XN000022-1986-06-04 — Page 6

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 1986

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STATUTORY POWERS SOUGHT FOR AIRCRAFT NOISE CONTROL

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A BILL TO PROVIDE STATUTORY POWERS TO REDUCE NOISE NUISANCE CAUSED BY AIRCRAFT AND TO ENABLE EFFECT TO BE GIVEN TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS AND RECOMMENDED PRACTICES ON AIRCRAFT NOISE EMISSIONS WAS INTRODUCED INTOO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MOVING THE SECOND READING OF THE CIVIL AVIATION (AIRCRAFT NOISE) BILL 1986, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON PIERS JACOBS, SAID THESE STANDARDS AND PRACTICES HAD BEEN LAID DOWN IN ANNEX 16 TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ON CIVIL AVIATION TO WHICH HONG KONG, THROUGH THE UNITED KINGDOM, WAS A PARTY.

ANNEX 16 HAD BEEN ADOPTED BY THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANISATION (ICAO) IN RECOGNITION OF THE NOISE NUISANCE CAUSED BY AIRCRAFT.

MR JACOBS SAID THE BILL PROVIDED FOR THE GOVERNOR TO DETERMINE THE CLASSES OF AIRCRAFT, WHICH, ON DATES TO BE SPECIFIED, WOULD REQUIRE A NOISE CERTIFICATE (OR SIMILAR EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANCE WITH ANNEX 16) BEFORE BEING PERMITTED TO LAND OR TAKE OFF IN HONG KONG.

THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION WAS EMPOWERED TO GRANT AN EXEMPTION IF JUSTIFIED IN PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES, HE ADDED.

HE SAID IF THIS BILL WAS PASSED, IT WAS PROPOSED THAT THE NOISE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS BE PHASED IN, AS RECOMMENDED BY ICAO AND ADOPTED BY THE UNITED KINGDOM AND OTHER COUNTRIES.

NOISE CERTIFICATES WOULD BE REQUIRED OF AIRCRAFT BASED IN HONG KONG, FROM SEPTEMBER 1, BUT FOREIGN AIRCRAFT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO COMPLY ONLY FROM A DATE, STILL TO BE DETERMINED, AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1987.

+ IN BRIEF, THE GENERAL EFFECT OF THESE PROVISIONS WILL BE TO PROHIBIT OLDER, NOISIER AIRCRAFT FROM BEING OPERATED INTO AND OUT OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.

MR JACOBS NOTED THAT THE FIRST STAGE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PART OF THE LEGISLATION WOULD HAVE NO IMMEDIATE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE OVERALL AIRCRAFT NOISE LEVELS IN THE VICINITY OF HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SINCE ALL AIRCRAFT ON THE HONG KONG REGISTER WERE CAPABLE OF COMPLYING WITH THE LEGISLATION.

+NEVERTHELESS, THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND ITS FULL EFFECT WILL BE FELT ONCE THE SECOND STAGE IS IMPLEMENTED, HE SAID.

/HE SAID