ENG-2017 — Page 279

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Transport

The department liaises closely with shipping and commercial organisations, and takes advice on port administration from users and operators of port facilities, through a number of advisory and consultative committees.

The department's website provides information on the port, the shipping register and its services and facilities. Its Electronic Business System provides a one-stop solution online to simplify and speed up the processing of port formalities, offering services including the submission of and auto-approval for applications, self-printing of permits and certificates, payment via auto-pay and checking of application status.

Port Infrastructure, Facilities and Services

Marine civil works are essential to keep the port running smoothly. The Civil Engineering and Development Department carries out maintenance work on public landing steps, ferry piers and terminals, the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, breakwaters and other public marine facilities; and regular maintenance dredging of the harbour, navigation channels and major river channels. The department maintains 506 hectares of typhoon shelters, Skm of quays at public cargo working areas, 127km of seawalls and breakwaters, 317 piers and landing steps, 101 dolphin mooring structures, 14,100 hectares of fairways and 3,590 hectares of anchorage areas.

The department also plans, designs and constructs public marine facilities. In 2017, it continued with the planning and design of a new public landing facility at Lei Yue Mun, began the reconstruction of Sharp Island Pier, and completed improvement works at Tap Mun Pier. Planning started for pier improvement works at remote public piers in the New Territories and outlying islands.

Container handling facilities are a key part of the logistics infrastructure. The nine container terminals at the Kwai Chung-Tsing Yi area handle about 78 per cent of Hong Kong's container throughput and have 24 berths with a total handling capacity of more than 20 million TEUS

per year.

To strengthen Hong Kong's position as an Asia-Pacific regional hub port, the Kwai Tsing Container Basin and its approach channel have been deepened to a navigation depth of 17 metres. The increased depth will enable the new generation of ultra-large container ships to use the port at all tides.

Public Cargo Working Areas

The Marine Department manages six public cargo working areas with a total berth length of 4,852 metres. Cargo operators use these areas to handle cargo carried by barges and coasters.

Cross-boundary Ferry Terminals

The department operates two cross-boundary ferry terminals. The Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal, with 10 berths, operates round the clock. The China Ferry Terminal, with 12 berths, operates daily from 7am to midnight. The Tuen Mun Ferry Terminal, with three berths, operates daily from 7am to 10pm under a tenancy agreement between the terminal operator and the government. The department controls the use of these cross-boundary ferry terminals under the Shipping and Port Control (Ferry Terminals) Regulations.

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