Welcome to Business Matters. My name is <PRESIDIO_ANONYMIZED_PERSON>. I am your host today. Stepping in for Horace Brood, who is having a weather break. So my guests this morning are Norman Kwok from Dragon Peak Properties. Good morning, Charlie. And can I just say thanks again for inviting me? It really is terrific to be here. I'm a big fan of your show. And with us also today is Ann Lam from the environmental group Green Treasure. Good morning. Well, we've been hearing some very interesting things about the Jade Islands development. Perhaps, Norman, you could begin by telling us something about it. Well, Charlie, Jade Islands is just finished and it's amazing. It's taken us only four years to finish it. Can you imagine that? Only four years to build. I must say I'm very proud of that. Only four years? Wow. And how many people are living there? There are now 6,000 people on Jade Islands. And may I say 6,000 very happy people living there, according to a recent survey. Well, maybe not completely happy, Norman. Some of those 6,000 did complain about some problems, didn't they? I heard about the beaches and, um, litter. Oh, Ann, you mean the litter on the beaches? You know it's not our fault. Really? How is the litter not your problem? Everyone knows that beaches in Hong Kong get a lot of litter. But it's litter from the sea, from when it rains. Ann, you're the environmental expert. Is that true? Does the rain wash a lot of litter into the sea? Yes, it's true, I'm afraid. When it rains, the litter washes into the sea, and then later it ends up on the beaches. Unfortunately, it's a common problem around the world. Maybe we can move on. Ann, you have another question for Norman, this time about his plans for the new mall in Golden Flower Island. Yes, thanks, Charlie. Um, Norman, are media reports true that you plan to build an enormous waterfall in Golden Flower Adventure Mall? Yes, I can confirm that the Golden Flower Adventure Mall will have a whole range of exciting features and activities for our customers to enjoy. And this will include a 40-meter waterfall. Can you imagine standing at the bottom of a 40-meter high waterfall? That does sound impressive, I must admit. Nevertheless, I'd like to take you back to 2012, when DPP, your company, were building a similar center in the UK. Can you comment on the problems that DPP had with this similar project as the Highland Adventure Center in Dice in the UK? I'm not— Maybe I can refresh your memory. The Highland Adventure Center in the UK was the one where you built a waterfall. But it was found that the waterfall caused clouds to form in the shopping center. And once these clouds had formed, it was discovered that they interfered with the electricity supply, and this then caused a power failure. Well, what happened then? So, wait, you're saying that at this adventure center in the UK, the waterfall was the cause of a power failure because the water turned into clouds inside the building? Yes, that's exactly what happened. And I want to know, and I'm sure the general public would want to know as well, is this going to happen at the Golden Flower Island Mall? No, ma'am. Ah, thanks, Anne, for bringing this up. I'd just like to reassure your listeners that we learned from what happened at the Highland Adventure Center in the UK, and we will carry what we learned into the Golden Flower Adventure Mall so that it will not happen again. Okay, I'd just like to go back to Jade Islands. Would you say Jade Islands is a good place for parents to raise children? Yes, Charlie, it really is. It is a very safe place for children, and I'll tell you why. There are no roads and rails on the street level of Jade Islands. All road and rail links are underground. This means all of the streets on Jade Islands are for pedestrians. No traffic at all. I didn't realize all streets were pedestrianized. That means children can play outdoors if there is no traffic on the roads, presumably. Absolutely. If streets are pedestrianized, then kids can run around and have fun safely. You know, Anne, I just want to say I respect what your group does, and Dragon Peak are very respectful of nature. Okay, speaking of which, maybe we could go back to the development on Golden Flower Island. I know, Anne, you have some more concerns you'd like to bring up. Yes. What you need to know, Anne, is that Golden Flower Island is a special place to us, and we have to protect it. And we are going to protect it. I love flowers, Anne, especially orchids, and we are going to protect the orchids and the butterflies on the island. Okay, perhaps, Nolan, you could tell our listeners some of the measures you have taken. Well, for a start, we employ a firm of environmental consultants, and we will be following their recommendations. Okay, so could you give us a specific example of what your consultants suggested? Well, the first thing they said was that 50% of the island should be maintained as a protected area and left as a nature park. But you know what? I said to my team, I said, 50%? That's not enough. We need to leave as much as we can of this beautiful island untouched. So I said, 50%? No. Let's commit to keeping 70% of the island as a nature park. And that's what my team worked with from then on. Okay, well, that sounds pretty encouraging. Yeah, well, if you're committed, you're committed, Charlie. And another idea they gave us is to put up a wall of vegetation. A wall of vegetables? Ha ha ha ha ha! No, I said a wall of vegetation. You know, like trees and other plants. We will use this natural wall to keep out noise and light pollution. Charlie, you look confused. No, well, yes. So I'm trying to envisage where this wall will be. Okay, so you can imagine the Golden Flower Adventure Mall. So, unavoidably, it will produce a certain amount of noise and light pollution. Well, the wall of vegetation will be between the shopping mall and the nature park. So that the butterflies are not disturbed. Exactly, Anne. Thank you. So that the butterflies are not disturbed. And you know what else, Anne? The experts we consulted said no vehicles and roads either. And we agree. There will be no buses, no cars, no trains. Just beautiful paths to walk on in Golden Flower Island. Well, that's great to hear too, Norman. And very reassuring. No vehicles and no roads is very important. If you don't want to disturb the butterflies. Well, that's the end of the show for today. So thank you all for listening. And thank you, Norman. And to you, Anne, for coming in. That is the end of the listening component of...  Golden Flower Adventure Mall - Initial Concept Plan
Email from Norman Kwok
Dear All,
Thank you for attending Manu Architects' presentation on their initial concept plan for the mall this morning. The plan offered valuable ideas for us to consider.
As agreed, please send your comments and recommendations regarding the concept plan and how to develop its features to Gehry Zhang by March 31st. This will allow her to prepare a summary of your views.
Thanks,
Norman
Concept Plan Highlights
	•	Castle (40 meters): A majestic castle, possibly serving as a central landmark or housing a major attraction, reaching 40 meters in height.
	•	Shops & Restaurants on sailing ship: A unique experience with shops and restaurants housed within a sailing ship, possibly offering scenic views or even cruises on a lake.
	•	Lake: A serene lake incorporated into the mall design, potentially offering leisure activities or a calming atmosphere.
About Mariana Tse (Cantopop Star and Ocean Advocate)
	•	Born: June 22, 1995 (age 21)
	•	Occupation: Singer, musician, actress
	•	Genres: Cantopop
	•	Years active: 2012 - present
Mariana's Passion for the Ocean
Mariana Tse is more than just a talented singer; she's a passionate advocate for ocean conservation. She serves as a spokesperson for Save Hong Kong Coral Communities, urging businesses to take responsibility for protecting marine life.
In a recent press conference, Mariana made a powerful plea: "We gotta look after the sea and make it clean for all marine life. Come on Big Business, sort it out!"
To: Gehry Zhang
From: Ripple Wu
Subject: Golden Flower Adventure Mall
Hey Gehry

