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Following is a question by the Hon Audrey Eu and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, at the Legislative Council meeting today (January 10) :
Question:
At the end of 2004, the Government announced its new nature conservation policy, under which a public-private partnership pilot scheme would be launched for enhancing conservation of priority sites. Six applications for public-private partnership were received in 2005 but the result of the applications is still not available. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the exact dates on which the above six applications were received by the departments concerned;
(b) of the total number of meetings so far held to examine the six applications by the Inter-departmental Task Force concerned; and
(c) whether it would set a time limit for processing the six applications so that the priority sites will not be affected by prolonged processing time?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has been actively conserving ecologically important habitats in Hong Kong, such as country parks, special areas and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, etc. However, the Government does not have the right to enter ecologically important sites under private ownership to carry out conservation work. Hence, the Government announced the New Nature Conservation Policy in end 2004, with a view to addressing the inadequacy in conserving ecologically important sites under private ownership through the Pilot Schemes for Public-private Partnership (PPP) and Management Agreements.
We received a total of six PPP applications, which proposed to implement pilot nature conservation PPP projects in Sha Lo Tung, Tai Ho, Wu Kau Tang, Mau Ping and Mui Tsz Lam, Yung Shue O, and Tin Fook Wai. The Government received the application in respect of the Sha Lo Tung site on May 17, 2005 and the other five applications on May 31, 2005.
(b) The Government has set up an Inter-departmental Task Force, comprising representatives from departments responsible for conservation, planning, environment and works, to examine the applications. The Task Force has held eight meetings since May 2005.
(c) We have not set a time limit for processing the PPP applications. We need to consider the applications on a case-by-case basis, having regard to factors including the development plans and ownership of the land under application, current ecological conditions, expected ecological benefits brought by the projects, environmental impact of the proposed developments under the projects (including related transportation and infrastructure facilities), financial viability and performance evaluation of the projects as well as monitoring arrangements. Owing to the complicated policy issues (such as land administration and planning policy) involved in Pilot PPP Scheme, the time required to examine the applications is longer than expected.
Ends/Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Issued at HKT 14:03
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