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Following a question by the Hon Dennis Kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Professor Anthony Cheung Bing-leung, in the Legislative Council today (May 22):
Question:
Under the Shipping and Port Control Ordinance (Cap. 313) and the Shipping and Port Control Regulations (Cap. 313 sub leg A), no person shall lay a private mooring anywhere in Hong Kong waters except with the written permission of the Director of Marine and in the place specified in the permission. There are 46 designated areas within Hong Kong waters for the laying of private moorings. To apply for a private mooring, a vessel owner must make an application to the Marine Department and indicate in the application up to four preferred locations in order of priority. If there is no suitable or available space in the applied locations, the application is placed on a waiting list. The successful applicant is given a written approval, subject to various standard conditions, including that no vessel exceeding the designated length of the mooring shall be secured to the mooring. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the current number of private mooring spaces in each of the designated areas, broken down by the designated length of the mooring (set out in the table below);
Name of the Designated length Number of private
designated of the mooring mooring spaces
area (metres)
----------- ----------------- -----------------
less than 11
11-30
31-50
more than 50
Total:
----------- ----------------- -----------------
less than 11
11-30
31-50
more than 50
Total:
----------- ----------------- -----------------
(b) of the number of vessels in respect of which permission for the laying of private mooring had been granted in each of the designated areas in the past five years, broken down by the designated length of the mooring (set out in the table below);
Name of the Designated length Number of vessels
designated of the mooring in respsect of
area (metres) which permission
was granted
----------- ----------------- -----------------
less than 11
11-30
31-50
more than 50
Total:
----------- ----------------- -----------------
less than 11
11-30
31-50
more than 50
Total:
----------- ----------------- -----------------
(c) of the current number of applications for a private mooring on the waiting list and the average waiting time that an application stays on the waiting list before permission is granted, broken down by the name of designated area (set out in the table below); and
Name of Number of Average waiting
designated area applications time before
on the permission is
waiting list granted
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(d) whether the Government has reviewed if private mooring spaces are sufficient to meet the demand; if so, of the outcome of the review; and whether it has plans to increase the number of private mooring spaces in the near future; if so, of the details; if it has no such plans, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
Our reply to Hon Dennis Kwok, in the same consequence as the several parts of his question, is as follows:
(a) As at March 31, 2013, the number of private mooring spaces in each designated area is set out in Annex 1.
(b) As at March 31, 2013, the number of vessels in respect of which permission for the laying of private mooring had been granted in each of the designated areas in the past five years is set out in Annex 2.
(c) As at March 31, 2013, the number of applications for a private mooring on the waiting list and the average waiting time that an application stayed on the waiting list before permission was granted are set out in Annex 3.
(d) Under existing policy, the Government is responsible for providing sufficient sheltered space for local vessels and small visiting vessels to take refuge during inclement weather. From time to time, the Marine Department (MD) conducts assessment on the supply and demand of typhoon shelter space on an overall territory-wide basis. The last assessment was conducted in 2009 and updated in 2012. The data showed that the overall existing supply of typhoon shelters and sheltered anchorages is able to meet projected demand up to 2025. As the sheltered space can be used flexibly on a first-come first-serve basis, the MD currently has no plan to designate new private mooring area in sheltered space. Except where it is prohibited for the purpose of mooring, the masters and owners of local vessels are allowed to anchor their vessels at any safe and suitable area in the Hong Kong waters (i.e. not just moored in designated private mooring areas) according to the vessels' operational need.
Ends/Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Issued at HKT 18:36
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