Issued by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Information Services
Garden Road, 5th-8th Floors, Murray Building, Hong Kong. Tel: 2842 8777
Friday, December 19, 1997 CONTENTS ======== 1. Update on avian flu 2. Follow-up on H5N1 in school forms part of the surveillance 3. Information on avian flu distributed to tourists 4. Chief Executive takes first-hand look at employment services 5. Park and Ride Scheme: the future transport mode 6. Appointments to the Appeal Board on Processions announced 7. Firing practice between January and March 8. Occupational Safety and Health Regulation be effective 9. SCOLAR to monitor various English enhancement measures 10. Securities and Futures Commission appointment 11. Tenders invited for ERP field evaluation 12. Works to relieve flooding in Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Tong 13. Extension of operating hours of Sha Tau Kok crossing 14. Meeting on East Asian debt market 15. Judiciary launches Homepage 16. Draft Kowloon Tong Outline Zoning Plan amended 17. Draft Yuen Long OZP approved 18. Draft Kwu Tung South OZP amended 19. Parking fees revised for government car parks 20. ED automatic telephone enquiry system directory 21. Tenders invited for road works in Chai Wan 1. Update on avian flu ******************* The Department of Health (DH) announced today (Friday) the confirmation of another new Influenza A H5N1 case, making a total of eight confirmed cases and two suspected cases. The new confirmed case involved a 4-year-old boy. His condition is satisfactory. It was noted that this case was unrelated to the previous nine cases. Following is a list of these cases and their latest conditions: Case 1 Sex/Age: Male/3 yr Confirmed Condition: Died Case 2 Sex/Age: Male/2 yr Confirmed Condition: Recovered and discharged Case 3 Sex/Age: Female/13 yr Confirmed Condition: Under treatment, condition critical but stable Case 4 Sex/Age: Male/54 yr Confirmed Condition: Died Case 5 Sex/Age: Female/5 yr Confirmed Condition: Under treatment, condition satisfactory Case 6 Sex/Age: Male/37 yr Suspected Condition: Recovered and discharged Case 7 Sex/Age: Female/24 yr Confirmed Condition: Under treatment, condition critical Case 8 Sex/Age: Male/2 yr Confirmed Condition: Under treatment, condition satisfactory Case 9 Sex/Age: Female/3 yr Suspected Condition: Under treatment, condition satisfactory Case 10 Sex/Age: Male/4 yr Confirmed Condition: Under treatment, condition satisfactory End 2. Follow-up on H5N1 in school forms part of the surveillance ********************************************************** In response to press enquiries on Department of Health's follow-up action in child care centres or schools where young children or students had been found to have contracted or suspected to have contracted Flu A H5N1, a spokesman for the Department of Health (DH) said today (Friday) that the follow-up action in child care centres or schools formed part of the surveillance and investigation on the avian flu. "It is a very important step to find out more about the flu and its mode of transmission," he said. "Blood samples taken from children who had been in contact with the patient will be tested for antibody to provide more information to scientists. "At the same time, health officers will check the conditions of these patient contacts to make sure that they are healthy. Prompt action can therefore be taken for anyone suspected of having flu-like symptoms." He added that patients who recovered from Influenza A H5N1 were completely healthy. "They will have developed immunity and cleared the virus from the body, thus they cannot infect other people." The spokesman also stressed that the flu virus did not survive long in the environment. The virus could be easily killed by thorough cleansing using common disinfectants. "Follow-up in child care centres and schools is a pro-active way to handle the case. It should not be taken as an indication of problem." He thanked child care centres/schools and parents for their co-operation in the investigation. Health education would be stepped up to generate more support from the community. The Social Welfare Department and the Education Department would continue to disseminate information provided by DH to child care centres and schools. Information leaflets would be distributed to the affected child care centres/schools and parents. They are also available to the public at the DH's Central Health Education Unit, Regional Offices and the District Offices. Public are also welcome to call the Department's hotlines at 2833 0111 and 2833 0112 for more information. End 3. Information on avian flu distributed to tourists ************************************************ The Department of Health had prepared a fact sheet to explain the avian flu to tourists or tourist groups planning to come to Hong Kong. The fact sheet quoted the World Health Organisation's statement that the present cluster of cases in Hong Kong has not reached the scale of an outbreak. There is no need for travel restriction or quarantine. Emphasizing that it is safe to come to Hong Kong, the fact sheet