project works. He wanted to know more about the material to be used for pipes renewal and its durability, the operation of the drainage pipes network during the project works, the criteria of selecting the drains for survey and rehabilitation, and the impact of the project works on the sewerage systems of private estates. In addition, he suggested the DSD strengthen the liaison with District Councillors and provide means of immediate contact to allow a better understanding of the actual situation for making improvements in flooding black spots in local areas.

(j) Mr Patrick LEUNG welcomed the implementation of the above project works by the DSD. He pointed out that as some of the residential estates were built along the hillside, an effective drainage system was of paramount importance. Serious flooding had taken place in the major residential estates in the area of Kornhill before, yet there were a smaller number of drainage pipes in Hong Shing Street that were covered in the survey, he was worried that the drainage system might not be capable of handling the torrential storm water from the neighbouring hills. He also asked the DSD whether the survey in Kornhill Road had been completed so that rehabilitation works were planned to commence accordingly. In addition, he suggested the DSD carry out the works during dry season to avoid the adverse impact of heavy rainfall on the project works.

(k) Mr MAK Tak-ching urged the DSD to highlight the locations of the sewers and drains. He also enquired about the timetable of the territory-wide survey and rehabilitation works, the priorities of the works implementation, and the application scope of the trenchless rehabilitation technology. He continued that drains in Nam Hong Street had burst repeatedly even after rehabilitation works, which affected road safety. He hoped the DSD could strengthen the rehabilitation of drains to avoid similar incidents in the future.

(l) Mr KUNG Pak-cheung said that the roundabout in Chai Wan had suffered flooding repeatedly. It was mainly caused by the blockage of drains in the hills above that resulted in the flow of storm water along the road surface, as the drains in the catchment area could not help diverting the flow of the storm water with sand and sediments, the blockage problem was worsened . Despite the DSD’s efforts to

7 Action increase water discharge points at the roundabout for the water flow years ago, the problem could not be rooted out. He suggested the DSD dispatch staff for site inspection upon receiving warnings of inclement weather and on standby to clear the drains. He also urged the DSD to pay special attention to the situation that drains might sag because of soil erosion, which would result in loosening of the drains from manholes that could lead to bursting of the drains.

(m) Mr WONG Kin-pan enquired of the DSD about the life span of the drains currently in use, the time required and schedule for the rehabilitation works in the Eastern District, the locations of all the works, and whether there were signs of acute ageing of drains in any particular area in the district found in the inspection, and the reasons behind. He also urged the DSD to root out the problem of torrent of storm water from the hill in the area of Quarry Bay to prevent further flooding.

(n) Mr LEE Chun-keung said that the ageing problem of drains in the Eastern District had become acute, and yet, not many rehabilitation works were shown in the current project. He enquired of the DSD about the criteria of routine maintenance of drains, the materials used for the rehabilitation works and the capacity of the drains during rainfall.

(o) Mr LAU Hing-yeung said that severe flooding occurred in the areas of Wan Tsui Road and the roundabout in Chai Wan during rainstorms but the DSD had not included any plans for survey or rehabilitation for the areas in the current project works. He enquired of the DSD about the criteria of selecting drains for survey and rehabilitation and the estimated timetable for the territory-wide project works.

(p) Mr Andrew CHIU said that the Stage 1 project works had not covered the area of , with the record of belated drains maintenance works than the other areas, it seemed that the needs of residents of the area were disregarded. He asked the DSD to provide more information on the project works, including the condition of the drains in the area of Taikoo Shing and the estimated timetable for the territory- wide project works. If the scope of works involved constituency boundaries, he hoped the DSD could provide more information to the District Councillors in the surrounding constituencies in order to keep the people concerned informed.

8 Action (q) Mr CHIU Chi-keung enquired of the DSD about their follow-up action and handling method if the survey revealed blockage or other problems in the drains. He also pointed out that there was frequent bursting of drains in the area of Shau Kei Wan during rainstorms, which would affect road traffic. He enquired of the DSD whether the design of the drains was in accordance with the specifications of the DSD and asked about future improvement measures.

(r) Mr Joseph LAI said that the car park of a large residential estate in Quarry Bay had suffered serious flooding during rainstorms. It was learnt that the drains in that area were inadequate and as the DSD only planned to cover a small part of that drainage network in the current survey works, he suggested the DSD consider constructing more drains in the area. He also pointed out that the water flow in Fei Tsui Road was high but the area of catchment in Tai Tam was always obstructed with withered leaves and decayed branches, he hoped that the DSD could strengthen the survey works.

(s) Mr YEUNG Sze-chun enquired of the DSD about the criteria of selecting drains for survey and rehabilitation, the follow-up action after discovering problem drains, and the effectiveness of the trenchless technology in rehabilitating drains. He also suggested that rather than small-scale repair works, the DSD should launch a comprehensive review on the condition of drains to enhance the overall discharge capacity of the drainage system.

(t) The Vice-Chairman said that there was serious flooding in Healthy Street Central and part of King’s Road during rainstorms but the DSD only planned to rehabilitate a small part of the drains. He hoped the DSD would seriously follow up and inspect the situation.

6. Mr FUNG Ka-wai of the DSD and Mr CHAN Hin-kwong of the B&V responded to the views and queries of Members as follows:

(a) To ensure proper functioning of drains, the DSD had always been carrying out regular surveys and rehabilitating drains wherever necessary. The primary objective of the current project works was to conduct a detailed survey and rehabilitation works where necessary on the ageing sewers and drains in order to minimise the risks on traffic, environment and safety caused by drain bursting.

9 Action

(b) Apart from the Eastern District, other districts in Hong Kong were also involved in Stage 1 of the project works (Stage 1). The DSD would follow the principle of risk assessment and take into account the structural condition, the number of years in usage, the possibility and consequences of bursting of the drains, to conduct a comprehensive territory-wide survey of ageing drains in phases and in appropriate priorities. The scope of Stage 1 covered a survey on over 100 kilometres (km) of drains and rehabilitation of drains of about 17 km. Stage 1 would commence in end 2018 and be completed in 2022. In addition, the other phases of the rehabilitation works would be launched after completion of the relevant survey and design work.

(c) The DSD had always carried out appropriate repairs and maintenance works on drainage network under its purview through regular surveys, in order to ensure that the drainage network would function normally.

