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    Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (April 6) :

Question:

    Will the Government inform this Council :

(a) of the respective amounts of imported and locally produced compost, soil conditioner and fertiliser procured by various government departments and the expenses involved in each of the past three years;

(b) whether all the compost produced at the composting facility in Sha Ling had been fully utilised in the past three years, and the amount of such compost utilised by various government departments; and

(c) of the current annual compost output of the above composting facility and the production cost per tonne?

Reply:

Madam President,

(a) Compost, soil conditioner and fertiliser are mostly used by the contractors of government departments in landscape works as part of the works contracts and the purchase may be made direct by departments or their contractors.  No separate account is kept for the purchase of compost, soil conditioner or fertiliser by government departments. Their consumption may vary with the number of works contracts in hand.  Also, we do not have comprehensive information on whether the soil conditioner or compost procured by the departments is imported or locally produced.

(b) Over the past three years, the Sha Ling Livestock Waste Composting Plant produced an average of 3,600 tonnes of compost annually. All the compost produced had been fully utilised.  In 2004, about 485 tonnes of compost were supplied to various government departments (including Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Civil Engineering and Development Department, Fire Services Department, Hong Kong Police Force, Housing Department and Leisure and Cultural Services Department).

(c) The Sha Ling Livestock Waste Composting Plant has been producing an average of 3,600 tonnes of compost annually over the past three years.  In the past three years, the Environmental Protection Department has paid an average of $12 million each year to the contractor to operate the livestock waste collection and composting contract.  It is estimated that over 95 per cent of this payment is for the livestock waste collection service and less than five per cent is for the operation and maintenance of the composting plant.

Ends/Wednesday, April 6, 2005

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