ENG-1998 — Page 330

INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

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the development of Hong Kong's central business district. The project (excluding government-funded works to be carried out in the AR Hong Kong Station Contract) was substantially complete by end-1996, ahead of the target completion date of mid-1997.

Project Management and Cost Control

ADSCOM, chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration and comprising the Financial Secretary and Bureau Secretaries concerned, had the overall responsibility of overseeing, directing and co-ordinating the ACP. NAPCO served as the executive arm of the ADSCOM and was responsible for overall project management and co- ordination.

Management and control systems were implemented for the ACP, laying down procedures for monitoring and controlling programme, progress and costs. Government works departments, the AA, MTR Corporation and WHTC had full responsibility for their own project-level planning, execution, control and management. NAPCO's role was to ensure compliance with ACP plans, programmes and budgets and to act as a focal point for the management of project interfaces and resolution of problems. To this end, NAPCO undertook regular reviews to monitor the overall ACP programme and costs.

By airport opening, all the 10 ACP projects were substantially complete. Principally as a result of rigorous cost control efforts, the ACP budget was reduced three times by a total of $8.4 billion, from the original budget of $163.7 billion projected in 1992-1993 to the latest estimate of $155.3 billion.

Protecting the Environment

Environmental impact assessment studies were undertaken for each ACP project as an integral part of project planning and design. Suitable mitigation measures such as installation of noise barriers have been adopted where necessary.

Extensive environmental monitoring and audit programmes were being conducted to ensure the acceptable performance of individual projects. Environmental project offices have been established to monitor and audit the cumulative effects of the works and to ensure that environmental issues are quickly identified and acted upon.

After the opening of the new airport, the Civil Aviation Department and the Environmental Protection Department conducted field measurements of the noise levels in areas under the flight path such as Sai Kung, Sha Tin, Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi and North Point. Preliminary assessment of the measured data indicated that the noise levels in these areas, as forecast by the Environment Impact Assessment conducted before the airport opening, are in compliance with international standards. The government continues to monitor the situation.

Safety at Work

The government continued to implement measures to encourage safety management on site and to spread a safety culture among all ACP participants. ACP contractors with good safety management and safety records received commendations from the Secretary for Works. In 1998, the industrial accident rate for ACP contracts was 42 reportable accidents per thousand workers per year, compared with the corresponding rate of 227 for the whole construction industry in 1997.

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