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Following is the question by the Hon Wong Ting Kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour, Mr Stephen Ip, in the Legislative Council today (December 6):
Question
Regarding the project to construct a logistics park at Siu Ho Wan on Lantau Island (the LP project), will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether the detailed feasibility study commissioned by the Civil Engineering and Development Department to take forward the LP project has been completed; if so, of the specific conclusions drawn from the study; if not, the progress of the study and its projected completion date;
(b) given that in reply to a question from a Member of this Council in June last year, the Secretary for Economic Development and Labour advised that the LP project had to follow all the relevant statutory procedures before it could be implemented and the public would be consulted again in accordance with these procedures, when the statutory procedures will be completed and when the public will be consulted, and how long it will take to complete the whole process, as estimated by the Administration; and
(c) whether there will be a delay in the implementation of the LP project because the implementation timetable for the concrete construction plan for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge has not been finalised?
Reply
Madam President,
The feasibility study on the proposed Lantau Logistics Park (LLP) commissioned by the Civil Engineering and Development Department in 2005 has reached the final stage, the major outstanding item being work related to the Environmental Impact Assessment Report. With the current progress, the Civil Engineering and Development Department expects that the feasibility study will be completed in the first quarter of 2007.
The statutory procedures related to the proposed LLP include mainly those prescribed in the Foreshore and Sea-bed (Reclamations) Ordinance, the Town Planning Ordinance and the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance. In addition to the statutory procedures, the proposed LLP site and its timing for construction also hinge on other factors, including complementary infrastructure development and connectivity with the cargo hinterland. In studying the proposal for a logistics park at Siu Ho Wan of Lantau Island, the Government consulted the industry through the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council on the LLP proposal in 2003. At that time, Council members considered that the site was strategically located in the vicinity of the Hong Kong International Airport and the Kwai Tsing container terminals. Furthermore, with its proximity to the proposed Hong Kong landing point of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Council considered that the LLP could take advantage of the opportunities presented by the connection to the cargo source in the Pearl River Delta Region. The proposal thus obtained the support of the Hong Kong Logistics Development Council. In this connection, the completion date of complementary infrastructure has an important bearing on the business viability of the LLP and the support of the industry. The Government will consult the public and the industry before confirming the location and the timing for the construction of the LLP, so that the LLP can meet the expectation of the industry.
After the completion of the feasibility study, if the industry supports the site selection and the construction of the LLP, the Government will follow the requirements of the Town Planning Ordinance and the Foreshore and Sea-bed (Reclamations) Ordinance to prepare the draft outline zoning plan and to set out the reclamation works related to the project. According to relevant procedures, it requires about three months before the draft outline zoning plan and the reclamation works related to the project can be gazetted for public consultation. According to the statutory procedures and past experience, the whole process from gazettal to completion is expected to take 14 months.
In the meantime, to meet the industry demand for land for port and logistics uses, the Government has identified about 15 hectares of land in Tai Po and Kwai Chung which was tendered out in the period between April and August 2006. The Government also, as a pilot scheme, plans to tender out on a long-term basis a total of 18 hectares of land adjacent to the Kwai Chung container terminals, to meet the industry's demand for logistics land use.
Ends/Wednesday, December 6, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:19
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