Minutes of the 10th Meeting of the Southern District Council (2016-2019) Date : 18 May 2017 Time : 2:30 p.m. Venue : SDC Conference Room Present: Mr CHU Ching-hong, JP (Chairman) Mr CHAN Fu-ming, MH (Vice-Chairman) Mr AU Lap-sing, MH Mr AU Nok-hin 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 Mr TSUI Yuen-wa Ms YAM Pauline Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN Absent with Apologies: Dr MAK TSE How-ling, Ada, MH 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 District Officer (Southern), Home Affairs Department Miss TSE Nga-lap, Lilian Assistant District Officer (Southern), Home Affairs Department Mr CHAN Ip-to, Tony Senior Executive Officer (District Management), Southern District Office, Home Affairs Department Ms LO Mun-wah, Cindy Senior Liaison Officer (1), Southern District Office, Home Affairs Department Miss CHOW Suk-yee, Jessica Senior Liaison Officer (2), Southern District Office, Home Affairs Department Mr LEE Kan-fat District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Southern), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Mr. CHEUNG Wing-keung, District Leisure Manager (Southern), Wicky Leisure and Cultural Services Department Mrs LAI CHAN Wai-fan Senior Housing Manager/Estate & Development Services, Housing Department Mr HO Kwan-hang, Albert Chief Transport Officer/HK, Transport Department Ms CHAN Yee-lai District Commander (Western), Hong Kong Police Force Mr LO Yee-chung, Leo Police Community Relations Officer (Western District), Hong Kong Police Force Mr. LEE Kai-wing, Raymond, JP Director of Planning, Planning Department Mr KAU Kin-hong, Louis District Planning Officer/HK, for agenda Planning Department item 1 Miss LEE Kit-tak, Jessica Senior Town Planner/HK 1, Planning Department Ms Joanne HA Deputy District Leisure Manager (District Support) Southern, Leisure and Cultural Services Department for agenda Ms Emily ZHAO Manger(HK West)Marketing, item 4 Programme & District Activities, Leisure and Cultural Services Department 2 Ms Vivian WONG Social Work Assistant, Caritas Community Centre-Aberdeen for agenda Ms Annie LIENG Executive Assistant, Southern District item 5 Healthy & Safe Association Ltd Mr KWOK Kin-kuen Senior Engineer/South Island Line (East) 2, Highways Department Mr CHAN Hoi-ki Engineer/South Island Line (2), Highways Department Mr Johnny CHAN Senior Engineer/Priority Railway 3, Transport Department for agenda Mr Calvin YEUNG Engineer/Priority Railway 5, item 6 Transport Department Mr Thomas LI Senior Construction Engineer - Civil, MTR Corporation Limited Miss Lilian YEUNG Public Relations Manager - External Affairs, MTR Corporation Limited Dr LUK Che-chung Cluster Chief Executive, Hong Kong West Cluster, Hospital Authority Dr Nelson HUI Senior Manager (Planning & Commissioning Section), Queen Mary Hospital Ms Winnie YIP Cluster General Manager for agenda (Administrative Services), Hong item 7 Kong West Cluster, Hospital Authority Ms Pinky MAK Senior Hospital Manager (Planning & Commissioning Section), Queen Mary Hospital 3 Opening Remarks: The Chairman welcomed Mr LEE Kai-wing, JP, Director of Planning (D of Plan), Mr KAU Kin-hong, District Planning Officer/HK and Miss LEE Kit-tak, Senior Town Planner/HK 1 of the Planning Department (PlanD) to the meeting for discussion of agenda item 1. 2. The Chairman welcomed Members and regular government representatives to the meeting. 3. The Chairman said that Dr MAK TSE How-ling, MH was unable to attend the meeting because she was out of town for other engagements, and her leave application was rejected in accordance with Order 51(1) of the Standing Orders of Southern District Council (SDC). He requested Members to take note of this. 4. 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 7:05 p.m., and if Members wished to leave earlier, they should inform the secretariat staff as early as possible. Agenda Item 1: Meeting of Director of Planning with SDC Members [2:35 p.m. – 4:48 p.m.] 5. The Chairman said that he had been informed by Mr AU Nok-hin, Mr CHAI Man-hon, Mr LO Kin-hei, Mr TSUI Yuen-wa, Ms CHAN Judy Kapui and Mr LAM Kai-fai, MH before the meeting that they wished to make oral statements at this meeting. Therefore, he suggested D of Plan first briefly introduce the work of PlanD, and then Members would be invited to raise enquiries in the first round of speaking and the above six Members would be invited to make their oral statements. After that, D of Plan would be invited to respond before conducting the second round of questions 4 and responses. The Chairman asked Members whether they agreed with the above arrangement. 