********************************************************
With the approach of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Housing Department (HD) reminds tenants that burning wax in the common areas of Public Rental Housing (PRH) estates may cause their households to be allotted penalty points under the Estate Management Marking Scheme and a fine of $1,500 for littering.
"Parents should stop their children from burning wax as it is a hazardous act which may cause fires and severe burns. The tenancy will be terminated if 16 points or more have been allotted within two years," an HD spokesman said today (September 6).
"Although wax burning and littering caused by tenants celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival abated last year, we will continue to step up our patrolling force this year. If the minors refuse to stop the misdeed despite verbal warning from our patrol staff, we will resort to their parents. The household will be subject to penalty points allotment," the spokesman stressed.
Apart from routine checks by estate offices, from tomorrow until Tuesday (September 7 to 9) about 400 additional staff from the Department's Mobile Operations Unit and Regional Patrol Teams will be deployed to patrol PRH estates beyond midnight. Additional cleaning workers will also be arranged to clean the estates' public areas in the early morning following the festival day.
Last year, a total of one fixed penalty notice was issued and 385 verbal warnings were given for people littering or burning wax in common areas of PRH estates during the festival period.
Messages urging tenants not to burn wax and to keep estates clean have been disseminated through estate newsletters, posters and the Housing Channel.
The HD called for tenants' concerted efforts to combat the burning of wax and keep estates clean by reporting any misdeeds to estate offices or the Housing Authority Hotline on 2712 2712.
Ends/Saturday, September 6, 2014
Issued at HKT 15:00
NNNN
