XN000022-1987-03-13 — Page 2

FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1987

IMPROVED NOISE PREVENTION, ABATEMENT CONTROLS SOUGHT

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A DRAFT NOISE CONTROL BILL, DESIGNED TO IMPROVE EXISTING CONTROLS FOR THE PREVENTION AND ABATEMENT OF NOISE IN HONG KONG, WAS PUBLISHED TODAY (FRIDAY) FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.

MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ARE INVITED TO SUBMIT THEIR VIEWS AND COMMENTS TO THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE AT CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES, LOWER ALBERT ROAD, OR THE OMELCO OFFICE AT JACKSON ROAD, WITHIN THREE MONTHS.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE NOISE CONTROL BILL WAS THE LAST OF FOUR SETS OF COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATION DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. THE WASTE DISPOSAL ORDINANCE AND THE WATER POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE WERE ENACTED IN 1980 AND THE AIR POLLUTION CONTROL ORDINANCE WAS ENACTED IN 1983.

HE SAID THE NOISE CONTROL BILL WAS AIMED AT CONSOLIDATING EXISTING LAW RELATING TO THE CONTROL OF NOISE AND EXTENDING THE SCOPE OF LEGISLATIVE CONTROL OF ENVIRONMENTAL NOISE.

+ IT ALSO ENABLES THE INTRODUCTION OF DETAILED CONTROL CRITERIA, MEASUREMENT PROCEDURES AND OTHER TECHNICAL DETAILS WHICH WILL BE CONTAINED IN REGULATIONS AND TECHNICAL MEMORANDA,+ THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE BILL'S PROPOSALS TO DEAL WITH VARIOUS FORMS OF NOISE:

NOISE FROM DOMESTIC PREMISES AND PUBLIC PLACES:

THIS FORM OF NOISE, ALSO KNOWN AS GENERAL NEIGHBOURHOOD NOISE, INCLUDES NOISE WHICH IS PRODUCED IN DOMESTIC PREMISES BY SOURCES SUCH AS TELEVISION SETS OR DOGS, AND NOISE PRODUCED IN PUBLIC PLACES BY HAWKERS, LOUDSPEAKERS ETC.

SUCH NOISE IS AT PRESENT CONTROLLED BY THE POLICE UNDER THE SUMMARY OFFENCES ORDINANCE AND THESE EXISTING PROVISIONS HAVE BEEN ABSORBED, LARGELY UNCHANGED, INTO THE BILL.

CONSTRUCTION NOISE AND PILING:

AT PRESENT, NOISE FROM CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES IS CONTROLLED UNDER THE SUMMARY OFFENCES ORDINANCE. THE EXISTING CONTROLS ARE SUCH THAT IT IS AN OFFENCE, BETWEEN 7 PM AND 7 AM OR ON A SUNDAY OR PUBLIC HOLIDAY, TO CARRY OUT ANY WORK USING POWERED MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT WITHOUT A PERMIT.

THE PERMIT SYSTEM, HOWEVER, DOES NOT APPLY TO PILING, THE CARRYING OUT OF WHICH DURING THE RESTRICTED HOURS IS AN OFFENCE UNLESS SPECIFICALLY EXEMPTED BY AN ORDER MADE BY THE GOVERNOR-IN- COUNCIL UNDER THE ORDINANCE.

THE BILL