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Promoting Environmental Protection and Conservation
46. To improve the living environment in Hong Kong, we must continue to raise the community's awareness of environmental protection and conservation with enhanced participation. I propose to inject $1 billion into the Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) for educational, research and technology demonstration projects as well as environmental protection and conservation activities. The Government will encourage community participation and promote educational work to raise the public's environmental awareness through the enhanced ECF. At the same time, the ECF will encourage different organisations to carry out greening work on rooftops and podiums in suitable buildings to bring about environmental benefits and to set an example for the community. We should also leverage on our position as a global metropolis to actively promote international exchanges and experience sharing on environmental protection policies and technological research through the ECF. To achieve this, we will review the funding guidelines, including the criteria, funding limits and project duration so that the ECF is better utilised.
Waste Management
47. Apart from improving our air quality, we also face another challenge to find effective ways to handle our solid waste management problem. We need to implement the "polluter-pays" principle to achieve waste reduction at source by inducing people to change their living habits, and to encourage recovery and recycling. We will introduce in this legislative session the Product Eco-responsibility Bill to provide a legal framework for implementing producer responsibility schemes. The environmental levy on plastic shopping bags proposed earlier has gained public support. It will form the first producer responsibility scheme under the Bill to address the indiscriminate use of plastic shopping bags in Hong Kong. I would like to make it clear that the proposed levy is designed to promote waste reduction and recovery, with the ultimate aim of minimising the waste of resources and relieving the heavy burden of waste management.
48. Given the current rate of increase in solid waste, we estimate that the three existing strategic landfills in Hong Kong will run out of space within the next few years. With no alternatives in the short to medium term, there is a pressing need to expand these landfills. Elsewhere in the world, modern incineration facilities are safe, technologically proven, and have stringent emission standards. This waste treatment method is in line with the principle of sustainable development. We are trying to identify suitable sites for developing Integrated Waste Management Facilities that adopt incineration as the core technology. By using advanced technology, we can reduce the amount of solid waste sent to landfills which in turn will minimise the impact on the surrounding environment. In addition to the Harbour Area Treatment Scheme Stage 2A, we will also build sludge treatment facilities to avoid dumping huge volumes of sludge at landfills. These facilities will substantially expand our waste treatment capacity and ensure the sustainable development of Hong Kong.
Heritage Conservation
49. Cultural life is a key component of a quality city life. A progressive city treasures its own culture and history along with a living experience unique to the city. In recent years, Hong Kong people have expressed our passion for our culture and lifestyle. This is something we should cherish. In the next five years, I will press ahead with our work on heritage conservation.
Heritage Impact Assessment
50. To fully implement heritage conservation, we will require all public works projects involving historic and built heritage to undergo heritage impact assessment so that the conservation of historic sites and buildings will be given due consideration in the project planning stage.
Revitalising Historic Buildings
51. In my view, revitalisation, rather than preservation alone, should be pursued to maximise the economic and social benefits of historic buildings. This is in line with the concept of sustainable conservation.
52. The Urban Renewal Authority (URA) has done a great deal to preserve and revitalise historic buildings. I call on the URA to extend the scope of historic building protection to cover pre-war buildings. In so doing, it is necessary for the URA to consider not just preservation but also ways of revitalisation.
53. At present, quite a number of historic buildings are owned by the Government. I will seek to revitalise them by introducing a new scheme which will allow non-governmental organisations to apply for adaptive re-use of these historic buildings. As a start, six to eight buildings will be offered under the scheme. We hope they can be transformed creatively into unique cultural landmarks. The modus operandi of social enterprise under commercial management will be adopted to achieve a win-win situation. The Government will provide appropriate financial support to ensure that the scheme is practicable. I have earmarked $1 billion under the Capital Works Reserve Fund for this purpose. As for other historic buildings with commercial value, we welcome the business community's participation in their adaptive re-use. To highlight revitalisation as the guiding principle of heritage conservation, I put forward the following specific proposals:
(1) The Central Police Station Compound at Hollywood Road: We have accepted in principle an innovative revitalisation proposal of $1.8 billion submitted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
(2) The Original Site of the Central School: The Former Police Married Quarters Site at Aberdeen Street, which is the original site of the Central School, will be removed from the List of Sites for Sale by Application for a year and proposals will be invited on its revitalisation.
(3) Open-air Bazaar in Wan Chai: Our plan for preserving the open-air bazaar in Tai Yuen Street and Cross Street has been finalised. Once endorsed by the Wan Chai District Council, we will further beautify the bazaar with local characteristics. The Development Bureau and the URA will adopt a district-based approach in considering the development and revitalisation of Wan Chai.
Privately-owned Heritage Conservation
54. Promoting the protection of privately-owned historic buildings is a complex issue which involves balancing interests such as safeguarding private property rights, the prudent use of public money, and meeting public expectations. We will actively explore new arrangements to provide economic incentives for private owners to encourage heritage protection by the private sector. In parallel, the Government will offer financial support for the maintenance of privately-owned graded historic buildings.
A Commissioner for Heritage
55. In the next five years, the Government will step up our work on heritage conservation. A Commissioner for Heritage Office, to be set up in the Development Bureau, will provide a focal point for public participation and the Government's heritage conservation work. This shows that heritage conservation will be a long-term commitment of the Government.
Promoting Local Culture
56. We will actively preserve and promote our intangible cultural heritage, such as Cantonese Opera. An emblem of local culture, it is a refined, as much as a popular, art form. The Government has decided to convert the Yau Ma Tei Theatre into a Cantonese Opera centre, which will serve as a permanent performance venue for Cantonese Opera troupes. The Cantonese Opera sector also plays an important role in the venue partnership scheme of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD).
(To be continued)
Ends/Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Issued at HKT 11:54
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