XN000022-1980-06-11 — Page 6

5

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 1980

POWER TRANSMISSION BILL A JUST BALANCE

****

THE ELECTRICITY NETWORKS (STATUTORY EASEMENTS) BILL 1980 STRIKES A JUST BALANCE BETWEEN THE NEEDS OF THE POWER COMPANIES AND THE CONSUMERS OF ELECTRICITY ON THE ONE HAND AND, ON THE OTHER HAND, THE RIGHTS OF THE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS WHOSE LAND MAY BE AFFECTED.

SPEAKING AT THE SECOND READING OF THE BILL TODAY, THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON DEREK JONES SAID NEW LEGISLATION HAD BECOME MORE NÉCESSARY GIVEN THE SCOPE OF THE TRANSMISSION NETWORKS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LARGE NEW POWER STATIONS NOW BEING BUILT AT TAP SHEK KOK AND ON LAMMA ISLAND.

+THE MODE OF TRANSMISSION, BECAUSE OF THE COSTS INVOLVED AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE CONSUMING PUBLIC, AND THE ROUTE OF THE TRANSMISSION LINES AND THEIR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT, ARE MATTERS OF CONCERN TO THE GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS TO THE POWER COMPANIES.

+ALTHOUGH, GENERALLY SPEAKING, IN PLANNING THE ROUTING OF TRANSMISSION LINES PRIVATE LAND IS AVOIDED AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, THIS CANNOT BE ALTOGETHER ACHIEVED AS PHYSICAL CONDITIONS AND PLANNING REQUIREMENTS CAN, IN PLACES, SEVERELY LIMIT THE CHOICE OF ROUTE,+ HE SAID.

THE PRACTICE FOR POWER COMPANIES TO SEEK INFORMAL AGREEMENTS WITH CONCERNED LANDOWNERS IS A TIME-CONSUMING AND SOMETIMES FRUSTRATING PROCEDURE WHICH DOES NOT GIVE ADEQUATE PROTECTION TO THE INTERESTS OF EITHER PARTY, HE ADDED.

THE BILL WILL ENABLE THE POWER COMPANIES TO APPLY FOR THE RIGHT TO PLACE TRANSMISSION LINES OVER OR UNDER PRIVATE LAND, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME THE INTERESTS OF THE PRIVATE LANDOWNERS WILL BE SAFEGUARDED.

+ IT MAKES A POWER COMPANY LIABLE TO PAY COMPENSATION FOR ANY DIMINUTION IN THE VALUE OF PRIVATE LAND AS A RESULT OF THE CREATION OF AN EASEMENT, MR JONES SAID.

CLAIMS FOR COMPENSATION WOULD NEED TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE POWER COMPANY AND THE SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS WOULD THEN BE A MATTER BETWEEN THE COMPANY AND THE INDIVIDUAL CLAIMANT.

+HOWEVER,+ HE NOTED, +IF AGREEMENT CANNOT BE REACHED, THE CLAIMANT WOULD BE ABLE TO REFER THE CLAIM TO THE LANDS TRIBUNAL FOR DETERMINATION.+

DEBATE ON THE BILL WAS ADJOURNED.

16