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Tsuen Wan Environmental Resource Centre contract awarded

The contract for the provision of management and operation service for the Tsuen Wan Environmental Resource Centre (TWERC) of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) was awarded today (Friday) to the Conservancy Association(CA).

The centre will be EPD's second resource centre to provide the general public with easy access to environmental information.

Speaking at the contract-signing ceremony, the Chairman of the Environmental Campaign Committee, Mr Ronnie Wong, said that the TWERC would be the first environmental resource centre in Hong Kong to be operated by a Green Group.

"The centre will enhance the environmental awareness of the community within the Urban West Catchment and also help extensively in expanding the geographical coverage of environmental education facilities in Hong Kong," he said.

years.

He pointed out that under the contract, CA would operate the TWERC for two

"The two-year management and operation of the TWERC would cost about HK$1,369,000, to be paid out of the Environment and Conservation Fund," he said.

Also attending today's ceremony was the Community Relations Officer of the Environmental Protection Department, Ms Mabel Mak, who estimated that the TWERC would serve about one million people in the district.

"We intend to set up more environmental resource centres in the future and are actively identifying possible sites throughout the territory," she said.

She pointed out that the TWERC was converted from a traditional Hakka style Chinese residential building in Tak Wah Park which was a government declared

monument.

With the renovation cost funded by the Woo Wheelock Green Fund and the Environment and Conservation Fund, renovation work of the building has been completed with the assistance of the Architectural Services Department.

When opened in mid-1997, the TWERC will be the first ERC installed with World Wide Web to enable teachers and the public to access to environmental information through the Internet.

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