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On the media side, Mrs Chan gave a live interview at the studio of 3AW Radio in the morning and she wrapped up her visit in Melbourne with a press interview following her call on the Prime Minister.
Mrs Chan will leave Melbourne on Sunday for Hong Kong.
End
Fees to be charged for waste import/export permits
Fees will be payable with effect from November 8 for the application of a permit for the import and export of hazardous or contaminated waste.
The new fees, aimed at recovering the cost for processing permit applications, are set out in the Waste Disposal (Forms and Fees for Licences) (Amendment) Regulation 1996 gazetted today (Friday).
This follows the introduction of the permit scheme on September 1 to regulate and control the import and export of waste in accordance with the Waste Disposal (Amendment) Ordinance 1995 and the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal.
The new fees are as follows:
Import/export permits for a single shipment of waste $10,750;
Import/export permits for multiple shipments of waste $17,460 (valid for up to 12 months).
A government spokesman said the Director of Environmental Protection must be satisfied that the waste shipment would be managed in an environmentally sound manner before he would issue a permit.
"Moreover, consent to the waste shipment must be obtained from the environmental authorities of the country of export, transit and import, as appropriate.
"In the case of waste to be imported into Hong Kong, the environmental authorities of the exporting country must agree to allow the return of the waste if the intended shipment cannot be completed," said the spokesman.