Sent: Wed 29 March 3:18PM
Their initial concept plan is definitely in line with what we had discussed initially, i.e. a jungle theme. Love it! I agree with Mari about the castle. Since when are there castles in a jungle?!
Personally, I'd go for making the lake an aquarium. Plus, the sailing ship can't really fit both restaurants and shops really when you think about it practically, can it? So I'd say take out the shops.
As for the swimming pool idea, yes, I agree with Mari. We have worked on similar constructions in the UK in recent years particularly at the Highland Adventure Centre and the pool worked a treat there. As did the ziplines.
One idea to think about for the mall is this:
Obviously we could never have the general public abseiling actually in the waterfall like this guy!!!! It would have to be on the sides.
Cheers
Ripple    email from Mari Nakamura to Gehry Zhang about an initial concept plan for a mall.

Subject: Initial Concept Plan
Gehry
My thoughts so far...
Love their concept so far. This will be an awesome space for a variety of exciting activities. The waterfall, the ship and the lake - yes, all great ideas and should be the key features of the mall. Tell them to drop the castle though.
I'd like to suggest including a swimming pool in the mall design. I've told Ripple from our team to send you her comments. She's worked on several projects of a similar nature, so has some experience of this type of thing.
In order to maximize the potential activities within the central area of the mall, and in keeping with the overall jungle adventure theme, I'd suggest including ziplines over the swimming pool. I've included a stock photo to give you an idea of what I mean.
an email from Norman Kwok to Gehry Zhang about the Highland Adventure Centre. It forwards an email exchange between Norman Kwok and Alison Lo about the center.
The email exchange discusses a query raised on the Business Matters radio show about the Highland Adventure Centre. Alison Lo says that the solution at the center was expensive and involved reducing the waterfall height from 45 meters to 30 meters. She also says that she did not send her recommendations to Gehry yet because she wanted to hear what other people suggested first.
Here is the full text of the email:
Subject: FW: Re: Highland Adventure Centre
Dear Gehry
See my exchange with Alison below. This is pertinent to the document you're preparing for the meeting with Manu Architects next Monday.
Norman
To: Norman Kwok
From: Alison Lo
Sent: Wed 5 April 2017 1:56PM
Subject: Re: Highland Adventure Centre
Dear Norman
Yes, I heard that a query had been raised on the Business Matters radio show. The solution at the Highland Adventure Centre was quite costly at the time and the centre was closed for six months. Substantial reconstruction work was carried out reducing the waterfall from 45 to 30 metres. At that height, the clouds did not form as they had previously. Since the reopening of the centre, no similar problems have occurred.
By the way, I didn't get round to sending Gehry my recommendations, as I wanted to hear what everybody else was suggesting first. From our team's perspective, all the features proposed in Manu Architects initial concept plan and in our staff's suggestions are definitely all practical. Nothing that we haven't done before.
Alison Lo
Engineering team
To: Alison Lo
From: Norman Kwok
Sent: Wed 5 April 2017 1:14PM Subject: Highland Adventure Centre
Dear Alison
As you may have heard I was ambushed by that Ann Lam from Green Treasure on Business Matters on the radio this morning. Such a nasty woman! She was going on about that Highland Adventure Centre in the UK that caused us all the headaches a couple of years back. I remembered that we'd had problems but didn't know the specifics. Can you remember how we resolved the issues?
Norman
Skype chat between Ripple Wu and Gehry Zhang, 6 April
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Thursday, April 6, 2017

