TNAG-1858-FCO40-2633-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-memoranda-and-minutes-of-me-1989 — Page 218

HONG KONG

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 香港立法局——————————一九八九年七月十九日

19 July 1989

105

change to low sulphur fuel, some 20% of industry would have to bear a higher recurrent fuel cost. On the other hand, I have been advised that this additional cost would not represent a significant proportion of their overall production costs. What is more, it is hardly a high price to pay, when our health and the health of our children are at stake.

Legislation would not be meaningful without enforcement, and sufficient resources must be provided to ensure adherence to performance standards for existing legislation and for the proposed new legislation.

Incidentally, target performance standards are not spelt out in the White Paper, and I assume that Government will strictly adhere to the Environmental Protection Department's target performance measures given in Appendix B in their publication "Environment Hong Kong 1989".

2. To construct infrastructure for the proper discharge of effluents.

Infrastructure for sewage and waste disposal has, up to now, been given a low priority. Perhaps they happen to be underground and largely unseen. But the problems of contamination of our waters are certainly not unseen. In the face of competing calls for major capital investments on infrastructure, I urge that the Government will not lose sight of the priority to invest in the Sewerage Master Plans.

Such a priority is not evident in the White Paper. In paragraph 3.24, we are told that a total of some $5 billion will be required to construct new or modified sewerage systems in the Sewerage Master Plans. Yet, a total of $173 million (or 3.5%) only, has been earmarked for the next four years. We should be assured that Government will complete the whole Sewerage Master Plans within 10 years.

3. Effect better town plans which take into account environmental

considerations.

(a) The Town Planning Ordinance should be extended to cover the whole of the territory: our environment cannot be protected if effective planning controls can only be applied to the urban or the potential urban areas, as in the present Ordinance.