THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1985
LIVESTOCK CURBS IN WASTE CONTROL PLAN
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PLANS TO RESTRICT LIVESTOCK KEEPING THROUGHOUT HONG KONG AS A MEANS TO CONTROL THE PROBLEM OF POLLUTION CAUSED BY ANIMAL WASTE, WERE OUTLINED TODAY BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MR JOHN CHAMBERS.
SPEAKING AT A Y'S MEN'S CLUB OF HONG KONG MEETING, MR CHAMBERS SAID THAT CONSULTATIONS ON THE NEW PROPOSALS WERE ABOUT TO START, AND EXPLANATIONS WOULD BE GIVEN TO LIVESTOCK KEEPERS AND TO DISTRICT BOARDS AND OTHER LOCAL ORGANISATIONS, PARTICULARLY IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
THE INTENTION WAS TO PHASE IN THE NEW ARRANGEMENTS OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS.
HE SAID THAT A COMPLETE BAN ON LIVESTOCK KEEPING THROUGHOUT HONG KONG WOULD UNQUESTIONABLY BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF CONTROLLING THE PROBLEM.
LUT HE ADDED: THE AUTHORITARIAN NATURE OF SUCH A MEASURE MAY WELL APPEAL TO SOME, BUT COULD ALSO EXCITE ANTIPATHY ON OTHERS. A MIXTURE OF BANNING IN SOME AREAS AND TIGHTER CONTROLS IN OTHERS THEREFORE SEEMS TO US TO BE A SATISFACTORY COMPROMISE WHICH IS MORE LIKELY TO BE ACCEPTABLE.
J
+ IN SOME AREAS, THEREFORE WE ARE PROPOSING THAT LIVESTOCK
THE BANNED KEEPING SHOULD BE BANNED COMPLETELY, BROADLY SPEAKING, AREAS WOULD BE THOSE WHERE THE LEVEL OF DEVELOPMENT IS INCOMPATIBLE WITH ANIMAL FARMING.
+AREAS FALLING INTO THIS CATEGORY INCLUDE THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG ISLAND AND KOWLOON, AND THE BUILT-UP AREAS OF THE NEW TOWNS IN THE NEW TERRITORIES. IN OTHER WORDS, IN THESE AREAS WE WOULD NOT ALLOW THE INSTALLATION OF WASTE TREATMENT PLANTS OR THE OPERATION OF MANURE COLLECTION SYSTEMS - EVEN IF THAT WERE PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE. IN MOST CASES IT IS NOT, ANYWAY. IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, THERE WOULD BE A CASE FOR LIVESTOCK KEEPERS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR EX-GRATIA PAYMENTS TO COMPENSATE THEM FOR THE FACT THAT THE IR CHOSEN MEANS OF LIVELIHOOD HAD BEEN PROHIBITED.+
+ IN OTHER AREAS WE ARE PROPOSING THAT PROPER CONTROLS ON THE STORAGE AND DISPOSAL OF ANIMAL WASTE SHOULD BE ENFORCED. IN ORDER TO OVERCOME THE DIFFICULTY OF ENFORCEMENT WHICH HAS HINDERED SATISFACTORY CONTROL THROUGH EXISTING MEASURES, OFFENCES WOULD BE CREATED SO THAT LIVESTOCK KEEPERS WHO WERE UNABLE TO SHOW THAT THEY POSSESSED A SUFFICIENT QUANTITY OF PROPERLY CONSTRUCTED CONTAINERS OR WHO WERE UNABLE OTHERWISE TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY WERE EQUIPPED TO TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS, WOULD RENDER THEMSELVES LIABLE TO PROSECUTION.
+ IT WOULD, OF COURSE, ALSO BE AN OFFENCE NOT TO USE THE CONTAINERS OR NOT TO TAKE THE PRESCRIBED PRECAUTIONS. LIQUID ANIMAL WASTES COULD CONTINUE TO BE DISCHARGED INTO STREAMS, WATERCOURSES OR SEWERS PROVIDED THAT SUCH WASTES HAD BEEN PROPERLY TREATED TO A PUBLISHED STANDARD, WHICH MAY VARY FROM AREA TO AREA. BY THE VERY NATURE OF HONG KONG'S INFRASTRUCTURE AND TOPOGRAPHY THESE CONTROLS WILL HAVE TO BE STRINGENT.+
/HE SAID