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Following is the transcript of remarks (English portion) by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Edward Yau, at a media session after attending a meeting of the LegCo Subcommittee on Country Parks (Designation) (Consolidation) (Amendment) Order 2010 today (October 6):
Reporter: If the issue would be taken to court, will the Government still go ahead with this proposal?
Secretary for the Environment: Let me clarify that under usual circumstances when we expand the landfill which is a needed measure, we will need to, of course, engage District Councils, Legislative Council. But in this particular case, because it involves taking out certain hectares of land from the country park, therefore it will require another legal process where we need to table the revised boundary. In this regard, there are challenges saying that whether LegCo would have the power to repeal the order made by the Chief Executive in Council after a few years of extensive consultation. This is a legal issue that we need to sort out and exactly for that reason we have presented our legal opinion articulated by the Government lawyer. We have received the views of the legal adviser from LegCo this morning tabled to us. We will study that and try to see if there could be any resolution to that. But the overall process of expanding the landfill will still need to overcome a few hurdles. This particular legal one is incidental because it involves the country park. But we all know that we all have to face the common problem of tackling municipal solid waste. In that regard, we all have to work together with LegCo, every party, every member because without their support, we cannot proceed with any new measures to expand the capacity to handle the refuse we produce every day.
Reporter: There is expression to delay the commencement date, will you consider that?
Secretary for the Environment: There are provisions that both the Administration and LegCo can alter the commencement date of that particular order regarding the country park boundary amendment. Of course, the timeline that we propose has taken into account the practicality that by 2013, we need that piece of land for the landfill extension. We have also incorporated all the necessary steps leading to that D-day. There are suggestions whether we can make further amendment on that date but as both the legal adviser and also from the policy perspective, it must be practical, reasonable and not frustrate the ultimate purpose of having that piece of land for the landfill extension. So I think that would require exercise of reason.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript)
Ends/Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:48
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