XN000022-1993-06-10 — Page 17

16

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1993

: I

AND MAKE

THE

MY

GOVERNOR

THINK

RATHER MORE PROGRESS WITH THE WE'RE MAKING IMPACT ASSESSMENT THAN THE

WAS ENVIRONMENTAL

HONOURABLE MEMBER

MAJOR PROJECTS SUGGESTING. WE NOW ARE UNDERTAKING EIA'S ON ALL OUR

IN AND IN SOME CASES, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PROPOSAL THAT WE SHOULD DREDGE

FROM DOING MIRS BAY, IT WAS THE APPLICATION OF BIA WHICH DETERED US

THE ENVIRONMENTAL So. I'M VERY HAPPY TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN BROADEN

IF IMPACT

THAT THEM MORE EFFECTIVE

IS ASSESSMENTS

SHOULD WORK. THE DIRECTION

WHICH

COMMUNITY THINKS WE IN EXPERIENCE THE FIRST THING TO DO IS TO ESTABLISH THAT ONE IS OUT EIA'S IN ALL THE CASES THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED AND DOING SO WELICH

QUITE A FEW IS EFFECTIVE AND INTERNALLY CONSISTENT. EIA'S THAT I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST HAVE FAILED IN THAT RESPECT

ON

WE HOW THE

HAS PARTICULAR PROPOSALS HONOURABLE MEMBER DEVELOP THIS VERY IMPORTANT AND RATHER SOPHISTICATED INSTRUMENT, BE HAPPY TO LOOK AT THEM.

MR MAN SAI-CHRONG: FOLLOW-UP MY SECOND QUESTION IS WHETHER GOING TO MAKE THIS EIA A LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENT?

IN CARRYING IN A WAY OF THE

BUT IF

SHOULD I'D

WE ARE

ABOUT

THE

HAVE A GOVERNOR : THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING WHICH THE COUNCIL MAY

IN WHEN

DUE

BRINGING OUR WE COME TO DISCUSS

COURSE VIEW

THE I THINK

TWO ARB LEGISLATION ON LAND USE PLANNING UP TO DATE.

RELATED AND

COUNCIL CLOSELY

MAY WISH то

INTO WRITE

THAT LEGISLATION THAT PROJECTS ABOVE A CERTAIN SCALE REQUIRE A FORM OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE BEST CONTEXT IN WHICH TO CONSIDER THAT ISSUE.

PARTICULAR

THE EXCESSIVE AND DR SAMUEL WONG GOVERNOR, WHAT IS YOUR VIEW ON MOSTLY UNNECESSARY USE OF PLASTIC BAGS AND WILL YOU AGREE TO MAKE THEM THAT EXPENSIVE ARTIFICIALLY SO THAT PEOPLE WOULD NOT THROW THEM AWAY READILY?

BAGS FLOATING

GOVERNOR * I THINK THAT ALL OF US WHO'VE SEEN PLASTIC ACROSS OUR HARBOUR OR DECORATING SOME OF OUR BEACHES, EVEN IN THE MOST DISTANT PARTS OF THE TERRITORY, WOULD SYMPATHISE CONSIDERABLY WITH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER. BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE QUESTION OF PLASTIC BAGS IS EXTENT TO WHICH PART OF A RATHER LARGER QUESTION AND THAT IS THE

SOME COMMUNITIES EXCESSIVE PACKAGING CREATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.

BY HAVE DEALT WITH THIS ISSUE. IT'S HAPPENED IN GERMANY FOR EXAMPLE PUTTING

MANUFACTURERS OR A SUBSTANTIAL FINANCIAL BURDEN ON THOSE RETAILERS

QUITE WHO USE EXCESSIVE PACKAGING. I DON'T THINK WE'RE AT THAT STAGE IN HONG KONG AND I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE WELCOME IN THE MAKE CLEAR COMMUNITY. BUT I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY AS CUSTOMERS WILL WHAT THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL PREFERENCES ARE AND I HOPE THAT WE WON'T FEEL

NECESSARY THAT EVERY IT

PURCHASE

SHOULD EVERYWHERE ACCOMPANIED BY A PLASTIC BAG.

WE

MAKE

BE

DR

MR

: THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT. WONG (THROUGH INTERPRETER) PHILIP GOVERNOR, I THINK I'M A VERY KEEN DIVER AND I ADMIRE THE BEAUTY OF THE

IN THE MARINE LIFE AND I'VE ALWAYS BEEN

SUPPORT ON UNDERWORLD AND

PROTECTION AND BECAUSE THEY MAKE ENVIRONMENTAL

HONG KONG MORE ΤΟ BEAUTIFUL. TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP A QUESTION IN RELATION URBAN ENVIRONMENT. IN THE URBAN AREA WE SEE POLITICAL PARTIES PUTTING UP THEIR POSTERS AND BANNERS AND BOARDS AND IT'S GETTING MORE NUMEROUS EYESORE AND THEY STAY THERE MUCH LONGER THAN USUAL AND THEY BECOME AN

AND SO DON'T YOU THINK BECAUSE THEY BECOME WORN OUT AND DILAPIDATED. THAT THIS WILL HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON OUR TOURIST INDUSTRY AND WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THIS PHENOMENON?

/GOVERNOR