WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1985
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EXCESSIVE NOISE AFFECTING SCHOOLS UNDER STUDY
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A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY HAS BEEN CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM OF EXCESSIVE NOISE AFFECTING SCHOOLS NEAR TO THE AIRPORT AND MAJOR ROADS AND TO ASSESS VARIOUS MEANS OF IMPROVEMENT, SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, THE HON NEIL HENDERSON SAID TODAY.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY PROF THE HON POON CHUNG-KWONG AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR HENDERSON SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS FACED BY CERTAIN SCHOOLS AS A RESULT OF INCREASED NOISE LEVELS IN THEIR VICINITY.
+THE STUDY HAS ESTABLISHED THAT THE MEASURES REQUIRED WOULD DEPEND UPON THE INTENSITY OF THE NOISE AFFECTING A PARTICULAR SCHOOL.
+ IT MIGHT BE NECESSARY TO INSTALL DOUBLE GLAZING, TO SEAL THE EXISTING WINDOWS OR SIMPLY TO KEEP EXISTING WINDOWS CLOSED.
+ IN ALL THREE CASES, HOWEVER, AIR-CONDITIONING WOULD BE REQUIRED, + MR HENDERSON SAID.
HE THEN POINTED OUT THAT A SAMPLE SURVEY OF SCHOOLS INDICATED THAT A TOTAL OF SOME 10 000 CLASSROOMS AND SPECIAL ROOMS MIGHT REQUIRE TREATMENT OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER.
THE FULL COST OF THIS TREATMENT WOULD BE ABOUT $240 MILLION WITH A RECURRENT COST (IN RESPECT OF AIR-CONDITIONING) OF AROUND $50 MILLION PER ANNUM, HE SAID.
MR HENDERSON STRESSED THAT A VERY SUBSTANTIAL PROGRAMME WOULD BE REQUIRED IF NOISE WAS TO BE REDUCED TO DESIRABLE LEVELS IN ALL SCHOOLS CURRENTLY AFFECTED.
+ IT IS, HOWEVER, POSSIBLE TO ESTABLISH ORDERS OF PRIORITY AND TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO SOME OF THE MOST SERIOUSLY-AFFECTED SCHOOLS FIRST,
+THIS IS INDEED THE APPROACH ENDORSED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE EDUCATION COMMISSION, + MR HENDERSON SAID.
HE ADDED THAT AN AGENDA ITEM PAPER WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE IN THE NEAR FUTURE ADVISING MEMBERS OF THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY AND SEEKING APPROVAL TO BRING FORWARD MORE SPECIFIC PROPOSALS DEALING INITIALLY WITH THE WORST-AFFECTED SCHOOLS.
+ IN ORDER TO AVOID PROBLEMS OF THIS KIND, + MR HENDERSON SA ID +PLANNING GUIDELINES HAVE BEEN AMENDED TO ENSURE THAT NOISÉ LEVELS ARE TAKEN SPECIFICALLY INTO ACCOUNT IN THE ALLOCATION OF SITES.
+WHERE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID A NOISY SITE, REMEDIAL MEASURES WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PROJECT DESIGN AND THE NECESSARY FINANCIAL APPROVAL SOUGHT, HE SAID.
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