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Following is a question by the Hon Tam Yiu-chung and an oral reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, in the Legislative Council meeting today (March 17):
Question:
I have learnt that, at a meeting with the Owners' Committee of Discovery Park in Tsuen Wan, the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works undertook to re-consider the provision of noise enclosures for one of the road sections (i.e. the exit point at Mei Wan Street) of Route 5 Extension passing through Discovery Park, and review the effect of falling objects on road safety. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it has decided to provide noise enclosures for the above road section in order to mitigate the traffic noise; if it has decided to do so, of the timetable and other relevant details of the works; if it has decided otherwise or not yet decided, the reasons for that; and
(b) of the measures to prevent falling objects from endangering users of the road section concerned, and the amount of expenditure on these measures?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) I have done some detailed investigations on noise barriers and measures to mitigate noise. In particular, I had several meetings about the Discovery Park case as mentioned by the Honourable Mr Tam. Now I may report to the President.
The responsibility of providing traffic noise mitigation measures can rest with the Government and/or the developer, depending on the circumstances of individual cases. In the case in question, the traffic noise impacts on Discovery Park of Route 5 Extension currently under construction are jointly addressed by the developer and the Government.
In approving the Master Layout Plan of Discovery Park in 1991, the Town Planning Board (TPB) imposed specific requirements on the developer to address the traffic noise impacts on Discovery Park, including those that are expected to arise from Route 5 Extension after its commissioning. According to the approved Master Layout Plan and the requirements of the TPB, the noise mitigation measures to be implemented by the developer included leaving space in the building structure of Discovery Park to allow Route 5 Extension to go through in future such that a section of the road would be covered by the podium of the building for noise insulation purpose; erecting a 30-metre-long noise enclosure to the east of Discovery Park at the exit point at Mei Wan Street; and using suitable building orientation and setting back the residential blocks away from the roadside as far as possible.
Direct noise mitigation measures have also been incorporated into the Route 5 Extension project being carried out by the Government, including erecting a 4-metre high, 120-metre long noise barrier to the west of Discovery Park, and paving the road sections to the east and west of Discovery Park with low-noise materials.
With these direct mitigation measures in place, it is expected that the traffic noise level to which more than 90% of the residential units of Discovery Park will be exposed will not exceed the limit of 70dB. For the remaining less than 10%, the developer was required by the Master Layout Plan to provide indirect noise mitigation measures in the form of suitable insulated windows and air-conditioners to reduce the traffic noise levels to which they might be exposed.
As the developer has implemented all the direct and indirect traffic noise mitigation measures according to the Master Layout Plan and the requirements of the TPB in the Discovery Park development project and the Territory Development Department will implement the aforesaid direct noise mitigation measures as planned, we cannot accept the residents' request for the provision of additional noise barriers at the exit point of Route 5 Extension at Mei Wan Street.
Nevertheless, in view of the residents' concern, we will implement other noise mitigation measures, including minimising the number of road joints on Route 5 Extension and ensuring that the road joints are as smooth as possible so as to reduce the traffic noise generated by passing vehicles.
(b) On the question of objects falling from height, according to the Summary Offences Ordinance, if anything is dropped or allowed to fall from any building to pose danger or cause injury to any person in or near a public place, the person who drops that thing or allows it to fall commits an offence and is liable to a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for 6 months.
As there are buildings along most of the roads in Hong Kong, we believe Members and the community may agree that using noise barriers or enclosures to avert the danger caused by objects falling from height is both a negative and an inappropriate approach. We must take legal actions against the offenders and impose severe penalty on them but not rely on using noise barriers or enclosures as preventive measures.
Ends/Wednesday, March 17, 2004
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