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The following is the speech (English only) by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, at the opening ceremony of the Shuen Wan and Urban Landfills Restoration this (Monday) morning:

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,

The first point I would like to make is, I would really rather prefer not to be here. Now, before this causes great consternation, let me hasten to add that this has nothing to do with the very pleasant company here present. Nor does it indicate anything other than great admiration for the excellent work that has been done here.

My reluctance is because this event makes me look back to how we used to handle our waste and treat our environment. It makes me pause and think how much it costs to take remedial action, and how much cheaper, and better for the environment it would have been if we had done things differently in the first place. On a more positive note it reminds me that it is possible to remedy past faults and omissions.

Most importantly, it reinforces my determination that in future we will ensure that the impacts on our land, on our waters and our air of every project are assessed carefully, for their short and long term impacts, before they are implemented.

* This is the first of the thirteen closed landfills to be restored. By mid 2000, we will have restored 12 closed landfills;

* It is the first time we have extracted and used landfill gas on a commercial scale, capable of delivering one million megajoules per day as heating fuel. This reduces our use of fossil fuel and helps reduce the greenhouse gases we put into the atmosphere. It is a small but helpful step towards keeping Hong Kong's emissions of greenhouse gases below the level they were at in 1990, a contribution from Hong Kong to the control of global warming.

* The golf driving range is the first recreational facility built on a landfill in Hong Kong. This is turning a derelict waste dump into a valuable resource for use by the community.

The $2.3 billion investment in restoration projects is removing the potential hazards from old landfills. This helps protect the health of the community and of the environment. Treating the leachate from this landfill, for example, helps to restore the water quality and ecology in Tolo harbour.

We are also conscious that Hong Kong needs more space for the recycling industry to carry out its activities. And we are now examining whether we can establish a permanent recycling park at the Pillar Point Valley Landfill when its restoration work is completed in 2004.

For future management of waste, the priority is waste prevention. We are today spending some $800 million every year to dispose of six million tonnes of waste in landfills which are large enough to cover 170 football pitches.

The amount of waste, and the costs involved, are still rising. This is an enormous burden to the community and a threat to our environment. We must reverse the rising tide of waste.

The Waste Reduction Framework Plan published late last year has laid down the broad policy directions. This includes

* education campaigns to raise awareness and to encourage community participation in waste reduction - we have already launched source separation programmes in over 220 public and private housing developments. We will continue with these efforts with the support of the Environmental Campaign Committee and green groups;

* introduction of waste disposal charges. It is in our view, essential that we introduce landfill charges, to deter unnecessary dumping in our landfills and to provide economic incentives for waste reduction and recycling - we will introduce fresh proposals for this next year;

* introducing waste bulk reduction facilities such as waste to energy incinerators. We are finalising a feasibility study which has carefully scrutinised the environmental impacts. We aim to commission the first incinerator by 2007.

With these, and other measures, we aim to reduce the amount of waste produced, increase the extent of recycling, divert waste away from the landfills and extend landfill life.

These measures are for tomorrow. Today, the Landfills Restoration projects signify Government's determination to maintain a clean environment for Hong Kong. I would like to commend the Hong Kong Landfill Restoration Group and the Hong Kong and China Gas Company for undertaking the restoration and landfill gas utilisation projects. I also thank the Environmental Protection Department for their efforts. Together they serve as an excellent example of partnership at work to build a better environment.

Concern for the environment, and understanding of the need for greater partnership to develop a more sustainable Hong Kong is now taking centre stage. The Chief Executive placed the environment at the heart of his Policy Address last week. Later this week, on Wednesday, the first motion debate of the new legislative session will focus on the environment. We welcome this rising interest and we will do all in our power to guide that interest into effective and constructive partnership between the Government, business and community to create in Hong Kong an environment in which we can all be proud of.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

End/Monday, October 11, 1999

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