ENG-2007 — Page 310

258 Transport

Government Fleet and Dockyard

Government Fleet

The government fleet, with over 700 vessels of different types and sizes, including 126 major mechanised vessels, serves 14 government departments such as the Hong Kong Police Force, the Customs and Excise Department and the Fire Services Department. Some user departments manage their own fleets of purposed- built vessels. The Marine Department controls 82 vessels, including patrol launches, conveyance launches, pontoons and some specialised vessels, such as hydrographic survey launches and explosives carriers. These vessels either support the department's own port operations or serve other departments that do not have their own fleet.

Since 1999, the Marine Department has been awarding contracts to private operators to provide conveyance launches, tugboats and other marine transport services for the department. At present, it has a total of 23 contracted vessels.

Government Dockyard

The Government Dockyard is responsible for the design, procurement and maintenance of all government vessels. It occupies a site of 9.8 hectares on Stonecutters Island and has a protected water basin of 8.3 hectares as one of the operational bases of the Marine Department. For repair and maintenance of vessels, the dockyard has 12 covered docking sheds and over 22 open-yard docking spaces, supported by a ship-lift system and three ship-hoists capable of dry docking vessels of up to 750 tonnes.

During the year, 28 new vessels, costing $122 million, were built for the Government and eight new shipbuilding contracts, worth $16 million, were awarded to shipbuilders in Hong Kong and overseas.

Marine Facilities

The Civil Engineering and Development Department is responsible for the planning, design and construction of public marine facilities including piers, beacons, offshore helipads, breakwaters, seawalls, navigation channels and anchorage areas. In 2007, the department commenced the planning of a new public landing facility at Lei Yue Mun, and the construction of Seawall Upgrading Works for Ma On Shan Waterfront Promenade and Sai Kung Public Pier No. 2.

Hong Kong is one of the world's busiest ports, and the department plays an important role in keeping the port running smoothly. As the maintenance authority for all civil engineering marine works, the department carries out maintenance work on ferry piers and other public and government marine facilities, as well as maintenance dredging of the harbour and some major river channels. The department currently maintains 506 hectares of typhoon shelters, seven kilometres of quay at public cargo working areas, 120 kilometres of seawalls and breakwaters, 312 public piers and landing steps, 96 dolphins (mooring structures), 14 100 hectares of fairways and 3 590 hectares of anchorage areas.