(d) To maintain close communication with the public, the DSD would arrange community relations officers to provide relevant information regarding the project works and the areas affected by the project. The DSD, consultants and the on-site engineering team would also maintain close contact with all the relevant stakeholders.

(e) In the course of rehabilitation, the DSD would insert polyester lining into the original pipe to form a new pipe after solidification.

(f) The materials used for rehabilitation were mainly resin and polyester lining. The rehabilitated pipes were no different from ordinary ones and were able to serve 40 to 50 years. As the materials used for rehabilitation were very thin, the capacity of the drains would not be affected.

(g) The DSD would avoid conducting surveys and rehabilitation works of drains during periods with high water flow, which would also ensure safety of the project works.

(h) To maintain normal functioning of the drains, the DSD would carry out appropriate temporary interception of particular drains in the course of the project works and avoid affecting the proper functioning of the drainage network.

10 Action

(i) In case of emergencies, the DSD could instantly remove all the engineering devices for survey. However, the DSD might not be able to implement evacuation immediately as the material took time to solidify into a proper pipe. In this regard, the DSD would maintain close contact and communication with all the departments concerned and commence the implementation of project works at an appropriate timing in order to minimise the impact.

(j) In the Eastern District, the sewers and drains surveyed in the Stage 1 were about 1.7 km and 1.2 km in length respectively, and the total length of sewers and drains that needed to be rehabilitated was about 300m. The DSD would provide supplementary information regarding the locations of the sewers and drains after the meeting.

DSD 7. After discussion, the Committee supported the implementation of the project works by the DSD.

(Post-meeting remarks: The supplementary information of the DSD was submitted on 14 December 2017 for Members’ reference.)

I V. Briefing on Concessionary Scheme of “Smart Tender” by Urban Renewal Authority (PWHC Paper No. 37/17)

8. Owing to the similar nature of this item and the follow-up item no. 10, the Committee agreed to discuss the two items together according to the suggestion of the Chairman.

9. The Chairman welcomed Mr CHAN Chi-hung, Senior Manager (Building Repair), and Mr LEE Kin-kan, Assistant Manager (Community Development) of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA); Mr WAN Chi-wai, Terry, Senior Building Surveyor/B1 of the Buildings Department (BD) to the meeting. Mr CHAN Chi- hung of the URA briefed the meeting on Paper No. 37/17. Mr Terry WAN of the BD reported the latest progress of follow-up item no. 10.

10. The views and queries of 15 Members about the issue are summarised as follows:

11 Action (a) Mr LEE Chun-keung welcomed the URA to launch the “Smart Tender” Scheme (Scheme) and said that it would help the public and prevent bid rigging from happening. He enquired of the URA whether bid rigging was found after the launch of the Scheme.

(b) Mr KU Kwai-yiu concurred with the monitoring power of the Scheme. He also enquired whether an owners’ corporation (OC) would need to appoint its own consultant before participation and the number of registered contractors under the Scheme.

(c) Mr Dominic WONG praised the Scheme for responding to the concern of society regarding the issue of bid rigging. He enquired whether an OC needed to appoint an authorised person before participating in the Scheme and the validity date for the concessionary fees.

(d) Mr Eddie TING welcomed the URA’s launch of the Scheme and suggested it strengthen the promotion of the Scheme. Apart from highlighting the concessionary fees, it could also focus on the effective way to protect the interests of the owners under the Scheme. Besides, he hoped that the BD could step up safety inspection on buildings in the district and help follow up particular cases.

(e) Mr WONG Kwok-hing supported the launch of the Scheme by the URA and hoped that the Scheme could tackle bid rigging and protect the interests of the owners. He urged the URA to pay attention to the issue that some contractors managed to win the tender with a low bidding price but added miscellaneous charges continuously as the contract went on, which put the owners’ organisations in a dilemma. He also asked the URA to provide more details regarding the concessionary fees and distribute more publicity pamphlets.

(f) Mr LAM Sum-lim suggested the URA provide manned telephone enquiry services and use simple examples to introduce the application procedures for the Scheme in the publicity pamphlets to help people understand the ways of participation. He enquired of the URA whether the Scheme was compliant with the provisions of the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap. 572) regarding the rehabilitation of buildings. Besides, he hoped that the BD would strengthen the safety inspection of buildings in the district and speed up prosecution procedures in accordance with the degree of urgency to eliminate any

12 Action safety hazard.

(g) Mr CHUI Chi-kin opined that the Scheme would eradicate the threats of bid rigging and enquired of the URA whether it would strengthen the collaboration with the Competition Commission (CC). He also pointed out that due to fragmented ownership of the “three-nil” buildings, he was worried that the BD might not be able to recover the relevant costs of inspection and maintenance from those owners under the “Operation Building Bright 2.0”. He asked the BD whether it had measures to cope with such situation.

(h) Mr Howard CHEUNG said that some of the tenderers had already signed against bid rigging and enquired of the URA about the criteria for estimating the costs of the works. He was worried that the estimation of the URA might be too crude to target the situation of individual buildings, which made the Scheme unconvincing.

(i) Mr Patrick LEUNG enquired of the URA whether it would focus on promoting the Scheme to the targeted buildings as set by the BD, whether buildings that had not received any injunctions or buildings without an OC could participate in the Scheme, whether the number of recognised contractors on the electronic platform would be limited, the scope of the analysis reports by the contractors, and also the factors to be taken into consideration when choosing the contractors.

(j) Mr MAK Tak-ching asked the URA to introduce how the Scheme could effectively stop bid rigging. He suggested the URA strengthen the publicity of the Scheme, including the contents, eligibility and other details. He pointed out that some contractors were under the control of cartels which made it difficult to root out bid rigging even if electronic platforms were available. Hence, he enquired of the URA about its strategy to cope with that and the relevant measures in the event that bid rigging was identified. In addition, he hoped that the BD could speed up the launching of the next round of subsidy with adequate consultation in order to formulate a comprehensive plan.

(k) Mr Andrew CHIU opined that apart from offering professional support to the owners, the URA should also strengthen its collaboration with other relevant institutions such as the ICAC, CC and the Building Management Section under the Home Affairs Department (HAD), and

13 Action consider establishing standing liaison groups to provide more comprehensive one-stop service to the public. He quoted the private residential estates in Tai Koo area as an example to enquire whether the definition of “owners’ organisations” under the Scheme included the management liaison committees or owners’ representatives committees set up under the deed of mutual covenants (DMCs), etc.