provided information on what was Influenza A H5N1 and what was so far known about the virus. It stressed that the prevention of this type of flu is the same as that of other influenza viruses. "Keeping up a good body immunity is the most important. Maintain good ventilation. Avoid crowded places if you are not feeling well. Go to see a doctor if flu symptoms do not go away. Avoid coming into contact with sick or diseased poultry. Eating of chicken and other poultry does not pose a risk of H5N1 infection." Information of the fact sheet will be disseminated through Hong Kong Overseas Offices and the Hong Kong Tourist Association, a spokesman for the Department of Health said today (Friday). End 4. Chief Executive takes first-hand look at employment services ************************************************************ The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, today (Friday), sees for himself how both able-bodied job- seekers and people with a disability are assisted to find suitable jobs through services provided by the Labour Department. Employers, on the other hand, are also assisted to recruit staff to fill job vacancies in their companies. During a visit to the department's offices in Tsuen Wan, Mr Tung was briefed on the services provided by the Local Employment Service (LES) office and the Selective Placement Service office. At the Selective Placement Service office in Tsuen Wan Government Offices, Sai Lau Kok Road, Mr Tung observed some disabled job-seekers attending vocational assessment and placement officers conducting job-counselling sessions. At the LES office he met some job-seekers in need of employment assistance to find suitable jobs. He was also shown how the new LES computer matching system would match job-seekers with suitable vacancies. The computer system which is expected to be fully operational in February next year would link up all vacancy information of the nine LES offices located in different districts throughout the territory. Mr Tung also visited the Occupational Safety and Health Training Centre in Chung On Street. He was briefed by the Commissioner for Labour, Miss Jacqueline Willis; Deputy Commissioner (Labour Administration), Mr Chan Wing-kit; and Deputy Commissioner (Occupational Safety and Health), Mr Lee Kai-fat, on the work of the department. He also met and had discussion with other directorate members of the department. End 5. Park and Ride Scheme: the future transport mode *********************************************** The future of transport mode and network in Hong Kong will develop towards the "trunk-feeder system" which is fully illustrated by the Park and Ride (P&R) Scheme. Speaking at the opening of the P&R facilities in Sheung Shui this (Friday) afternoon, the Commissioner for Transport, Mrs Fanny Law, said that the "trunk-feeder system" allowed passengers to take various mode of feeder services to a major interchange where they can make use of public transport to the urban areas. "As the city setting of Hong Kong becomes mature, it is hard to find suitable land in the urban areas for the construction of new roads. That is why we have to rely on reclamation for more new land. The building of traffic corridors also helps to ease traffic congestion in urban districts. "The Government will put much effort to develop a highly efficient railway system in the coming years to meet transport demand," she added. The construction of the West Rail will commence next year, scheduled to complete by phases in 2002 and 2003. The Ma On Shan Rail Link, which connects Ma On Shan and Tai Wai, is to complete in 2004. Mass Transit Railway service will be extended to Tseung Kwan O in 2002 while the railway for the new airport will start operation in mid-1998. Mrs Law said: "To facilitate public access to railway services and to utilise the resources effectively, we are going to strengthen feeder services for the railway system. The implementation of P&R Scheme is one of the many strategies." In addition to railways, buses are also one of the public transport services provided on trunk roads. At present there is a convenient stop at Shing Mun Tunnel Toll Plaza in Kwai Chung where passengers can interchange for buses to their destination. The Transport Department has also planned to set up a bus/bus interchange at the Tai Lam Tunnel Toll Plaza in Yuen Long to tie in with the opening of Route Three (Country Park Section) in mid-1998. People from the Northwest New Territories will find it more convenient to travel throughout the territory. Mrs Law urged the public to support the P&R Scheme which would benefit all road users. The scheme, if proved successful, will be extended to other areas in the territory, she added. End 6. Appointments to the Appeal Board on Processions announced ********************************************************* The Government today (Friday) announced appointments to the Appeal Board on Public Meetings and Processions. "Mr Eric C Barnes has been appointed by the Chief Executive to be the Chairman of the Appeal Board while Mr E L G Tyler and Mr Wong Wei-chow, Henry, have both been appointed