Ripple:
Oh yes, I was thinking about you and that summary you're working on for Norman for the meeting next week. You know about the Golden Flower mall? And I was thinking about the swimming pool. And I was thinking of a better recommendation to include.
10:07 PM
Gehry:
Great! So what is it????
10:08 PM
Ripple:
Well, I was working on a mall in Singapore last year, I'm not sure if you remember. Well, they didn't only have a swimming pool in this mall. They had the swimming pool right next to the aquarium!! I kid you not. And I was thinking, we could do the same.
10:09 PM
Gehry:
That sounds interesting but why would you put the swimming pool next to the aquarium?
10:31 PM
Ripple:
So swimmers can swim next to the sea animals in the aquarium. Brilliant eh?
10:33 PM
Gehry:
Wow! That is amazing. I presume they were separated by glass 10:34 PM
walls. Gosh! And I hope you made the glass walls thick enough! Ha ha.

Ripple:
Yeah they were. In fact, I was the first to swim in the pool to check it out. Ha ha.
10:46 PM
Gehry:
And you weren't eaten alive!
10:54 PM
Ripple:
No still here!
10:54 PM
Gehry:
Great! Definitely something I'll include then.
10:55 PM
Ripple:
And I was thinking, put the swimming pool under the waterfall.
Can you imagine the water hitting you? Whoooosh!!! It would certainly maximize the excitement factor.
10:56 PM
Gehry:
Brilliant! You're on a roll! Any other great ideas?
10:58 PM
Ripple:
No! It's too late at night! My brain's gone dead. Night.
11:03 PM
DRAGON PEAK MAKES DEVELOPERS GREEN - WITH ENVY
The results for the Greenest Development Award in the HKSAR were released by the Tai Shing Conservation Institute earlier this month (see below). Dragon Peak's win should come as no surprise given the amount the company has spent on environmentally friendly building technologies over recent years (see chart).
This commitment to environmental protection is not only confined to Hong Kong. It was announced that the developer has recently donated a "substantial sum of money" to the Save the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and "will do all we can to preserve the coral in Australia for future generations to witness and to marvel at".an article from the Hong Kong Real Estate Monthly about Dragon Peak Properties winning the Greenest Development Award. The article says that Dragon Peak has spent the most on green construction methods of the three biggest developers in Hong Kong since 2000. The graph shows spending on green construction methods by Hong Kong's three biggest developers since 2000 in billions of Hong Kong dollars (HK$).
Here's a description of the spending based on the graph:
	•	Dragon Peak has consistently spent the most on green construction methods since 2000. Their spending has increased steadily over time.
	•	Shek Gaan Developments spending has fluctuated throughout the years. They spent more than Gault & Rand Land between 2000 and 2005 but then less since 2010.
	•	Gault & Rand Land has consistently spent the least on green construction methods since 2000. Their spending has also increased steadily over time, but not as much as Dragon Peak's spending.
（To: Gehry Zhang
Sent: Sat 8 April 9:05AM
From: Norman Kwok
Subject: Things for you to do
Hi Gehry
I need you to write the following for me.
First, as you will remember, I have a follow up meeting with Manu Architects on Monday to provide them with feedback on their initial concept plan for Golden Flower Adventure Mall. I asked our staff to send their comments to you, so you should have received these already. Please prepare a document for me indicating which features our staff say to keep and which not to keep from the initial concept plan. Also, summarise their opinions regarding how they would like to develop the features.）General features
this task have  13 point  1.Keep key attractions of waterfall, lake and sailing ship but no castle
2.In line with jungle theme, castle is not
3.(Engineering team say) all features practical
Lake
4.Make the lake an aquarium and (include) a swimming pool
5.Put swimming pool next to the aquarium
6.Swimming pool and aquarium to be separated by glass walls) (so swimmers can swim next to the sea creatures)
7.Have swimming pool under the waterfall (to maximise excitement)
8.Put ziplines above swimming pool (and in keeping with jungle theme)
Ship
9.Sailing ship should have restaurants but no shops as can't fit both
Waterfall

10.Abseil on sides of the waterfall (not in the waterfall)
11.Reduce height of waterfall from 40 metres to 30 metres
12.If the waterfall is too high, it may cause clouds to form // If the waterfall is not too
13.high, clouds will not form
14.Clouds could damage electricity supply / cause power failure