(l) Mr Joseph LAI said that owners generally lacked the professional knowledge on building management and maintenance, he hoped that the URA could strengthen publicity on the Scheme to the targeted buildings. In addition, he enquired of the URA whether the Scheme would also cover building rehabilitation works under fire safety and other rehabilitation works that were not under the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme (MBIS) or Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme (MWIS).

(m) Ms Doreen KONG enquired of the URA about the personnel arrangement, the qualifications of the independent professionals under the Scheme, the effective measures provided to tackle bid rigging under the Scheme, the contents of the service agreement to be signed with the URA, whether representatives from the URA would attend owners’ meetings, the mechanism for monitoring contractors and the feasibility of disclosing the details of the “DIY toolkit”.

(n) Mr WONG Kin-pan said that there were quite a lot of old buildings in the district, the Scheme would facilitate owners in proceeding with the tendering for building maintenance. He suggested the URA provide more reference materials for the pricing of various types of contracts, such as those involving structural issues, so that the owners could avoid being deceived. He also pointed out that the Government had launched a subsidy programme to help buildings over 30 years old carry out maintenance works in the past, yet the current Scheme to be launched targeted at buildings over 50 years old. He enquired of the BD about its handling of similar issues for buildings between 40 and 50 years old.

(o) Mr YEUNG Sze-chun suggested the URA strengthen support to the owners, including sending staff to attend owners’ meetings and providing appropriate guidance after tendering on the matters owners must heed in the course of the works, so that owners would be capable

14 Action of monitoring the performance of contractors.

11. Mr CHAN Chi-hung of the URA and Mr Terry WAN of the BD responded to the views and queries of Members as follows:

URA

(a) The “Smart Tender” Scheme was a new measure under the building rehabilitation programme of the URA in providing maintenance services, including arrangement of independent consultants, and provision of market information and an electronic contractor recruitment platform to participating buildings. It also collaborated with various departments and institutions such as the (HKPF), the HAD, and the CC with the objective of acting as a facilitator to assist owners in obtaining more market information about building rehabilitation, thereby ensuring a more equal, impartial and competitive tendering among contractors and reducing the risk of bid rigging.

(b) The URA would refer suspected cases of bid rigging to the HKPF or the ICAC for follow-up actions.

(c) Buildings interested in participating in the “Smart Tender” Scheme needed to follow the general procedure of appointing their own consultancies for building inspection and initial assessment for the rehabilitation works beforehand.

(d) The URA had always been encouraging contractors to join the electronic platform to liaise with the relevant contractor associations. Currently there were over 300 general contractors registered for the electronic platform. As there were numerous contractors joining the electronic platform, it was difficult for them to collude with each other, so the risk of bid rigging was low.

(e) Eligible owners of buildings could now join the “Smart Tender” Scheme at concessionary fees. The concessionary fees were mainly determined by the average rateable value (RV) and the total number of such units in the participating buildings, which ranged from $1,250 to $80,000.

15 Action (f) To participate in the “Smart Tender” Scheme, a building/residential estate needed to form an OC pursuant to the Building Management Ordinance (Cap. 344), establish an owners’ organisation in accordance with the DMC or appoint a DMC manager to lead the owners to organise the maintenance works of the building or hold meetings and sign all the relevant documents.

(g) The URA would arrange independent consultants for buildings participating in the “Smart Tender” Scheme to provide professional and technical advice on general maintenance of buildings at different phases, such as provision of market estimates and review of inspection reports prepared by the authroised/registered personnel, tender documents, estimates of maintenance contracts and analysis reports of tender documents, etc. They would also draw owners’ attention to issues they should be aware of.

(h) People could access more information regarding building rehabilitation through the “Building Rehab Info Net” website. The URA was also planning to set up a “Building Rehabilitation Platform” to disseminate information to the public in phases regarding lists of service providers for building rehabilitation around end 2018. As the URA was not the direct user of the contractors’ services, it was not in the appropriate position to comment on their performances.

(i) According to the regulations of the service agreement under the “Smart Tender” Scheme, the number of meetings attended by the independent consultants arranged by the URA was subject to a ceiling, but the URA staff could attend such owners’ meetings at discretion.

(j) The URA would consider recruiting more personnel subject to the number of applications.

(k) The “Smart Tender” Scheme could facilitate owners in carrying out maintenance works for common areas of the buildings, including the building structures and safety, fire safety, etc.

(l) If a building was 30 years old or above with an average RV not less than $162,000 per annum, and no OC had been established for it, but maintenance works were organised with the consent of all owners or according to the DMC, the URA would give discretionary consideration

16 Action to its application for the Integrated Building Maintenance Assistance Scheme (IBMAS) to provide technical support and subsidy.

(m) The URA had sent invitation letters to over 2 400 targeted buildings to encourage owners to participate in the “Smart Tender” Scheme. The URA had also strengthened the promotion and publicity of the Scheme through various forms of media and channels such as radio, newspapers, mobile promotion vehicles, websites, etc. The public could call the “Smart Tender” Scheme Hotline 3188 3188 for further enquiry or appointment of the URA staff for on-site briefing.

BD

(n) The BD would liaise with individual District Councillors to help follow up particular cases in the district.

(o) The BD could issue statutory notices to owners for enrolment in MBIS/MWIS under the Buildings Ordinance. If the statutory notices for mandatory inspection were not complied with, the BD could arrange consultants or contractors to carry out necessary inspections and rehabilitation works and recover the costs incurred, including the fee for inspection, rehabilitation and supervision of the works, from the owners/OCs. If the owners failed to pay the relevant fees, the BD would recover the costs through legal means.

(p) The BD noted the views of Members regarding the “Operation Building Bright 2.0” and would convey them to the Development Bureau (DB).

All attendees 12. After discussion, the Committee agreed to follow up Item No. 10 of the progress report of matters arising from previous meetings.

(Post-meeting remarks: The PowerPoint slides of the URA were submitted on 6 December 2017 for Members’ reference.)