as Deputy Chairmen," a government spokesman said. The Chief Executive has also appointed the following persons to the panel of the Appeal Board: Mr Chan Siu-kam, Thomas, JP Ms Vivien Chan Mr Chiu Chun-bong, JP Mr Ho Chun-tung, JP Mr Ho King-man, Kenneth, JP Mr Robert George Kotewall, SC Miss Lee Wai-fong, Philomena Dr Lee Yuk-kwan, Michael, JP Mrs Tam Cheung Kit-ying, Grace Mr To Wai-keung, Vincent Mr Wong Chun, Justein, JP Mr Wu Man-yung Dr Yuen Chung-lau, Natalis, JP The appointments, made under section 43 of the Public Order Ordinance (POO)and gazetted today, will be for a term of two years, with effect from December 22, 1997. "The Appeal Board is responsible for considering appeals against a prohibition under section 9, an objection under section 14, or the conditions imposed or amended by the Commissioner of Police under section 11 or section 15 of the POO. "It is also empowered to confirm, reverse or vary the decision being appealed against," the spokesman said. End 7. Firing practice between January and March ***************************************** Firing practice will take place at the San Wai/Tai Ling Ranges between January 1 and March 31 next year. To ensure safety, the public is advised to leave the firing areas before firing takes place and not to enter the area within the period of firing. Obvious signs will be shown around the ranges before firing practice takes place. Red flags will be raised along the boundary of the ranges during daytime practice and red lights will be hanged along the boundary of the ranges during night practice. End 8. Occupational Safety and Health Regulation be effective ****************************************************** The Occupational Safety and Health Regulation which seeks to ensure the safety, health and welfare of employees at workplaces will come into operation on January 1, 1998. The commencement notice of the regulation was gazetted today (Friday). A government spokesman explained that the regulation contained provisions which provides for the prevention of accidents at workplaces. "For example, dangerous parts of plant must be guarded; platforms, pits, openings and vessels containing dangerous substances have to be fenced properly. "On fire safety, the regulation provides for provisions which require the person responsible for a workplace to ensure that means of escape are safe and free of obstruction, and to install illuminated exit signs at the exits from the workplace. "The Commissioner for Labour may also require the responsible person to provide fire safety measures additional to those required by or under any other law." The regulation also required person responsible for a workplace must maintain first aid facilities in workplaces and, for those with 150 or more employees, at least one out of 150 employees must be trained in first aid. With respect to environment and hygiene of workplaces, the spokesman noted that the regulation required that the person responsible for a workplace must maintain the cleanliness, adequate ventilation and lighting of the workplace, and provide sufficient latrine and washing convenience as well as sufficient supply of drinking water. The regulation also imposes on employees the responsibility to co-operate with the employer and take reasonable care of the safety and health of other employees in the same workplace. The provisions governing manual handling operation will be effective at the end of the 12-month grace period in mid 1998 to allow sufficient time for preparation to all parties concerned. The regulation was made by the Commissioner for Labour under the Occupational Safety and Health Ordinance and was gazetted on June 20, 1997. Members of public are welcome to approach the Labour Department at 2975 6414 for further information and assistance. End 9. SCOLAR to monitor various English enhancement measures ****************************************************** The Chairman of Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR), Dr Daniel Tse, said today (Friday) that SCOLAR would step up the monitoring of various English enhancement measures, with particular emphasis on the recently announced change of the Medium of Instruction (MOI) in schools, and the Native-speaking English Teacher Scheme (NET). Members had agreed to the establishment of a special Task Group to monitor and advise on the new NET Scheme as well as other policy measures for English language enhancement, such as the mother-tongue teaching policy. "The Task Group will also examine the effectiveness of existing English support measures for schools using Chinese as MOI, and will make recommendations to the Government on what additional measures would be necessary to enhance the teaching and learning of English in these schools," Dr Tse said. SCOLAR also agreed that in the sixth call for applications to the Language Fund, emphasis would be placed on important issues relating to the change in medium of instruction, under the broad area of secondary language education. "We shall invite research projects to study the impact of the switch in MOI, if any, on students' language proficiency, and