*******************************************************
Following is a question by the Hon Albert Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Ms Eva Cheng, at the Legislative Council meeting today (January 12):
Question:
Recently, quite a number of members of the public have relayed to me that they are worried that more members of the public in Hong Kong will be affected by the nuisance caused by aircraft noise upon the construction of the third runway of the Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether the authorities have completed the feasibility study on the construction of the third runway; if so, of the details of the study report; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) whether it has assessed if the commissioning of the third runway will aggravate the aircraft noise problem in Tung Chung, Ma Wan and Tsing Lung Tau; if the outcome of study is in the affirmative, of the details; if the outcome indicates otherwise, the reasons for that; and
(c) which other districts will also be affected by aircraft noise upon the commissioning of the third runway; of the details about the areas which will be exposed to aircraft noise from the third runway, together with a Noise Exposure Forecast 25 Contour map of the third runway indicating such areas; if such a contour map is not available, of the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
(a) The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) is formulating the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030 on airport developments in the next twenty years, exploring different development strategies and options, including the feasibility of building a third runway, and conducting preliminary feasibility studies on these options. These studies are substantially completed, and the AA is drafting a study report.
The AA expects the public consultation on the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030 to begin in the first half of 2011. It will release a consultation paper and the study report, and invite the public and stakeholders to comment on the strategies and directions of airport development.
(b) & (c) Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF) contours, which are an aircraft noise-related standard in land planning, are used to define areas where certain noise sensitive land uses should not be located. The NEF 25 contours previously published are based on the maximum design capacity of the airport in forecasting the impact of aircraft noise on the areas in the vicinity of the airport. The studies related to the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030 include preliminary environmental impact assessment, which includes reviewing and updating the NEF 25 contours on the basis of the latest airport design capacity. The consultation paper and study report to be released by the AA will include the updated information, which needs to be further confirmed by the AA in the statutory environmental impact assessment to be conducted in the future.
Ends/Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Issued at HKT 12:03
NNNN