V. Concern about drinking water safety in Oi Tung Estate (PWHC Paper No. 38/17)

13. The Chairman welcomed Mr LAU Wai-leung, Acting Senior Engineer/Hong Kong 2, and Mr WONG Oi-sing, Engineer/Hong Kong (Customer Services)

17 Action Inspection of the Water Supplies Department (WSD); and Mr KU Chung-yee, Property Services Manager of the Housing Department (HD) to the meeting. Mr NGAN Chun-lim briefed the meeting on Paper No. 38/17. Mr LAU Wai-leung of the WSD and Mr KU Chung-yee of the HD responded to the queries.

14. The views and queries of 17 members about the issue are summarised as follows:

(a) Mr Joseph LAI praised the WSD for its prompt handling of the issue. He hoped the WSD could conduct a feasibility study of changing the route for drinking water supply to shut down the suspected problematic pipes for detailed inspection. He also urged the WSD to send representatives to meet with the public and provide detailed explanations to their enquiries.

(b) Mr NGAN Chun-lim said that the public expressed great concern about the safety of the drinking water. The drinking water of individual blocks in Oi Tung Estate complied with the Quality Water Supply Scheme for Buildings, which made it incredulous that Oi Yat House, a recently accomplished building, had problematic water pipes. He hoped that the WSD could investigate the causes of the contamination as soon as possible and inspect the condition of the pipes to protect public health. He also enquired of the WSD whether the use of the suspected problematic pipes had been stopped and asked the WSD to provide results of the water test.

(c) Mr Andrew CHIU said that the political group he belonged to had written to the WSD and the HD, performed a sampling test of the drinking water and hosted a press conference urging the departments concerned to follow up the water contamination issue at Oi Tung Estate. He criticised the departments concerned for not discovering and handling the issue in time. He was astonished that the WSD claimed that the water complied with health standard even though the test results had shown that the sample of the drinking water was murky with metallic particles. He opined that the WSD should have been well prepared before attending the meeting and comment on the test results. He suggested the WSD use its professional judgment to find out the source of the contamination and investigate whether the contractor(s) had used the nets of appropriate density specified in the building contract, and compare the quality of the water pipes with those of the

18 Action other residential estates in order to give a clear account of the matter. He urged representatives of the WSD to receive petition letters from the residents.

(d) Mr MAK Tak-ching also expressed his concern for the safety of the drinking water and enquired of the WSD about its comments on the results of the survey conducted by the community and the test results. He opined that it was worrying that the colour of the drinking water was yellow-brownish. He urged the WSD to explain to the public the effectiveness of water filters and particle separators installed.

(e) Mr LAM Sum-lim said that the incident of drinking water of a more serious nature recurred shortly after the previous one. He suggested the WSD expand the testing scope and increase the number of samples to be tested in order to find out the source of the contamination as soon as possible, and disseminate more details to the public to make them feel relieved with the consumption of their drinking water. He also enquired of the WSD whether independent water filters had been installed in the water supply system for the affected buildings.

(f) Mr CHUI Chi-kin said that the incident shattered public confidence in the safety of drinking water in Hong Kong, it was worrying that the contaminated water would affect public health. He enquired of the WSD whether there was any delay in the large-scale replacement and rehabilitation plans of water pipes and whether such large-scale plans would be available in the future.

(g) Mr Howard CHEUNG said that the political group he belonged to had followed up and performed a test on the water sampled upon hearing the complaints from the residents. Hence, he could not understand why the WSD did not mention the test results in its written response. As a matter of fact, many residents wondered if the water was appropriate for drinking, he hoped that the WSD could respond as soon as possible in order to relieve the worries of the public. He also enquired of the WSD about the number of complaints received from the residents, the progress of the cases handled and the percentage of the number of complaints that had been fully investigated.

(h) Mr LEE Chun-keung said that drinking water was of paramount importance to the health of people. As similar incidents had happened

19 Action in other districts in 2015, he suggested the WSD investigate the problem at source, such as inspecting the condition of pipes in water treatment plants and reservoirs, and investigating whether the protective coating of asphalt in the internal lining of the water pipes had aged, in order to avoid similar incidents from recurring. He also enquired of the WSD whether there were other water pipes in the Eastern District that used asphalt as the protective coating in the internal lining, and asked about the total length and number of years of use of the pipes.

(i) Mr KU Kwai-yiu opined that the WSD should have taken the initiative to replace the suspected problematic water pipes once it had discovered them to ensure the safety of drinking water. He enquired whether the HD or the WSD was responsible for the follow-up of the pipe issue and asked the WSD to disclose the locations of those pipes at issue, and monitor contractors in the deployment of nets with appropriate density in order to avoid high water pressure or blockage of water pipes.

(j) Mr Dominic WONG said that the relevant District Councillor(s) had arranged certified personnel to investigate into the issue upon hearing complaints from the residents and requested the WSD to follow up afterwards. However, the response from the WSD had used the wording “suspected” repeatedly, which would easily arouse discomfort amongst residents. He suggested the WSD review its investigation procedures and track source of the contamination and provide solid improvement measures to make residents feel relieved.

(k) Mr Eddie TING said that the relevant District Councillor(s) had requested the WSD to follow up the incident upon hearing complaints from the residents in September. However, the WSD had not proactively followed up the request and led to the recurrence of a similar incident in November. He opined that the WSD should have replaced the water pipes as soon as they had been aware of the issue, so that the incident could be handled effectively and people would have every confidence in the WSD. He hoped that the WSD would review its efficiency and endeavour to prevent similar incidents from recurring.

(l) Mr CHIU Chi-keung said that the WSD should give definite responses to the queries about the metallic particles in the drinking water and avoid creating public confusion with ambiguous responses. If the incident was caused by the ageing of the pipes or other reasons, the

20 Action WSD should replace the pipes immediately to relieve the residents from worries.

(m) Mr KUNG Pak-cheung said that some of the water meters might contain metal and hence drinking water supplied through those water meters to different units in the building might be polluted by metallic particles in the process. Hence, he suggested the WSD examine the condition of the water meters in details to ensure the safety of drinking water. As the incident only involved individual units in the building, it was unlikely that the contamination was caused by the main water pipe.

(n) Mr WONG Kin-pan thanked the WSD and the HD for their work. He said that the issue of contaminated drinking water had caused worries among residents. He suggested the WSD increase the number of water testing points and investigate the origins of the contamination right from the source of water supply. Improvement measures should also be raised to alleviate the worries of the residents.

