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Public rental housing tenants who keep any animal, bird or livestock in their flats without prior written consent of the Housing Authority are breaching terms of their tenancy agreements.
The Assistant Director of Housing (Estate Management), Mr Lai Ip-cheung, said that the keeping of any animal, bird or livestock inside public rental housing (PRH) flats was included as a hygiene-related misdeed incurring five penalty points under the Marking Scheme for Tenancy Enforcement in Public Rental Housing Estates introduced in August, 2003.
ˇ§At the end of January this year, about 80 points-allotted cases under this category have been recorded,ˇ¨ Mr. Lai said, adding that the majority of the cases related to unauthorized dog-keeping in PRH flats.
He said the points would be allotted on top of a penalty fine of $50,000 to $100,000 after the introduction of legislative amendments banning the unauthorised keeping of five kinds of poultry ˇV chickens, ducks, geese, pigeons and quail in domestic households or in backyards taking effect from next Monday (February 13).
ˇ§The Housing Department will work closely with the relevant Government departments to ensure effective enforcement of the new law,ˇ¨ Mr. Lai said.
He warned that the department would consider terminating the tenancies if appropriate.
ˇ§Publicity will be stepped up,ˇ¨ Mr. Lai said, adding that pamphlets would be distributed to tenants and posters would be put up at lift lobbies of all PRH estates. Rolling text with a message to remind tenants not to keep animals will be broadcast on the Housing Channel.
To guard against avian influenza, Mr. Lai said the Housing Department would strengthen action to preserve environmental hygiene and cleanliness in markets and would intensify cleaning of PRH estates by the way of ˇ§Operation Tai Ping Tei.ˇ¨
ˇ§We will strengthen enforcement actions against misdeeds, such as littering and spitting. Local management are requested to identify hygiene black spots and areas with high density of feral birds or pigeons, and cleaning operations will be intensified for these black spots,ˇ¨ he said.
ˇ§Estate staff have been deployed to frighten away feral birds. Any bird or poultry carcass found will be sent to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Cleaning contractors have been requested to clean/disinfect the press buttons of lifts in PRH blocks three times a day,ˇ¨ Mr Lai said.
Ends/Saturday, February 11, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:00
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