Speech by the Secretary for Planning, Environment & Lands,
Mr Bowen Leung, in response to the debate on
Appropriation Bill 1998 in the Provisional Legislative Council

Wednesday, March 18, 1998


Madam President,

I would first like to thank those members who indicated their support for continued environmental improvement measures.

Many members spoke on the diesel duty issue. I shall leave that for the Financial Secretary to answer. I shall merely comment that the decision made today will impact on our efforts to encourage the use of cleaner fuels and reduce the general use of vehicles in future.

A number of members criticised the apparent reduction in spending on the environment; some doubted whether this was due solely to a spending gap caused by the completion of some capital works projects, prior to others starting. I have carefully examined the past and future spending forecasts for not just the Environmental Protection Department, but for all the departments involved in delivering environmental improvements. I would like to assure this Council that there has been no reduction in recurrent expenditure or staffing levels. Likewise, there has been no reduction in our determination to improve our environment.

We have an energetic programme ahead of us.

- Recently, in mid March, we started the feasibility study for the part of the Strategic Sewage Disposal Scheme (SSDS) which will collect sewage from the north and south-west of Hong Kong Island. Another study, dealing with any further treatment and disposal, will commence later this year. These studies will enable us to develop further the SSDS to facilitate its implementation and bring earlier improvements to harbour water quality.

- In just a few days the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance will come into effect. This is a key tool to implant the concept of sustainable development in the minds of planners, engineers, and developers.

- In mid-1998, we intend to start publication of a roadside air pollution index to supplement the existing general air pollution index. No doubt this will highlight the need to accelerate the introduction of clean vehicle fuel.

- We will publish the Waste Reduction Plan later this year. This will provide us with a framework for the whole community to follow to reduce our waste. Government will, as a matter of priority, examine how we can deal with illegal waste dumping blackspots. But let there be no illusions. We will need the community's support, both within and outside this Council .

In the coming years we will be embarking upon a wide range of environmental related capital works projects, subject to financial and other approvals. These include upgrading of our sewage and drainage systems, restoration of additional old landfills, as well as the construction of the latest model of incinerators to help us deal with our waste disposal problems. Whilst we can only finalise the estimated costs of these projects after further detailed study, it is likely that we shall be spending billions of dollars over the next five years.

Let me now turn to the LPG taxi trial, with which you are all familiar. We have recently conducted an interim review of the trial which started last November. The outcome is encouraging indeed. Both the drivers and passengers are satisfied with the LPG taxis' performance. So far, LPG taxis have proven to be as reliable as their diesel counterparts. At current fuel prices, the operating costs of LPG taxis are similar to their diesel equivalents. The service requirements for the two types of taxis are also similar. If this continues, it would appear that LPG taxis will be both technically practicable and commercially viable for widespread use in Hong Kong.

We are now formulating an implementation programme, in parallel with the trial, to ensure that the necessary supporting infrastructures such as gas refuelling stations and vehicle servicing mechanics can be put in place if and when we decide to implement the scheme on a permanent basis. We will also need to carefully consider whether any incentives are required to encourage a smooth switch from diesel to gas. If we continue to receive encouraging reports on both the trial itself and the provision of infrastructure, we would examine whether the trial can be cut short and make a firm, early decision on the way forward.

At the same time that we are considering cleaner alternatives to diesel vehicles, we have imposed more stringent diesel vehicle emission and fuel standards, and have also strengthened our emission inspection of commercial diesel vehicles to curtail emissions from such vehicles. To closely monitor the vehicle emission problem, we have set up 2 roadside air quality monitoring stations at busy locations and will add a third one by mid-1998.

Let me conclude by saying that there are no quick fixes to improving our air quality, or indeed any aspects of creating a better environment. The Government is committed to doing the best and most we can. As we start to address how to make a sustainable future for Hong Kong, tackling issues of waste, inefficiency and pollution will need much effort from all of us. On this I look forward to the support, encouragement and foresight of all sections of our community, including our legislature, in future.