XN000022-1993-06-10 — Page 13

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THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1993

MR PRESIDENT :

MR

OVERLOOKED, MR PETER WONG HAS A FOLLOW-UP.

ARE

YOU PETER WONG THANK YOU. MR GOVERNOR, DOES THIS MEAN THAT WILLING TO LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION AS REGARDS THE BINDING OF THE CROWN, BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT REALLY IS THE LARGEST POLLUTER IN HONG KONG AND WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, THAT IS A FACT?

GOVERNOR

I WOULD DISPUTE THAT ALLEGATION, WHICH IS :

THINK I

MORE EASILY SAID THAN ARGUED WITH EVIDENCE BUT IF THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN HAS EVIDENCE I'D BE VERY HAPPY TO CONSIDER IT. WHAT MY ANSWER MBANS WHAT IT SAID. THE HONOURABLE MEMBER ASKED IN PARTICULAR ABOUT THE COUNTRY PARKS ORDINANCE AND I REPLIED THAT WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO CONSIDER THE TERMS OF THAT ORDINANCE AND AS FAR AS OTHER LEGISLATION ON POLLUTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL MATTERS IS CONCERNED, I THINK OVERWHELMINGLY THAT BINDS GOVERNMENT AS IT BINDS PRIVATE SECTOR OPERATORS AND SO IT SHOULD. GOVERNMENT OBVIOUSLY HAS TO GIVE A LEAD. IN DOING SO THAT SOMETIMES INVOLVES EXPENSE AND I'M SURE THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL RECOGNISES THAT.

MR PETER WONG: I'M QUITE CONTENT WITH THAT ANSWER.

MR LAU WONG-FAT (IN CANTONESE) : THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT. RECENTLY SOME CHINESE ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIALS POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH A VERY EXPENSIVE SEWAGE TREATMENT PROGRAMME BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO STRADDLE 1997, THAT'S WHY WE NEED CO-OPERATION FROM CHINA. SO THIS IS THE COMMENT FROM THE CHINESE SIDE, WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT ON THAT COMMENT?

GOVERNOR

I'VE :

TOTAL GOT NO DOUBT THAT IF WE'RE TO COMPLETE OUR SEWAGE STRATEGY IT WILL TAKE BEYOND 1997 AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SAR WILL BE FACED WITH A NUMBER OF TASKS AFTER 1997. BUT I DON'T THINK THIS COUNCIL WOULD REGARD IT AS SENSIBLE FOR US TO LEAVE THE JOB FOR THE

OF

SAR TO PICK UP WITH THE UNDOUBTED CONSEQUENCE OF THE QUALITY

THAT WATER IN OUR HARBOUR AND AROUND OUR SHORES BECOMING EVEN WORSE. IS WHY WE HAVE LAUNCHED THE FREE STANDING PRIORITY PROGRAMME FOR BE COLLECTION AND TREATMENT AND PARTIAL DISPOSAL OF SEWAGE WHICH WILL COMPLETED BEFORE 1997. THE WORK WILL BE COMPLETED BEFORE 1997 AND THE COSTS WILL BE MET BEFORE 1997 AND THAT PROGRAMME WHICH AS I SAID IN MY OPENING STATEMENT SHOULD REDUCE THE POLLUTION IN THE HARBOUR BY ABOUT 70 PER CENT. THAT PROGRAMME IS I THINK A PROGRAMME WHICH THE COMMUNITY WANTS US TO EMBARK ON AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. I VERY MUCHI WHICH HOPE THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF THE SAR WILL BUILD ON THE PROGRAMME WE SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED BY 1997 BUT I CAN'T MAKE ANY COMMITMENT THAT, NOR I'M SURE WOULD CHINESE OFFICIALS WISH TO SAY THAT SHOULDN'T DO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THAT YEAR.

MR

NGAI

ΤΟ

WE

то PROPOSE

PREVENT

SHIU-KIT: WHAT ACTION DOES GOVERNMENT FURTHER WATER QUALITY DETERIORATION IN NORTH LANTAU AND ADVERSE EFFECTS ON THE CHINESE WHITE DOLPHIN?

то

GOVERNOR : OBVIOUSLY THE WORK THAT WE DO OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS PUT IN PLACE THE FIRST STAGES OF A PROPER SEWAGE TREATMENT STRATEGY FOR HONG KONG WILL BRING BENEFITS TO NORTH LANTAU AS THEY WILL TO

AREAS. OTHER

IT'S ALSO THE CASE THAT THE

OF IMPLEMENTATION

WATER CONTROL ZONES RIGHT ACROSS THE TERRITORY WILL RAISE THE QUALITY OF OUR WATER AS WELL.

OF AS FOR THE IMPACT ON PARTICULAR SPECIES

MARINE A I'D BE VERY HAPPY TO ANSWER THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IN LIFE,

LETTER I'M AFRAID I CAN'T GIVE HIM THE ANSWER FOLLOWING THIS DISCUSSION. THAT PARTICULAR FORM OF SEA LIFE THIS AFTERNOON.

ON