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The Chief Executive, Mr Donald Tsang, today (July 26) visited the Civil Engineering and Development Department for a better understanding of its work in infrastructure development, greening and slope safety.
Accompanied by the Director of Civil Engineering and Development, Mr Chai Sung-veng, the Chief Executive toured the Emergency Control Centre under the department's Geotechnical Engineering Office. He was briefed on the operation of the centre during severe weather and its response to landslide reports.
Mr Tsang then met staff representatives of the department to learn more about the challenges they faced at work. He commended the staff for their contributions in providing high quality infrastructure in Hong Kong and reducing landslide risk to protect the public.
"With the professionalism and dedication of the Civil Engineering and Development Department staff, our achievements in civil engineering construction works have gained recognition," the Chief Executive said. He was pleased to note that the infrastructure works for Hong Kong Disneyland had won the award of the Sixth Tien-Yow Jeme Civil Engineering Prize, which was the highest honour in the field of civil engineering construction nationwide.
Mr Tsang then visited a Greening Master Plan (GMP) planting location at Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. Under the greening theme of Tsim Sha Tsui GMP - "Jade Necklace", major existing greened areas in the district have been linked together. About 660 trees and 140,000 shrubs have been planted at a cost of about $12 million.
Mr Tsang was pleased to learn that the GMP works, initially launched in the tourist area in Tsim Sha Tsui and the core business area in Central, were substantially completed in March this year.
The department is now developing GMPs for Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Sheung Wan, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay. Towards the end of this year, development of GMPs in the remaining urban areas will commence. As the Greening Master Plan works have been well received by the public, the department will speed up the works and extend the formulation of GMPs to the New Territories.
"I am pleased to see the noticeable results in greening brought by the Greening Master Plans. With the department's continued efforts in promoting greening in Hong Kong, I believe our environment will become more beautiful and pleasant," the Chief Executive said.
Mr Tsang also went to Sai Wan Estate in Kennedy Town to see a works site under the Landslip Preventive Measures Programme. He noted that under the current programme, about 250 government slopes were upgraded and 300 private slopes were subject to safety screening each year to reduce landslide risk.
Costing about $30 million, the landslip preventive works at Sai Wan Estate involve the upgrading of a government slope of about 100 metres high and 190 metres long behind the estate by soil nails and slope stabilising caissons. In addition, some 2,000 shrubs and trees will be planted on the slope to enhance the built environment.
Ends/Thursday, July 26, 2007
Issued at HKT 12:17
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