to develop support materials for teachers," added Dr Tse. The sixth call for applications to the Language Fund will begin January 1998. SCOLAR has also recommended funding for another 9 applications to the Language Fund, bringing the total number of successful application to 24. "SCOLAR has completed initial vetting of the 132 applications. I am glad that the majority, that is 80 per cent of the recommended projects fall within our priority sector, the primary sector. We hope these projects will soon bring forth plenty of practical and insightful ideas to enhance language learning and teaching by primary students," said Dr Daniel Tse. Professor Koh Tai Ann, the Dean of the School of Arts, National Institute of Education of the Nanyang Technological University, recently appointed to SCOLAR, attended her first meeting of SCOLAR today. "On behalf of SCOLAR, I wish to welcome Prof Koh to our meetings. We hope that the appointment will facilitate the cross-fertilisation of ideas on language education, in particular the Singaporean experience," Dr Daniel Tse said. To promote public awareness and understanding of the importance of language proficiency, SCOLAR has mapped out its public education and publicity programme for 1998. The programme covers the sixth call for applications in the first quarter; Language Fund Teachers' Seminar/Workshop in April; Language Fund Projects Roving Exhibition in June; and the Publication of Feature Articles on Language Learning in the fourth quarter. "SCOLAR will continue to pro-actively disseminate the fruitful outcomes of funded projects, to arouse the public's interest in improving one's language abilities. We hope to mobilize the support of various sectors to help us in the drive towards better language proficiency," said Dr Daniel Tse. End 10. Securities and Futures Commission appointment ********************************************* The Financial Secretary, under delegated authority from the Chief Executive, has re-appointed Mr Roderick Chalmers as Non-Executive Director of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). Announcing this today (Friday), the Secretary for Financial Services, Mr Rafael Hui said the period of Mr Chalmers' appointment would be from January 1, 1998 to December 31, 1998, both dates inclusive. "The re-appointment will no doubt enable the Commission to continue to benefit from Mr Chalmers' invaluable service and experience," Mr Hui said. Under Section 5 of the Securities and Futures Commission Ordinance, the Chief Executive shall appoint not less than eight directors of the Commission, half of whom shall be Non-Executive Directors. At present the Commission is served by 10 directors. The Non-Executive Directors bring an independent view to the management and organisation of the SFC. They are fully involved in its policy development. The other serving Non-Executive Directors include Messrs Robert Kotewall, Ronnie Chan, Henry Fan and Ronald Arculli. End 11. Tenders invited for ERP field evaluation **************************************** The Transport Department is inviting tenders to carry out a separate field evaluation of two selected operational systems for electronic road pricing (ERP) in Hong Kong. The evaluation exercises are prompted by a feasibility study commenced in March this year on the need and practicability of introducing ERP to deal with traffic congestion. The study has identified two technology options, the Vehicle Positioning System (VPS) and Dedicated Short Range Communications System (DSRC), as suitable for local conditions in various aspects. Speaking on the tender invitation today (Friday), a spokesman for the department said: "The results of the field evaluation will be used to confirm the suitability of the technology options for ERP application in Hong Kong and to facilitate the design of the final ERP system. "The contracts cover electrical, mechanical, telecommunication and civil works of the tests. "Tenderers are responsible for the supply and demonstration of field evaluation equipment and associated services for the two selected systems. "They are also required to conduct field tests to confirm the reliability of the systems in their abilities to correctly impose charges, classify vehicle types, detect and record violators amid multi-lane unchannelised traffic situation." Off-street tests will be conducted at the Hong Kong International Airport (Kai Tak) after its decommissioning next year. On-street tests will be done in urban areas. "Related control and monitoring facilities will be provided by contractors," the spokesman added. The VPS system required each vehicle to equip with an electronic device for determining the position of the vehicle through special signals transmitted from satellites or fixed stations located at different places in the territory. The device will determine whether the vehicle has entered a pre-defined charging zone. The DSRC system also required each vehicle to equip with an electronic device. This device, different from the VPS system, will communicate with the road side readers installed at the entrance of each charging zone