ENG-1993 — Page 159

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PRIMARY PRODUCTION

planned for the New Territories, the department continues to operate two temporary wholesale markets—at North District in the New Territories for agricultural products, and at Cheung Sha Wan in Kowloon for poultry.

During the year, the wholesale markets managed by the department handled 180 810 tonnes of local and imported vegetables, 90 660 tonnes of local and imported poultry, 42 240 tonnes of local and imported freshwater fish and fishery products, 129 040 tonnes of imported fruit and 20 590 tonnes of imported fresh and preserved eggs. The total value of the produce amounted to $4,668 million.

Mining and Quarrying

The Mines and Quarries Division of the Geotechnical Engineering Office of the Civil Engineering Department enforces legislation relating to mining, quarrying and explosives, and administers quarrying contracts. It processes mining and prospecting applications and inspects mining and prospecting areas, stone quarries, blasting sites and explosives stores.

Hong Kong used 1.7 million tonnes of sand, aggregates and other rock products in 1993. About half of the territory's demand for aggregates and sand was met locally, with the balance imported from China. Local quarries and stone processing sites are supervised by the division. New contracts for the Shek O and Anderson Road quarries were prepared to facilitate the progressive rehabilitation of these quarry sites within defined time-spans, in return for the granting of rights to the quarry operators to process and sell surplus rock excavated during the course of the rehabilitation. These quarry sites will be rehabilitated by recontouring and extensive planting to blend with the surrounding natural hillsides in accordance with guidelines set down in the Metroplan Landscape Strategy for the Urban Fringe and Coastal Areas. Rehabilitation schemes for the Mount Butler and Lamma Island quarries are currently being arranged. In 1993, there was one kaolin mine operating under a mining lease.

The Mines and Quarries Division manages three government explosives depots, which provide bulk storage facilities for imported as well as locally-manufactured explosives, and undertakes the delivery of explosives from the depots to blasting sites. It also issues shotfirers' blasting certificates.

The largest use of explosives during the year was for site formation works for the new airport project. A new government explosives depot was set up at the airport site on Chek Lap Kok Island to ensure uninterrupted supply for site preparation work. Explosives were also used in Hong Kong for quarrying works, sewerage tunnel construction and seismic surveys. The overall consumption of explosives was 21 700 tonnes.

In 1993, the government promulgated procedures for the controlled use of pyrotechnics in the production of motion pictures, television programmes and theatrical performances. The division is responsible for issuing storage licences and removal permits, and provides technical support to the Recreation and Culture Branch in assessing the suitability of pyrotechnics and pyrotechnicians.