XN000022-1995-05-10 — Page 65

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Implementing the Land Drainage Ordinance

Following is a question by the Hon Zachary Wong Wai-yin and a written reply by the acting Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Canice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

In an attempt to alleviate the flooding problem in the New Territories, this Council passed the Land Drainage Ordinance last year. It is learnt, however, that the progress of implementing the Ordinance has been slow. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)

(b)

of the progress of implementing this Ordinance to date since its enactment; and

whether the current progress is behind the original schedule; if so, what the reasons are; whether any difficulties have been encountered and what measures are put in place to speed up the progress of the related work?

Answer

Mr President,

Reply to the question is as follows:

(a)

There has been no delay in the implementation of the Land Drainage Ordinance (Cap 446). It has always been our plan to implement the Ordinance in five major drainage basins in the north-western and northern New Territories by the end of 1996. To do this, we have commenced a series of preparatory work including the preparation of subsidiary legislation and the Drainage Authority Area plans and the establishment of the Drainage Appeal Board Panel. The present position in this regard is that:

(i)

the drafting of the two sets of subsidiary legislation under the Land Drainage Ordinance, namely the Land Drainage (Appeal) Regulation and the Land Drainage (Approval and Consent) Regulation is nearing completion. They will be gazetted shortly;