through microwave transmission. For both systems, charges for entering a charging zone will be deducted from either a smart card inserted into the electronic devices or from a registered account. The VPS and DSRC field tests will be done concurrently under separate contract. "The two contracts are scheduled to commence in May 1998. "The field test will be completed in six months. The contractor will have to provide another six months for continued data analysis support," the spokesman said. Details of the tender invitation were published in today's Government Gazette. Forms and details of the tender can be obtained from Hyder Consulting Limited, third Floor, Somerset House, Taikoo Place, 979 King's Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong. Tenders must be submitted in duplicate, sealed and marked with the tender reference and the subject of the tender on an envelope and addressed to the Chairman, Central Tender Board. They must be placed in the Government Secretariat Tender Box in the lift lobby on the lower ground floor, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 20 Lower Albert Road, Central, Hong Kong on or before noon of February 20, 1998. Late submission will not be accepted. "A public consultation on the findings of both the field tests and the feasibility study on ERP will be carried out by the end of 1998," the spokesman said. The design of the two systems have been completed and field evaluation will be supervised by Wilbur Smith - Hyder together with the Transport Department. End 12. Works to relieve flooding in Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Tong ******************************************************** The Drainage Services Department (DSD) will construct new sewers and stormwater drains in Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Tong next April to help solve sewage overflow problems and relieve flooding risks. The project will also upgrade the existing sewerage and drainage system and rectify illegal sewer connections in the two districts. A DSD spokesman said today (Friday) that 4.7 km of sewers and 1.4 km of drains, both with related manholes and access chambers, will be laid. The diametres of these sewers and drains range from 300 mm to 1,500 mm. The sewers will be laid along Reclamation Street, Canton Road, Ferry Street, Man Wai Street, Man Yuen Street and Man Ying Street in Yau Ma Tei. The stormwater drains will be laid in Ferry Street, Canton Road and the section of Reclamation Street between Hamilton Street and Waterloo Road. In addition, a 67-metre single cell stormwater box culvert will be built in Saigon Street. In Kowloon Tong, both the sewers and stormwater drains will be laid along Renfrew Road and Oxford Road. Sewers will also be laid at Cornwall Street, and from Stafford Road to Cumberland Road. "The contruction works will be carried out in phases so as to minimise inconvenience to the public. They will be completed in three years," the spokesman said. The works form part of the second phase of the North West Kowloon Sewerage III and West Kowloon Stormwater Drainage Improvement Stage 1 projects. They are both integral to the Government's on-going effort to improve the sewerage and drainage in West Kowloon. The two projects began in 1992 and are due to be completed by late 2002. End 13. Extension of operating hours of Sha Tau Kok crossing **************************************************** After discussions between the authorities of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Shenzhen, it is agreed that the operating hours of the Sha Tau Kok crossing (passenger service) will be extended from 7 am - 6 pm to 7 am - 8 pm starting from December 22, 1997. The arrangement for goods vehicle traffic remains unchanged. End 14. Meeting on East Asian debt market ********************************* Technical experts from central banks, monetary authorities and finance ministries of Australia; Canada; China; Hong Kong, China; France; Germany; Indonesia; Japan; Korea; Malaysia; New Zealand; the Philippines; Singapore; Thailand; the UK, the US and Vietnam met in Hong Kong today (Friday) to discuss the technical issues on the development of a liquid and deep East Asian debt market to assist regional financial intermediation. Representatives from Asian Development Bank; Bank for International Settlements; International Monetary Fund; World Bank and technical experts from market participants also attended the meeting. The meeting was hosted by Hong Kong, consequent to the Finance Ministers' Meeting of ASEAN plus Six held in Kuala Lumpur on December 2, 1997. The Ministerial Meeting agreed that there is an urgent need to develop a deep, liquid and mature debt market in Asia to address the intermediation problem in the region. Ministers strongly endorsed the initiative to develop a market-based approach to mobilise private sector resources. The purpose of this technical meeting is to explore these ideas at the technical level. Participants were briefed by market experts on the current status of the East Asian debt market, and exchanged views on the key technical issues impeding market