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Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, on the landfills extension after attending a public event today (July 14):
Reporter: There are still some oppositions to the landfills, why do you think the situation will change when you come back for approval?
Secretary for the Environment: Hong Kong does need the landfill extensions to meet the short term and mid-term needs of Hong Kong because we don't have other end-of-pipe treatment for the refuse in Hong Kong. I think the LegCo members and also the local communities, on the one hand, are aware of the need of Hong Kong, and at the same time, they would like the Government to listen more to local voices. How can we strike a balance so that we can balance Hong Kong's needs and the local improvement measures, including the refuse trucks. How to improve them, and also how to improve the management of landfills so that we can contain the environmental impact to the local environment. Through communications, we hope we can have better consensus on all these.
Reporter: Any further plan on gaining support from the residents then, like going to the district council? Will you do that in some kind of consultation?
Secretary for the Environment: We do understand the concerns of different communities, in particular the district councils. So, in this summer, we are going to work with the district councils, not only Tuen Mun, but also other concerned district councils so that we can listen to local voices and respond to them in an appropriate manner.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Sunday, July 14, 2013
Issued at HKT 16:49
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