(o) Mr LAU Hing-yeung suggested the WSD provide data for comparison of amount of metallic particles in safe drinking water and the suspected contaminated drinking water, and endeavour to identify the source of the sediments. Pipes should be replaced immediately if problems were found in them so as to resolve the issue promptly.

(p) Mr Stanley HO said that people had high expectations on quality drinking water, yet there was discrepancy between the standards of the WSD and the expectations of the public, so many residents installed water filters at home to strengthen drinking water safety. He suggested the WSD install large-scale water filters in appropriate areas and review the standard of quality drinking water to enhance the confidence of the residents. In addition, he opined that the ways the WSD handled the issue should be improved. As a matter of fact, upon receiving complaints from the residents in September, the WSD should have performed a full-scale inspection and carried out appropriate enhancement measures to avoid the water from being contaminated again. He also urged the WSD to list out the detailed values of standards used in the water test together with the actual results.

(q) The Vice-Chairman quoted the example of Healthy Village and suggested first and foremost that the WSD should install independent

21 Action water filters for the water supply systems of those buildings affected by water contamination. Then it should track down the source of water contamination in order to ensure that the water was potable. He said that the WSD should identify the source of contamination by checking the inlets and all the pipes and water tanks involved as soon as possible.

15. Mr LAU Wai-leung and Mr WONG Oi-sing of the WSD responded to the views and queries of Members as follows:

(a) Upon hearing the news that some political groups had sampled water for testing, the WSD started liaising with them and confirmed that the drinking water sampled complied with the guidelines and was potable. The WSD would further examine the composition of the particles and adopt appropriate measures to ensure the drinking water safety. The WSD could not find any black particles in water in the preliminary investigation.

(b) The water supply system of Oi Tung Estate was relatively young and hence unlikely to be ageing. However, as the water supply system of Oi Tung Estate was linked to that of Ming Wah Dai Ha, the WSD resorted to use stainless steel pipes to maintain the normal supply of fresh water and avoid affecting the water pressure. After detailed investigation, the WSD suspected the black particles were the flakes that came off from the aged protective coating of asphalt inside the pipes and had stopped using those suspected pipes in the meantime.

(c) The WSD had adopted short-term measures, including the installation of filtering nets and particle separators, in the hope of preventing the particles from entering the households’ water pipes. However, owing to unsatisfactory results, the WSD had stepped up the measure by installing filtering nets of higher density. The WSD was closely monitoring the water supply network and would cleanse the particle separators approximately once a month to ensure that the separators would function normally.

(d) To eradicate the black particles from the water, the WSD had altered the water supply route for Oi Tung Estate by using other water pipes under the purview of the Government. The WSD was currently arranging inspection and rehabilitation works for the section of water pipes that showed signs of ageing. The WSD would also collaborate with the

22 Action HD to carry out an in-depth investigation into the source of the black particles.

(e) Upon receiving the complaints, the WSD started inspecting, rinsing, cleansing or even replacing the water meters to ensure the safety of drinking water.

(f) The World Health Organisation’s Guidelines for Drinking-water Quality had no specific indicators for iron content in drinking water.

(g) The WSD would submit the examination reports on the quality of water sampled together with the detailed values of the various standards used in the tests.

(h) As the WSD had implemented an effective water quality monitoring programme while independent water filters might easily cause problems in water pressure or blockage of pipes, the WSD had no plan to install independent water filters for the water supply systems of the affected buildings.

All attendees 16. After discussion, the Committee agreed to list the agenda item as a follow- up item.

VI. Progress report of matters arising from previous PWHC meetings (PWHC Paper No. 39/17)

17. The Chairman welcomed Mr LO Wai-pan, Eddie, Senior Executive Officer (Planning) 5, and Ms CHAU Po-chu, Sharon, Senior Librarian (Planning and Development) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD); Mr WEI Chiu-fan, Job, Senior Project Manager 325, Mr SY Kin-man, Kevin, Architect 209, and Mr LAU Man-kuen, Ephes, Project Manager 350 of the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD); Mr NG Tak-wah, Senior Town Planner/Hong Kong(2) of the Planning Department (PD); Ms HO Mun-yee, Money, Senior Estate Surveyor/Hong Kong East (3) of the District Lands Office/Hong Kong East (DLO); Ms CHAN Wai- lin, Rose, Senior Housing Manager/Hong Kong Island and Islands, and Ms CHEUNG Wai-yu, Maintenance Surveyor/Hong Kong Island and Islands of the HD; Mr LIN Tang-tai, Senior Engineer/Planning Policy of the WSD; Mr LEE Siu-kai, Senior Superintendent (Works and Planning), and Mr CHU Cheuk-yin, Patrick, Officer (Works and Planning) 2 of the Correctional Services Department (CSD); Mr

23 Action LAM Kwai-sang, Chief Project Manager 103, Mr CHAN Kwok-chiu, Simon, Senior Project Manager 137, and Mr CHOI Chun-hung, William, Project Manager 143 of the ArchSD; Mr KWAN Wing-yip, Engineer/Eastern 2 of the Transport Department (TD); Mr CHU Ho, Larry, Assistant Secretary (Harbour) 1 of the DB; Mr HO Kwok-fai, Godfrey, Senior Engineer/6 (South) of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD); Mr WAN Chi-wai, Terry, Senior Building Surveyor/B1, and Mr CHENG Wai-kit, Raymond, Building Surveyor/B4-1 of the BD; Mr AU Wang-tat, Raymond, Engineer/Eastern 3 of the DSD; Mr WONG Wai- leung, Chief Health Inspector (Eastern) 1 of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD); and Mr LEE Kwok-lun, Scientific Officer of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) to the meeting.

(i) Strong Request for Building a District Library as Soon as Possible Next to Eastern Law Courts Building Scope of Development of the Joint User Complex at Lei King Wan Preliminary Design Plan of the Joint User Complex at Lei King Wan Revised Design Proposal of the Joint User Complex at Lei King Wan Latest Design Proposal of the Joint User Complex at Lei King Road

18. The views and queries of 4 Members about the issues are summarised as follows:

(a) Mr Eddie TING said that the design proposal of the above complex had been subject to numerous revisions, but the project works were yet to commence. He asked the LCSD to present the final design proposal and the estimated timetable for the completion of the project.

(b) Mr Dominic WONG was pleased to see the project proposal and encouraged the LCSD to accomplish the project as soon as possible.