development and regional cooperation to promote such a market. The role of the International Financial Institutions to assist the development of the market was also discussed. The meeting agreed that the technical discussions provided useful background material and issues for further in-depth consideration. End 15. Judiciary launches Homepage *************************** Members of the public can gain access to information relating to the Judiciary through its Homepage on the Internet starting from tomorrow (Saturday). "With the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, we have proceeded into a new era of challenges. The Homepage contains readily accessible information and will enable members of the public to understand the work of the Judiciary," the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Andrew Li, states in his welcoming address. For the first time, daily cause lists of all levels of courts are available for inspection at the same site. They include the daily cause lists of the Court of Final Appeal, High Court, Lands Tribunal, District Court, magistracies, Coroner's Court, Labour Tribunal, Small Claims Tribunal and Obscene Articles Tribunal. Judgments of the Court of Final Appeal will also be put on the Internet. Other topics covered by the Homepage include structure of the Judiciary, location and contacts of all courts; organisation charts; statistics on cases handled by various levels of courts; the court/tribunal waiting times; and supporting services available. A series of publication of "Guide to Court Services" published by the Judiciary to promote public awareness of court services will also be included. The Homepage will be in English and Chinese, with the Chinese version encoded in both the traditional and simplified characters. It will be updated regularly to provide Internet users with the latest information. The Web-site address of the Judiciary Homepage is http://www.info.gov.hk/jud. End 16. Draft Kowloon Tong Outline Zoning Plan amended ********************************************** The Town Planning Board today (Friday) announced several amendments to the draft Kowloon Tong Outline Zoning Plan. The amendments involve the rezoning of a major portion of the ex-Kowloon Tsai Married Quarters (KTMQ) site, measuring about 3.6 hectares, and some adjoining areas from "Other Specified Uses" ("OU") annotated "Military Quarters", "Residential (Group C)2" ("R(C)2") and "Open Space" ("O") to "Comprehensive Development Area" ("CDA") to facilitate the redevelopment of the site for low-density private housing. As a result, a new set of Notes stipulating the development parameters of this 4.2-hectare "CDA" zone has been added. The remaining western and eastern parts of the ex- KTMQ site, measuring about 0.2 hectare and 0.1 hectare, have been rezoned from "OU" annotated "Military Quarters" to "Green Belt" ("GB") and "O" respectively. Meanwhile, a 0.3-hectare site originally proposed for the extension of Beacon Hill Road, has been rezoned from "Road" to "GB". Two other sites of about 1.1 hectares, fronting its north and south respectively, have also been rezoned from "R(C)2" to "GB". The ex-St. George's School site, measuring about 4 hectares, bounded by Suffolk Road, Waterloo Road, Norfolk Road and To Fuk Road has been rezoned from "OU" annotated "Military School" to "Government, institution or community" ("GIC") for the development of an international school, two primary schools, a second Hong Kong Industrial Technology Centre, a transport interchange and an education resource centre above the interchange. A maximum building height of 51 metres above Principal Datum has been specified under the Remarks of the Notes of the Plan. Another site of 1.23 hectares at Ho Kar Yuen to the south of the future extension of Inverness Road and the west of Junction Road has been rezoned from "GIC" to "CDA" to facilitate the redevelopment of the site for public housing and a primary school. The development restrictions are specified in the Notes of the plan. The amended plan (No. S/K18/2) is available for public inspection during office hours at: * Planning Department, 16th floor, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central; * Kowloon District Planning Office, 11th floor, Leighton Centre, 77 Leighton Road, Causeway Bay; and * Kowloon City District Office, Rooms 1706-1713, 17th floor, One Harbour Front, 18-22 Tak Fung Street, Hung Hom. Any person affected by the amendments on the plan may submit written objection to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board, c/o Planning Department, 13th floor, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central, before January 9, 1998. Copies of the draft plan are available for sale at the Survey and Mapping Office, Lands Department, 14th floor, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central and the Kowloon Map Sales Office, ground floor, 382 Nathan Road. End 17. Draft Yuen Long OZP approved **************************** The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Yuen Long Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) to provide a