6. Members had no objection. 7. 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. 8. With the aid of PowerPoint presentation (PowerPoint 1), Mr LEE Kai-wing, JP introduced the work of PlanD and the planning circumstances of the Southern District, including territorial planning, district planning, developments in Pok Fu Lam and redevelopment of Wah Fu Estate as well as property development at the Wong Chuk Hang “Comprehensive Development Area” site. (Mr AU Nok-hin joined the meeting at 2:39 p.m.) 9. The Chairman invited Members to raise comments or enquiries. 10. Mr Paul ZIMMERMAN raised the following comments and enquiries: (i) While cemeteries in Hong Kong in general were seldom of high-rise, there were now multi-storey buildings in the Hong Kong Chinese Christian Churches Union Pok Fu Lam Road Cemetery. He enquired if PlanD would impose height restrictions on buildings in cemeteries such as columbaria; (ii) He enquired whether and when PlanD would review the Pok Fu Lam Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) in the light of the new housing developments in the area. He also enquired whether PlanD would excise the area reserved for Route 4 from the Pok Fu Lam OZP simultaneously; (iii) There were many walking trails in the Southern District connecting roads and green belt areas in country parks. Yet, these trails might even be removed when works were conducted in the vicinity. He enquired PlanD what measures were in place to protect the walking trails; (iv) PlanD had rezoned a site at Wong Ma Kok Road near Regalia Bay for housing development. As there was no footpath, pedestrians passing through the site had to walk on the carriageway, which was very dangerous. He had relayed the issue to the Transport Department (TD), but TD had responded that the 5 site could be accessed by bus. However, some people chose to go to Stanley on foot or by cycling instead of by bus. He was discontented with PlanD for rezoning the site even though it was not provided with a footpath; (v) Given that the traffic condition of Tai Tam Reservoir Road was unsatisfactory, he asked D of Plan when a comprehensive development planning would be conducted for Stanley and Tai Tam and what factors would be considered in approving applications for development. He urged PlanD to take into account the relevant ancillary transport facilities first when considering the developments in the Southern District; and (vi) PlanD had carried out the Focus Study on Aberdeen Harbour in 2001. After over 15 years, there had been significant changes in the surrounding environment, such as the recent completion of new buildings. He enquired whether and when PlanD would carry out a study on this area again to consider, among others, whether sites around Aberdeen Promenade and Ap Lei Chau could be leased out on short term tenancy (STT), with a view to making better use of land resources and optimising their development potential. 11. Mr CHAI Man-hon raised the following comments and enquiries: (i) He considered it undesirable to deploy additional security guards for maintaining order outside the conference room during this meeting because the arrangement would undermine the relationship between the public and the Government; (ii) He pointed out that there was still room for improvement in the existing seating arrangement, which had not fully utilised the space in the conference room; and (iii) He remarked that the failure to meet the objective of “making Hong Kong a liveable city to live and work in” as mentioned by D of Plan just then was attributable to the lack of public engagement in town planning. Non-official members of the Town Planning Board (TPB) were not democratically elected, but were appointed under section 2(1) of the Town Planning Ordinance (Cap. 131) (TPO) by the Chief Executive (CE). Even CE was elected by an Election Committee consisting of 1 200 members only. Due to the absence of public opinion representatives and the lack of representation and transparency in TPB under the above mechanism, public views could not be discussed and considered effectively in TPB. He enquired if PlanD agreed that the current composition of TPB lacked credibility, and whether the 6 next-term Government would change the composition of TPB, in order to achieve the objective of “making Hong Kong a liveable city to live and work in”.