(c) Mr LAM Sum-lim urged the LCSD to explain the next stage of work and the estimated timetable of the project.

(d) Mr YEUNG Sze-chun respected the professional opinion of the LCSD for non-provision of escalators. He enquired whether there were further changes in the design of the project, the progress of the in-depth design, the schedule for another consultation with the District Council after the completion of the final design, and the estimated timetable for the completion of the project.

24 Action 19. Mr Eddie LO of the LCSD responded to the views and queries of Members as follows:

(a) After the PWHC had expressed its support for the LCSD’s latest proposal on 10 October 2017, the ArchSD had commenced the in-depth design of the Joint User Complex at Lei King Road.

(b) The LCSD had consulted the Task Force on Harbourfront Developments on Hong Kong Island of the Harbourfront Commission regarding the design proposal of the Joint User Complex.

(c) The LCSD would launch the project proactively in accordance with the established procedures and continue to seek more resources in the hope of commencing the works as soon as possible.

All attendees 20. After discussion, the Committee agreed to continue to follow up the agenda item.

(ii) Request to Construct a Swimming Pool at Quarry Bay Strongly Request the Government to Make Good Use of the Land Resources by Constructing a Standard Indoor Swimming Pool on the Side of Aldrich Garden Construction of an All-weather Indoor Swimming Pool with Green Concept at the Side of Tung Hei Road, Shau Kei Wan Greening and Leisure Facilities at Tung Hei Road Suggestion to Construct a Multi-storey Sports Centre on the Side of Aldrich Garden

21. The views and queries of 5 Members about the issue are summarised as follows:

(a) Mr NGAN Chun-lim enquired of the LCSD whether it had started the technical feasibility study for sports and recreation facilities as mentioned in the 2017 Policy Address.

(b) Mr LAM Sum-lim said that there were high expectations for the construction of a sports complex in Aldrich Bay to better utilise the land next to Tung Hei Road and compensate for the shortage of sports and recreation facilities in the district. He hoped that the LCSD could implement the project works as soon as possible.

25 Action (c) Mr Eddie TING said that the Government had once indicated that the number of swimming pools in the Eastern District was sufficient to attain the required standard but now was keen to study the feasibility of building a swimming pool in Shau Kei Wan. He opined that such inconsistent stand was unfair to the area of Quarry Bay. He was not opposing the construction of a swimming pool in Shau Kei Wan, but in light of the availability of appropriate land in the area of Quarry Bay for such purpose and the demand of the public, he urged the LCSD to build a swimming pool in the area of Quarry Bay as well.

(d) Mr Dominic WONG said that as the Government had been promoting sports for all, he expected the LCSD to retrofit more sports facilities as soon as possible, and implement the proposal to construct a sports complex in Aldrich Bay as early as possible.

(e) The Vice-Chairman said that the Government had promised to construct a swimming pool in the Quarry Bay Park Phase II as a compensation for the land recovered from the warehouse of the WSD and the vehicle examination centre. He supported the plan to construct a swimming pool in Shau Kei Wan but also hoped that the LCSD could honour its promise of constructing a swimming pool in the area of Quarry Bay.

22. Mr Eddie LO of the LCSD responded to the views and queries of Members as follows:

(a) The Government announced in the 2017 Policy Address that it would conduct technical feasibility studies for 15 sports and recreation facilities for the kick-start of the relevant project works and one of them was the development of the Aldrich Bay Sports Complex and sitting- out area at Tung Hei Road in Shau Kei Wan (i.e. at the side of Aldrich Garden). The LCSD would collaborate with the relevant departments and policy bureaux to study the development of the site.

(b) The land reserved for the development of the Quarry Bay Park Phase II (Stages 2 and 3) was currently occupied by various government departments for temporary uses. The LCSD would closely monitor the timetables of reprovisioning of facilities by the relevant departments and comprehensively study the relevant proposals on the development of the site in due course.

26 Action All attendees 23. After discussion, the Committee agreed to continue to follow up the agenda item.

(iii) Making a Strong Request to Put the Open Space at the Junction of Siu Sai Wan Road and Harmony Road into Use as Soon as Possible

24. Members noted the written reply of the various departments.

All attendees 25. After discussion, the Committee agreed to continue to follow up the agenda item.

(iv) Making a Request to Change the Triangular Provisional Land next to Heng Fa Chuen Bus Terminal into Permanent Motorcycle Parking Spaces

26. Members noted the written reply of the various departments.

27. Mr Stanley HO enquired of the TD whether it had consulted other government departments about the project works, and asked about its plan and timetable for local consultation. He hoped that the TD could implement the project works as soon as possible in order not to keep the public waiting.

28. Mr KWAN Wing-yip of the TD responded to the views and queries of Member as follows:

(a) The TD had consulted other departments and would respond accordingly, and the plans would be amended when necessary.

(b) The TD would conduct a one-month local consultation in early December 2017.

All attendees 29. After discussion, the Committee agreed to continue to follow up the agenda item.

(v) Requesting the Government to Handle Properly the Problem of Shortage of Ancillary Facilities for Living in the Estate after the Sale of Hing Man Commercial Centre Requesting the Government to Handle the Problems Arising from the Change of Ownership of the Commercial Centre of Hing Man Estate and Take Care of the Basic Daily Needs of Residents

27 Action 30. Ms Rose CHAN of the HD reported the latest work progress.

31. The views and queries of 4 Members about the issue are summarised as follows:

(a) Mr LAU Hing-yeung was pleased to see the promising progress of the rehabilitation work of the commercial centre and that the bakery shop, a social enterprise in the community, would soon commence business. He hoped that the HD could have more meetings with the owner of the commercial centre and disseminate latest information to the residents from time to time. He also enquired about the timetable for the completion of the renovation project of the commercial centre.

(b) Mr CHUI Chi-kin thanked the HD for its effort. He pointed out that the general pricing of the products offered in the temporary stall of the social enterprise was still higher than that of other areas in spite of its discounts, and he hoped that the owner was aware of that. He also enquired whether the bakery shop would be able to commence business by end February 2018, whether the renovation project of the commercial centre could be accomplished per schedule and the opening dates of the other shops.

(c) Mr KU Kwai-yiu praised the HD for its proactive communication with the owner of the commercial centre. In the course of the construction works, some residents opined that the lighting was insufficient which could be dangerous, he hoped that the HD could relay the situation to the owner. In addition, he wanted to know more about the estimated schedule for the reopening of the commercial centre.

