LCQ19: Building public markets
******************************
Question:
At the meeting of the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene of this Council held on the 24th of last month, the Secretary for Food and Health (SFH) indicated that the Government had initially identified suitable sites in the Tung Chung New Town Extension Area and Hung Shui Kiu New Development Area (NDA) for building public markets. Some community groups have pointed out that quite a number of sites are available in Tung Chung and Tin Shui Wai for building public markets, and as the population in Hung Shui Kiu NDA will exceed 200 000, coupled with the fact that the existing population in Tin Shui Wai has already reached 300 000, building the aforesaid public market at Hung Shui Kiu NDA alone cannot satisfy the demand of Yuen Long residents for shopping at public markets. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it is feasible to build public markets at the following locations (if it is not feasible, of the reasons for that):
Tung Chung:
(i) Tat Tung Road Garden adjacent to the Tung Chung Skyrail Terminal,
(ii) bus servicing site of Citybus Limited at Chung Wai Street,
(iii) Hau Wong Temple football pitch,
(iv) open area at the roundabout adjacent to Tak Yat House, Yat Tung Estate (near the nullah),
(v) Yat Tung Estate Carpark No. 3,
Tin Shui Wai:
(vi) the existing site of Tin Sau Bazaar and part of the Tin Sau Road Park,
(vii) Tin Sau Road Community Garden,
(viii) The Hong Kong Girl Guides Association Tin Shui Wai Pansy Ho Activity Centre adjacent to Tin Chak Estate,
(ix) additional floors above the proposed swimming pool facilities in Area 107, Tin Shui Wai,
(x) depot of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited adjacent to Tin Tsz Estate,
(xi) Central Park Towers public carpark,
(xii) multi-purpose pitch of the Hong Kong Rugby Union in Area 108, and
(xiii) vehicle depot of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD);
(2) as SFH indicated at the aforesaid meeting that the authorities had tried to look for suitable sites in Tin Shui Wai to build public markets but to no avail, and had therefore chosen Hung Shui Kiu NDA for building a public market, of the exact locations of the sites that had been considered by the authorities and the reasons why such sites had been found unsuitable for building public markets;
(3) given that the markets in several new towns (such as Ma On Shan and Tseung Kwan O) and large housing estates (such as On Tat Estate and On Tai Estate at Anderson Road, as well as Yan Tin Estate in Tuen Mun) are operated by Link Real Estate Investment Trust, the Hong Kong Housing Authority or private developers, whether the authorities will undertake to identify sites in those new towns and housing estates for building FEHD-managed public markets so as to increase the competition among markets, with a view to alleviating the problem of soaring commodity prices; if they will not, of the authorities' measures for assisting residents in buying food and daily commodities at affordable prices; and
(4) whether the authorities will consider including afresh the population-based planning standard for public markets into the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines for future reference in planning new towns; if they will not, of the authorities' measures for meeting residents' demand for shopping at public markets?
Reply:
President,
As announced in the Policy Address in January 2017, the Government will build sizable public markets in new development areas (NDAs) and has initially identified suitable sites in the Tung Chung New Town Extension Area and Hung Shui Kiu NDA. The Government will continue to identify suitable sites in other NDAs. We hope that the two new strategically located public markets can be developed into large-scale markets in their respective regions. In other words, the markets are intended to serve not only Tung Chung New Town Extension Area and Hung Shui Kiu NDA but also the whole Tung Chung and Tin Shui Wai areas.
My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) to (3) In considering the provision of a new public market, the Government will take into account various factors, including the population in the area, demographic mix, community needs, the availability of public and private market facilities and the number of fresh provision retail outlets in the vicinity, etc. Moreover, we have to duly assess the demand and cost effectiveness in order to ensure that public resources are put to proper use.
For Tung Chung New Town, there are at present two wet markets in Yat Tung Estate and Fu Tung Estate respectively, and other fresh provision retail outlets. The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will further provide two new wet markets within public housing developments which are under construction in Areas 56 and 39 of Tung Chung respectively, which are scheduled for completion by 2017 and 2018 respectively.
Currently, there are five wet markets in Tin Shui Wai, which are located in Tin Shing Court, Tin Shui Estate, Tin Chak Estate, Chung Fu Shopping Centre and Tin Yan Estate under the HA. Other fresh provision retail outlets are also available in the area. Besides, at Hung Shui Kiu, which is just adjacent to Tin Shui Wai, there is currently a Hung Shui Kiu Temporary Market managed by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and a market in Hung Fuk Estate under the HA. The HA will also provide a shopping centre and a market in Ping Yan Court, i.e. a subsidised sale flats project under construction in the area. The project is scheduled to complete in 2018. According to the announced Hung Shui Kiu NDA Revised Recommended Outline Development Plan, the construction of three markets in the NDA is proposed, including two wet markets located within public housing developments and one sizable public market on a Government site at a convenient and easily accessible location.
