XN000022-1979-10-24 — Page 7

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1979

6

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED: +A CONTRACTOR WISHING TO CONTINUE WORKING AFTER 7 P.M. OR ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS, INCLUDING SUNDAYS, MUST NOW APPLY TO THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT FOR A PERMIT BY SUBMITTING A LIST OF EQUIPMENT HE WISHES TO USE, A LOCATION PLAN OF HIS SITE AND BY SPECIFYING THE HOURS HE WISHES TO WORK.

+THESE FACTORS ARE ASSESSED IN RELATION TO THE BACKGROUND LEVEL OF NOISE IN THAT GENERAL LOCATION AND THE PROXIMITY OF PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE DISTURBED BY THE NOISE AND ALSO THE NECESSITY FOR THE WORK.

+AS A RESULT A PERMIT MAY BE ISSUED AND THE APPLICANT MAY OPERATE SUCH MACHINERY AS THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT (PWD) JUDGES REASONABLE FROM THE NOISE POINT OF VIEW FOR THAT PARTICULAR SITE.

+THE PROCEDURE FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF APPLICATIONS IS STANDARDISED THROUGHOUT PWD IN THAT ALL PERMIT ISSUING OFFICERS FOLLOW A CAREFULLY PREPARED SET OF PERMIT ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES.+

THE SPOKESMAN ADDED: +IN GENERAL, WE TRY TO ADOPT A FLEXIBLE, PRACTICAL AND REASONABLE APPROACH TO THE ISSUE OF PERMITS.+

HE HOPED THAT THE GRADUAL INTRODUCTION OF TOUGHER MEASURES TO CURB NOISE FROM CONSTRUCTION SITES WOULD LEAD TO A MORE EXTENSIVE USE OF PROPERLY SILENCED EQUIPMENT.

HE SAID +THE IDEA IS TO LIMIT NOISE DISTURBANCE, NOT TO STOP WORK.+

BY OCTOBER 16, 961 PERMIT APPLICATIONS FOR THE USE OF POWERED MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT (OTHER THAN PILING) DURING THE PROHIBITED HOURS HAD BEEN RECEIVED BY THE PWD OF WHICH SLIGHTLY OVER ONE HALF WERE FOR PRIVATE SECTOR PROJECTS AND SLIGHTLY OVER ONE THIRD WERE FOR PWD PROJECTS. THE REMAINING APPLICATIONS WERE FOR HOUSING DEPARTMENT PROJECTS.

ENFORCEMENT OF THE LEGISLATION IS A POLICE RESPONSIBILITY AND ONE OF THE WAYS IN WHICH THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE NEW AMENDMENT TO THE LEGISLATION CAN BE DETERMINED IS BY ANALYSING THE STATISTICS OF COMPLAINTS AND THE NUMBER OF FOLLOW-UP ACTIONS BY POLICE.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID +ALTHOUGH IT IS EARLY DAYS YET TO FORM ANY SOLID CONCLUSIONS FROM THESE STATISTICS, THE SIGNS ARE DEFINITELY ENCOURAGING AND IT IS FELT THAT CONTRACTORS ARE BEGINNING TO RECOGNISE THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE CONTROL OF NOISE,+

THE CONTROL OF NOISE NUISANCE IN HONG KONG IS VERY MUCH

A CONTINUING AND EVOLVING PROCESS WHICH INVOLVES STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN WHAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC WANT OR FEEL THAT THEY NEED AND WHAT SUCH SECTORS AS THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY CAN REASONABLY ACCOMMODATE.

EPCOM WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT PREPARATORY DRAFTING OF THE NEW NOISE ABATEMENT BILL WOULD INCLUDE A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO CONSTRUCTION NOISE.

17