(d) Mr Dominic WONG thanked the HD for resolving the issues for the residents. He also hoped that the HD could strengthen its liaison with the owner as well as all the stakeholders (including the relevant District Councillor(s)) during the renovation works.

32. Ms Rose CHAN of the HD responded to the views and queries of Members as follows:

(a) The HD had kept close contacts with the owner of the commercial centre and relayed the comments of the residents and all the stakeholders (including the District Councillors) to the owner, in hope of enhancing the environment and facilities of the commercial centre.

28 Action

(b) The HD would regularly post notices to release updates to the residents.

(c) The owner had estimated that the first phase of the renovation works would be completed by February 2018. However, as some of the structural engineering works had not been approved by the Independent Checking Unit, the owner engaged structural engineering consultants for revision and submitted a revised draft to catch up with the original timetable. Hence, the completion date of the first phase of the project was estimated to be deferred to March and the entire project would be completed in September.

(d) The initial plan of the owner was to introduce anchor tenants and invite convenience shops, clinics and eateries to take up tenancy in the commercial centre. However, as tenancies involved commercial considerations, the owner did not consider it appropriate to disclose any details.

(e) The HD had requested the owner to improve the lighting and address other environmental problems during the renovation and had been following up the relevant issues.

All attendees 33. After discussion, the Committee agreed to continue to follow up the agenda item.

(vi) Concern over the Danger of Collapse of Hillsides

34. Members noted the written reply of the CEDD.

35. The views and queries of 2 Members about the issue are summarised as follows:

(a) Mr KU Kwai-yiu expressed concern about the safety of the hillsides and was not satisfied that there were no further responses from the CEDD.

(b) Mr WONG Kin-pan said that Members could submit separate discussion papers on the safety of specific slopes.

All attendees 36. After discussion, the Committee agreed not to follow up the agenda item.

29 Action (vii) Water Supplies Department Headquarters with Hong Kong and Islands Regional Office and Correctional Services Department Headquarters

37. Mr LIN Tang-tai of the WSD and Mr Simon CHAN of the ArchSD reported the latest progress.

38. The views and queries of 6 Members about the issue are summarised as follows:

(a) Mr KU Kwai-yiu said that currently there were approximately 170 to 180 parking spaces in the temporary car park, but the area committee concerned was informed by the departments during consultation that there would only be 150 parking spaces in the headquarters building. The lack of sufficient parking spaces would lead to illegal parking in the district. He suggested the departments concerned maximise the use of spaces for parking in the building, study the feasibility of adopting double-deck car parking facilities suggested by the area committee, and adopt appropriate measures to stop illegal parking. He supported the construction of the headquarters building if sufficient parking spaces could be provided in it.

(b) Mr Stanley HO understood the Government’s policy to move its offices away from the core business district. However, the site on which the new headquarters building would be situated had been earmarked as a temporary car park providing approximately 180 parking spaces nine years ago. A provision of 150 parking spaces in the new headquarters building would not be able to satisfy the demand in the district. He hoped the departments concerned would seriously study the feasibility of increasing the number of parking spaces and endeavour to increase the supply of parking spaces through ways such as using smart parking information systems or adopting double-deck car parking facilities, in order to resolve the issue of insufficient parking spaces, hence avoiding the worsening of the illegal parking problem.

(c) Mr CHUI Chi-kin urged the departments concerned to give an account of the impacts on the environment caused by the project and the results of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report.

(d) Mr KUNG Pak-cheung said that the area committee supported the design proposal of 150 parking spaces, yet it requested the departments concerned to further study the feasibility of adopting double-deck car

30 Action parking facilities at the same time. He hoped that the departments concerned could actively consider the proposal of the area committee.

(e) Mr Joseph LAI suggested the departments concerned properly plan the routing for vehicles to and from the headquarters, restrict traffic by only allowing the use of the to avoid traffic congestion. He suggested the departments concerned open the canteen(s) inside the headquarters for public use at all times to allow their staff and residents of the local areas to enjoy their catering services, hence alleviating the burdens on the eateries in Heng Fa Chuen and Siu Sai Wan area, and serving the residents of the local areas. He also hoped that the departments concerned could submit the sketch design to the District Council as early as possible for discussion in order to collect feedback from all the stakeholders in a timely manner.

(f) Mr WONG Kin-pan said that the departments concerned should proactively increase the number of parking spaces in the new headquarters building. He pointed out that the second floor of the building was of sufficient height and there were quite a number of car parks in Hong Kong using double-deck car parking facilities. He hoped that the TD could promise, while outsourcing to the contractor the management of the parking spaces, to study the feasibility of adding special clauses to the contract to request the contractor to provide double-deck car parking facilities in designated locations in order to increase the supply of parking spaces. He hoped the departments concerned would further consult the District Council when there was progress in the project.

39. Mr LIN Tang-tai of the WSD, Mr LEE Siu-kai of the CSD and Mr KWAN Wing-yip of the TD responded to the views and queries of Members as follows:

WSD

(a) The WSD would continue to follow up the impacts caused by the project on the environment, and could provide the relevant information in due course.

CSD

(b) The canteen facilities in the headquarters building were opened on all

31 Action regular working days, with the staff of the CSD being the main targets of services. According to the Accommodation Regulations, the canteen facilities could only be open to the staff and other authorised persons but not the public. The relevant supplementary information could be provided in due course where necessary.

TD

(c) The TD had recently conducted a statistical survey on the demand for car parking and found that about 150 odd private cars were parked in the current temporary car park during peak hours. Coupled with the available parking spaces in the neighbourhood car parks, the TD opined that the provision of approximately 150 parking spaces in the headquarters should be sufficient to cater to the current parking needs.

ArchSD

(d) The ArchSD would reserve suitable locations and spaces for the adoption of double-deck car parking facilities or other intelligent parking systems in the design of the public car park. Upon the completion of the public car park, the TD would review the usage of the parking spaces and adopt the most effective means to increase the number of parking spaces in the public car park when there was actual parking needs in order to satisfy the district’s demand.

All attendees 40. After discussion, the Committee supported the above project works and agreed to continue following up the agenda item when progress was reported.