statutory land use framework for development and redevelopment in Yuen Long new town. The OZP covers an area of about 562 hectares. Upon full development, the population will reach 191,100, with 34 per cent living in public and 66 per cent in private blocks. About 99.4 hectares, or 18 per cent of the total area, have been zoned "Village Type Development". About 60.4 hectares, or 11 per cent of the total area covering existing and planned public and private residential developments, have been zoned "Residential (Group A)". Major planned residential developments include a public housing estate in Area 13 and a Home Ownership Scheme estate in Area 10 of Fung Cheung Road. About 35.9 hectares, or six per cent of the total area, have been zoned "Residential (Group B)" for low to medium-density residential developments in the southern and eastern extension areas of the new town. About 14.5 hectares, or three per cent of the total area, have been zoned "Comprehensive Development Area" ("CDA"). These include five "CDAs" located to the east of Yuen Long Estate, east of Tung Tau industrial area, north and south of Castle Peak Road near the Light Rail Transit (LRT) terminus and at Tai Kiu. They are intended for comprehensive development or redevelopment for residential use. About 6.9 hectares of land to the north and south of Castle Peak Road, or one per cent of the total area, has been zoned "Commercial/Residential" for commercial or composite commercial and residential developments in the centre of the new town. About 99.4 hectares, or 18 per cent of the total area, has been zoned "Other Specified Uses". These specific uses include Yuen Long Industrial Estate, Yuen Long Sewage Treatment Works, the LRT terminus with commercial/residential development on top and the nearby rail interchange and rail reserve. About 12.5 hectares of land in the Tung Tau Industrial Area, or two per cent of the total area, have been zoned "Industrial" for general industrial and godown uses. About 46.9 hectares, or eight per cent of the total area, have been zoned "Government, institution or community" ("GIC") for the development of "GIC" facilities to serve local residents. Major existing "GIC" uses include a community centre, a swimming pool complex, a town hall, a stadium, a clinic, a divisional fire station, a police station, bus termini, government offices as well as primary and secondary schools. Planned "GIC" uses include a civic centre, a wholesale food market, an indoor recreation centre, and a number of primary and secondary schools. About 55.1 hectares, or 10 per cent of the total area, have been zoned "Open Space" for active and passive recreational uses to serve the local population. Major open spaces include a sports ground, a town park and a town square. A strip of open space of about 80 metres wide along Yuen Long Highway has been proposed to serve primarily as an environmental buffer from the highway. About 39 hectares, or seven per cent of the total area, have been zoned "Green Belt" to preserve the existing well-vegetated knolls within the new town. The remaining 92.3 hectares, or 16 per cent of the total area, have been reserved for road and nullah developments. The approved OZP (No. S/YL/3) is available for public inspection during office hours at: * Planning Department, 16th floor, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central; * Tuen Mun and Yuen Long District Planning Office, 11th floor, Metroplaza Tower I, 223 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Chung; and * Yuen Long District Office, ground floor, Yuen Long District Office Building, 269 Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long. Copies of the plan are available for sale at the Survey and Mapping Office, Lands Department, 14th floor, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central, and the Kowloon Map Sales Office, ground floor, 382 Nathan Road. End 18. Draft Kwu Tung South OZP amended ******************************** The Town Planning Board today (Friday) announced several amendments to the draft Kwu Tung South Outline Zoning Plan. The amendments involve the rezoning of the former Beas Stables Married Quarters site to the south of Kam Tsin Village, from "Government, institution or community" to "Residential (Group C)3". The site covers an area of about 1.7 hectares. Meanwhile, an area of about 0.54 hectare of land to the west of Hang Tau Road has been rezoned from "Agriculture" to "Residential (Groups C)2" for a low- density residential development. Another amendment is the deletion of the words "or excavation" from paragraph (b) of the Remarks for the "Village Type Development" zone so that planning permission would not be required for any excavation works necessary to effect the changes to uses always permitted. Furthermore, the "Residential Institution" use has been transferred from Column 1 to Column 2 of the user schedule for the "Government, institution or community" zone. As a result, development of residential institution in the zone cannot be carried out unless planning permission is obtained from the Board. The amended plan (No. S/NE-KTS/2)is