When deciding the location site of a new public market, the Government will consider key factors such as the geographical location, existing and planned uses, usable area and ancillary transport facilities provided nearby, in order to ensure that, upon completion, the market will be of a substantial scale and viability and that public finances and land resources can be optimised.
After considering the relevant factors of various aspects mentioned above and the actual conditions of the two NDAs, the Government has initially identified suitable sites in the east of Tung Chung New Town East Extension Area as well as in the southwest of Hung Shui Kiu NDA to build sizable public markets. Located in the vicinity of a public transport interchange, the site in the Tung Chung New Town East Extension Area is also close to the proposed Tung Chung East MTR Station, thus facilitating its link with the existing Tung Chung MTR Station and the proposed Tung Chung West MTR Station. On the other hand, the site in Hung Shui Kiu NDA is located in the vicinity of the proposed Hung Shui Kiu Railway Station, the proposed environmentally friendly transport services facilities and a public transport interchange, thus facilitating its link with Hung Shui Kiu NDA and various areas in Tin Shui Wai. Well-connected by public transport and close to train stations and public transport interchanges, both of the two new market sites mentioned above are accessible to more members of the public. As such, not only the needs of the residents in the two NDAs, but also the needs of the populations in the Tung Chung and Tin Shui Wai areas will be catered for altogether.
In short, according to the existing, ongoing and proposed projects taken into account, the market facilities in the two NDAs will be able to cater for the needs of local residents and those living in nearby regions. In view of the above criteria, the site in the east of Tung Chung New Town East Extension Area and the one in the southwest of Hung Shui Kiu NDA are considered more ideal locations for building new public markets when compared with the sites mentioned in the question. They are also more suitable for building new public markets that are positioned to serve the regions.
(4) The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) conducted a policy review on public markets in 2007-2008, which concluded that the future provision of new public markets should be considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure efficient use of public resources. Apart from the population of the area in question, other relevant factors that should be considered include the demographic mix, community needs, the presence of markets facilities nearby, the number of fresh provision retail outlets available in the vicinity, and public sentiment towards the preservation of hawker areas in the particular locality. The Government consulted the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene of the Legislative Council and all District Councils on the review findings in 2008. As a result of the policy review conducted by the FHB, those parts concerning public markets in Chapter 6 of the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) (which deals with retail facilities) were amended in April 2009 and have remained in force since then. The revised HKPSG is based on a more holistic consideration of above relevant factors, rather than just the size of the population, in the planning of public markets. When preparing or reviewing town plans, the Planning Department will consult the relevant policy bureaux and departments, so as to ascertain whether there is a need to reserve land for public markets. We will, in the light of social developments and the actual situation on the ground, assess the need to review the planning guidelines for public markets as and when appropriate.
Our focus is on facilitating convenient access for the public to retail outlets in their vicinity for meeting their daily needs on fresh food. Currently, there exists a variety of channels for the public to purchase fresh food. Apart from public markets, many members of the public when purchasing fresh food may choose to patronise markets, supermarkets and various types of retail outlets operated by other public and private entities. Customer preference for different shopping venues in purchasing fresh food may evolve in tandem with changes in socio-economic circumstances, lifestyles, purchasing power and various other factors.
Providing a new public market requires the use of Government land and entails public financial commitment. Therefore, in considering whether a public market should be built, we have to duly assess the need for the market and cost-effectiveness in order to ensure that public resources are put to proper use. In fact, in the face of fierce competition, changing circumstances in individual communities and changes in the purchasing habits of members of the public, some public markets are facing relatively high vacancy rates and low customer flows. Also, the Audit Commission has in previous reports pointed out that, given the high cost of constructing a new public market, the relevant principles should be strictly adhered to.
In considering whether new public markets should be provided in individual areas, we would continue to take into account the above-mentioned planning standards and guidelines, the actual situation of individual areas and the views of stakeholders, and carefully consider respective related factors, to ensure that public resources are put to proper use.
Among the views requesting the provision of new public markets, we notice that many of them assume that the goods sold in public markets managed by the FEHD are cheaper than those sold in markets managed by other organisations and supermarkets. However, this assumption has not been supported by facts. Insofar as the prices of the goods sold in public markets are concerned, tenants of public markets are free to determine and adjust the prices of their goods having regard to market forces (for example, operating costs, supply and demand, prices of similar goods sold nearby). The Government does not control the prices of the goods sold in public markets. Nor is the Government in a position to guarantee that the goods sold in public markets would be cheaper than those in other shops.
Ends/Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Issued at HKT 21:07
Issued at HKT 21:07
NNNN