(viii) The Revised Proposal of Harbourfront Boardwalk in Eastern District Submitted by Civil Engineering and Development Department to Harbourfront Commission

41. Mr Larry CHU of the DB reported the latest progress.

All attendees 42. After discussion, the Committee agreed to continue following up the agenda item and to merge it with Item No. 11 of the progress report for discussion.

32 Action

(ix) Concern over the Development Plan for the Site Next to Quarry Bay Promenade at Hoi Yu Street Follow Up On the Proposed Construction of a 25-storey Industrial Building at the Quarry Bay Promenade Near the Exit of the Pet Garden at Hoi Yu Street

43. Mr Larry CHU of the DB reported the latest progress.

44. The views and queries of 3 Members about the issue are summarised as follows:

(a) Mr Eddie TING said that the political group he belonged to had met with the Secretary for Development and urged the DB to coordinate with the landowner(s), in the hope of the abolition of the construction of an industrial building there. The DB indicated that it was endeavouring to negotiate with the landowner(s) to convince the developer(s) to give up the development plan or curtail the scale and height of the development project. It also hoped that the landowner(s) would reserve sufficient land for the development of the promenade. He hoped that the DB would note the views of the local area and actively follow up the issue with the developer(s).

(b) Mr Andrew CHIU said that the DB had never taken the issue seriously in the past several years and the latest development was worrying. He would collect views from the public through residents’ focus groups and request the departments concerned to follow up and resolve the land ownership issues as soon as possible. He also urged the DB to review the loopholes in the current legislation to prevent the developer(s) from procrastinating in the development project.

(c) Mr CHUI Chi-kin said that the industrial building would hinder the long-term development of the harbourfront and the boardwalk project of Eastern District and hoped the DB would actively tackle the issue.

45. Mr Larry CHU of the DB responded that the Government noted the views of Members and understood the expectations of different sectors of the community. The relevant building plan for the development project was first approved in 2001 by the BD and did not contradict the “industrial” purpose designated in the draft outline zoning plan of that private lot at that time. Although the development of the industrial building by the landowner(s) did not violate the planning permission,

33 Action legislation of construction and relevant aspects as well as the land lease, the DB would continue to negotiate with the landowner(s) and hoped to reach a consensus with the landowner(s) so that the future development of the land section concerned could dovetail with the planning of the harbourfront.

All attendees 46. After discussion, the Committee agreed to continue following up the agenda item when progress was reported.

(x) Concern over the Ageing Problem of Old Buildings and Request for Enhanced Inspection on External Walls of Buildings

47. The issue had been deliberated under agenda item IV.

(xi) Replanning – Establishment of the North Point Waterfront Park

48. Mr Larry CHU of the DB and Mr Eddie LO of the LCSD reported the latest progress.

49. Ms Bonnie LEUNG hoped that the departments concerned would continue to follow up the views of Members and study them under the project of the boardwalk underneath Island Eastern Corridor.

All attendees 50. After discussion, the Committee agreed to continue following up the agenda item and to merge it with Item No. 8 of the progress report for discussion.

(xii) Request for a Full Review and Improvement of the Underground Drainage System of the Eastern District, Safeguarding the Life and Property of the Public Urging the Government to Give an Account of the Severe Floods Caused by Heavy Rain in Chai Wan Requesting the Government to Express Concern about the Damage Caused by Heavy Rain on 19 October 2016 and Study Flood Prevention Measures Issues Relating to the Floods at the Roundabout in Chai Wan

51. Members noted the written reply of the WSD and the Highways Department.

52. Ms Bonnie LEUNG hoped that the DSD would continue to provide professional advice to management companies of individual private residential estates to prevent flooding.

34 Action 53. Mr Raymond AU of the DSD said the DSD would continue to provide professional advice to all relevant institutions.

All attendees 54. After discussion, the Committee agreed to continue following up the agenda item and remove the Hong Kong Observatory from the list of responsible departments.

(xiii) Request to Build a Sports Complex at the Open Space Next to Quarry Bay Park Phase II

All attendees 55. The agenda item was to be followed up every 6 months, and would be followed up at the meeting in April 2018.

(xiv) Request to Follow Up Immediately the Issue of Noise Barriers at Blocks 16 and 17 of Heng Fa Chuen

All attendees 56. The agenda item was to be followed up when work progress was reported.

(xv) Requesting the Housing Department to Install Automatic Sensor Systems in the Escalators in Public Housing Estates

All attendees 57. The agenda item was to be followed up when work progress was reported.

(xvi) Proposal to Reprovision Chai Wan Ambulance Station and Construct Departmental Quarters at the Junction of Sun Yip Street and Siu Sai Wan Road, Chai Wan

All attendees 58. The agenda item was to be followed up when work progress was reported.

(xvii) Request for Provision of Escalators in Braemar Hill area Request the Government to Speed Up the Construction of an Escalator to Go Directly to Braemar Hill Results of the Feasibility Study of the Pedestrian Link in Braemar Hill Consultation Regarding the Preliminary Design of Braemar Hill Pedestrian Link Consultation Regarding the Design of Braemar Hill Pedestrian Link

All attendees 59. The agenda item was to be followed up when work progress was reported.

35 Action (xviii) Motion: Objection to the Relocation of Tin Wan Concrete Batching Plant to the Industrial Area of Chai Wan The Relocation of Tin Wan Concrete Batching Plant to a Factory Building in Chai Wan Area Strong Objection to the Establishment of a Concrete Batching Plant in Chai Wan Requesting Policy Bureaux to Explain whether the Operation of the Concrete Batching Plant in Chai Wan is Consistent with the Law

All attendees 60. After discussion, the Committee agreed not to follow up the agenda item.

(xix) Request to Demolish the Squatter Area of A Kung Ngam Village and Properly Rehouse the Residents Affected

All attendees 61. After discussion, the Committee agreed not to follow up the agenda item.

(xx) Request for Installation of Automatic Glass Doors at all Major Entrances and Exits of Shopping Centres under Link REIT

All attendees 62. The agenda item was to be followed up when work progress was reported.

VII. Date of the Next Meeting

63. The meeting ended at 7:15 pm. The date of the next meeting of the PWHC would be announced in due course.

(Post-meeting remarks: The 1st meeting of the PWHC (2018-19) was held at 2:30 pm on 2 January 2018 (Tuesday).)

Eastern District Council Secretariat February 2018

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