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Major theme parks and amusement parks are required to evaluate their potential impacts on the environment under an amendment to the existing legislation.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (Amendment to Schedule 2) Order 1999, published in the Gazette today (Friday), provides for the inclusion of theme parks and amusement parks with a site area of more than 20 hectares as designated projects, the construction or operation of which will require an environmental permit.

Taking immediate effect, the amendment order makes it necessary for such parks to take prevention and mitigation measures to protect the environment.

The inclusion involves an amendment to Part I of Schedule 2 of the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance.

A spokesman for the Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau explained that the adoption of 20 hectares as the site size threshold is consistent with the present schedules of the ordinance.

"Small theme parks or amusement parks are unlikely to cause significant adverse environmental impact under normal circumstances. In addition, any smaller park falling wholly or partly within environmentally sensitive areas is already covered under Schedule 2 of the ordinance," he said.

"Schedule 3 of the ordinance also uses 20 hectares as the threshold for 'major' engineering feasibility study of urban development projects."

The amendment order will be implemented through the existing approval and enforcement arrangements under the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance.

End/Friday, July 30, 1999

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