WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 1992
28
"IN ADDITION, A 1988
CONSULTANCY REPORT CONCLUDED THAT IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE POLLUTION LOADING IN TOLO HARBOUR, THE LEAST COSTLY SCHEME WAS TO EXPORT ALL EFFLUENT FROM SHA TIN AND ΤΑΙ PO SEWAGE TREATMENT WORKS TO KAI TAK NULLAH AND ΤΟ USE SEA WATER FOR FLUSHING IN THE SHA TIN AND TAI PO AREAS.
**
"SUBSEQUENTLY THIS EFFLUENT EXPORT SCHEME WAS ADOPTED, MISS
CHUNG SAID.
FOR FLUSHING
SHE SAID CURRENTLY THE AMOUNT OF SEA WATER USED WAS 67 PER CENT, AND THIS WOULD RISE TO 90 PER CENT BY 1995.
"FOR DEVELOPMENTS OUTSIDE SEA-WATER FLUSHING SUPPLY ZONES, WHERE IT IS PRESENTLY UNECONOMICAL TO PROVIDE SEA WATER FOR FLUSHING PURPOSES, THE USE OF POTABLE WATER WILL NOT BE APPROVED FOR DEVELOPMENTS UNLESS THE FEASIBILITY OF USING STREAM WATER AND WELL WATER HAS FIRST BEEN EXPLORED.
**
MISS CHUNG SAID THE USE OF RECYCLED WATER FOR FLUSHING WAS NOT USED BECAUSE IT NEEDED SPECIAL RECYCLING PLANTS AND IT WAS NOT ECONOMICALLY PRACTICAL.
BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT TO BE REORGANISED
**
THE BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT WILL BE SPLIT INTO TWO DEPARTMENTS TO ENABLE A BETTER BALANCE BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENTS AND THEIR PROGRAMME AREAS AND RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS TO BE MAINTAINED AT THE POLICY BRANCH LEVEL IN THE PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS BRANCH.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS, MR GRAHAM BARNES, IN A WRITTEN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON LAU WONG-FAT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
MR BARNES SAID THE RE-ORGANISATION WOULD INVOLVE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE AS A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT TO BE KNOWN AS THE BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT AND THE DIVISION OF THE PRESENT BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS ACCORDINGLY.
"OREATER EMPHASIS AND FRESH IMPETUS IS REQUIRED ΤΟ DEAL WITH THE PROBLEMS OF SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE IN PRIVATE BUILDINGS.
"THESE EFFORTS WILL BE ASSISTED IF THE IDENTITY AND AUTHORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT AND ITS OFFICIALS RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITIES IN THIS FIELD ARE MORE CLEARLY ESTABLISHED IN THE EYES OF THE PUBLIC," HE SAID.
MR BARNES INFORMED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL RE-ORGANISATION WOULD BE ACHIEVED AT NO ADDITIONAL COST.
THAT THE
/"THERE WILL
Page 30Page 31