WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1978
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HK AIRPORT (CONTROL OF OBSTRUCTIONS) (AMENDMENT) BILL ******
A BILL WHICH SEEKS TO UP-DATE THE HONG KONG AIRPORT (CONTROL OF OBSTRUCTIONS) ORDINANCE WAS INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
SPEAKING AT THE SECOND READING OF THE HONG KONG AIRPORT (CONTROL OF OBSTRUCTIONS) (AMENDMENT) BILL 1978, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES, SAID THE BILL SEEKS TO RECTIFY CERTAIN UNSATISFACTORY FEATURES IN THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE.
MR. JONES SAID IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN DETERMINING BUILDING HEIGHTS IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT AND ITS APPROACHES TO SAFEGUARD AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS AND PREVENT OBSTRUCTION TO RADIO-NAVIGATIONAL AIDS, ONE OF THE CLAUSES IN THE BILL PROVIDES FOR THE DELETION OF THE REFERENCE TO PRINCIPAL DATUM IN ORDER TO ALLOW OTHER MEASUREMENTS TO BE USED AS APPROPRIATE.
THESE MEASUREMENTS INCLUDE THE FORMED LEVEL OF A SITE, THE HEIGHT OF THE HIGHEST NATURAL FEATURE OR BY THE SO CALLED +CONICAL SURFACE+ FORMULA LAID DOWN BY THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANISATION.
ANOTHER CLAUSE OF THE BILL SEEKS TO EMPOWER THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION TO GIVE EXEMPTIONS TO TEMPORARY OBSTRUCTIONS EXCEEDING THE BUILDING HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS AND TO PROVIDE FOR ITS PROPER MARKING AND LIGHTING.
MR. JONES SAID IT CAN HAPPEN IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION, REPAIR OR MAINTENANCE THAT CERTAIN EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS SCAFFOLDING, HOISTS OR CRANES, EXCEED THE BUILDING HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS WHILE THE WORK IS GOING ON BUT WILL LATER BE REMOVED.
+THESE TEMPORARY OBSTRUCTIONS CAN BE TOLERATED FOR LIMITED PERIODS IF ADVANCE WARNING OF THE IR PRESENCE IS GIVEN TO PILOTS AND THEY ARE PROPERLY MARKED OR LIGHTED.+
THE BILL ALSO CONTAINS A CLAUSE WHICH PROVIDES THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION THE AUTHORITY TO ORDER THE REMOVAL OR FELLING OF OBSTRUCTIONS SUCH AS THE TREES OR OTHER VEGETATION.
MR. JONES ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE MAIN PROVISION OF THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE, IN SECTION 3, ENABLES THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL, BY ORDER, TO PRESCRIBE AREAS WITHIN WHICH BUILDINGS SHALL NOT EXCEED SPECIFIED HEIGHTS ABOVE PRINCIPAL DATUM.
+SO FAR THREE SUCH ORDERS HAVE BEEN MADE IN 1957, 1966 AND 1967 RESPECTIVELY. SINCE THEN CONSIDERABLE CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN BUILDING DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG, AS WELL AS IN VARIOUS TECHNICAL AIDS TO AIRCRAFT MOVEMENT, HAVE MADE THESE ORDERS OUT OF DATE AND A REVISION IN BUILDING HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS CONTAINED IN THEM IS NOW OVERDUE,+ MR. JONES SAID.
DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.
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