Secretary for the Environment to visit Australia
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     The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, will leave Hong Kong tonight (November 8) for a duty visit to Australia.

     Mr Yau will first fly to Sydney to meet Deputy Lord Mayor Marcelle Hoff and Chief Executive Officer of the City of Sydney Ms Monica Barone. Later, he will meet Deputy Director-General, New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change, Mr Simon Smith. Mr Yau will take the opportunity to tour Parliament House to learn about its energy and water efficiency measures.

     In Canberra, Mr Yau will call on the Federal Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, Mr Peter Garrett, to exchange views on environmental protection. He will be briefed by federal officials on green initiatives being studied there. Before departure, Mr Yau will also meet Distinguished Professor of the Australian National University and the Head of Climate Change Review 2007-08, Professor Ross Garnaut, to hear his views on climate change.

     Mr Yau will then head to Melbourne where he will meet Victoria's Minister for Environment and Climate Change Mr Gavin Jennings and address the Environment Protection Authority Victoria on Hong Kongˇ¦s environmental protection initiatives recently announced in the Policy Address.

     He will return to Hong Kong on November 13.

Ends/Saturday, November 8, 2008
Issued at HKT 11:30

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