available for public inspection during office hours at: * Planning Department, 16th floor, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central; * Sha Tin, Tai Po and North District Planning Office, Ground floor, Sha Tin Government Offices, 6 Tung Lo Wan Hill Road, Sha Tin; * North District Office, 3rd floor, North District Government Offices, 3 Pik Fung Road, Fanling; and * Sheung Shui District Rural Committee, 3 Po Wan Road, Sheung Shui. Any person affected by the amendments on the plan may submit written objections to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board, c/o Planning Department, 13th floor, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central, before January 9, 1998. Copies of the draft plan are available for sale at the Survey and Mapping Office, Lands Department, 14th floor, Murray Building, Garden Road, Central, Hong Kong; and the Kowloon Map Sales Office, ground floor, 382 Nathan Road. End 19. Parking fees revised for government car parks ********************************************* The Transport Department announces today (Friday) that parking charges for government multi-story car parks will be revised from January 1, 1998. Hourly parking fees will be increased by one to two dollars while the increase on monthly passes will be ranging from $200 to $500. Speaking on the revision, a spokesman for the department said: "In determining the increment rate, the department has looked into the parking charges of private sector car parks nearby, taking into account the inflation rate since last revision on January 1, 1996 and other related factors. "These factors include the utilization of government car parks as well as increases of parking charges for Housing Authority car parks." The spokesman noted that new parking charges are still lower than those of private sector car parks nearby. The monthly passes at new parking rates for January 1998 will be put on sale next Tuesday (December 23). It will be available at the 10 government car parks at Garden Road, Rumsey Street, Star Ferry, City Hall, Murray Road, Tin Hau, Yau Ma Tei, Middle Road, Tsuen Wan MTR Station and Tsuen Wan Transport Complex. Members of the public can also purchase the new monthly passes from the other four government car parks at Aberdeen, Shau Kei Wan, Sheung Fung Street and Kwai Fong beginning December 28. End 20. ED automatic telephone enquiry system directory *********************************************** A new handy directory illustrating the operation of the Education Department's 24-hour Automatic Telephone Enquiry System is available for collection from today (Friday). Since early 1993, the department has started to provide the 24-hour Automatic Telephone Enquiry Service at 2891 0088. Members of the public can obtain general information on educational services through the system. They can choose either Cantonese, Putonghua or English. Information provided by the system includes topics on Primary One Admission, Junior Secondary Education Assessment, student guidance, teacher registration, procedure for provident fund withdrawal, application for supply teaching posts, and Mortgage Interest Subsidy Scheme and other services of the department. The department will also make emergency announcements through this system including arrangements on school closure during inclement weather. In 1996, the department published a handy telephone directory - Get in Touch with the Education Department - to introduce the operation of the system. The directory provided a list of telephone numbers of popular educational services through which the public could make enquiry to the sections concerned direct. To cater for the ever changing needs of the community, the department has launched new initiatives accordingly. A revised telephone directory has been produced containing the updated list of contact numbers of various sections. Members of the public can obtain a copy of the revised directory at schools of their children, the department's District Education Offices, Family Services Centres of the Social Welfare Department or District Offices of the Home Affairs Department. End 21. Tenders invited for road works in Chai Wan ****************************************** The Highways Department is now inviting interested parties to tender for road works in Chai Wan. The works, designed by the department, comprise the construction of Wing Tai Road flyover, improvement works to associated at-grade road junctions, as well as associated drainage and landscaping works. They are scheduled to commence in April next year for completion in February 2000. Forms of tender and further details can be obtained from the Regional Highway Engineer (Hong Kong), Highways Department, eighth floor, Hennessy Centre, 500 Hennessy Road, Causeway Bay. Sealed tenders, with tender reference and subject of the tender marked on the envelop, should be addressed to the Chairman, Central Tender Board and placed in the Government Secretariat Tender Box at the lift lobby, lower ground floor, Central Government Offices (East Wing), Lower Albert Road, Hong Kong, before noon on February 6, 1998. End
