kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
Successful completion of community treatment facility expansion at AsiaWorld-Expo (with photos)
9.10.2020

With the support of the Central Government, the community treatment facility (CTF) expansion at AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) was successfully completed. A ceremony was conducted today (October 9) during which the facility was officially handed over to the Hospital Authority (HA). The Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, expressed his gratitude to the Central Government, the Guangdong Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government for implementing the project. Mr Wong said that relevant construction works commenced on September 19 and were swiftly completed within three weeks, providing an addition of nearly 1 000 beds in Halls 8 to 11 of AWE, with some equipped with negative pressure facilities. The Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Tony Ko, said that 900 beds of the CTF were installed at Halls 1 and 2 of AWE earlier. Coupled with the newly completed CTF in Halls 8 to 11, Hong Kong's ability to cope with another potential wave of the epidemic in the future will be greatly enhanced, reducing the pressure on public hospitals. Before the ceremony, Mr Wong, together with the Under Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi; Dr Ko; the Director of Architectural Services, Mrs Sylvia Lam; and representatives from the Shenzhen Municipal Government, inspected the newly completed CTF, including modular units of beds, negative pressure facilities, medical stations as well as the air-conditioning and air filtration system. Mr Wong thanked the concerted efforts of the project team for collaborating with the Hong Kong SAR and Shenzhen Governments as well as the staff members of the HA to overcome different challenges at various stages of the project such that the works could be completed earlier under the tight schedule. At the temporary hospital project adjacent to AWE, which is also supported by the Central Government, relevant construction works also commenced on September 19. The contractor is carrying out foundation works at the site. At the same time, fabrication of modular units in Mainland factories is also underway. The construction works are expected to be completed within four months. Upon completion, the temporary hospital will provide negative pressure wards that can accommodate over 800 beds and associated medical facilities.
SDEV speaks to media on quarterly land sale programme for October to December 2020
28.9.2020

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, at a media session today (September 28) on the quarterly land sale programme for October to December 2020: Reporter: Firstly, on the residential sites, are you confident that we can keep up to the annual target of providing 12 000 private flats, now that we have around 7 000 flats? Secondly, on the commercial site in Central, would it be sold at a discount compared to the Government's early estimation? Is it sold in a good timing? Altogether, how much do you think it can bring to the Government income? Secretary for Development: Maybe the second question first. For Site 3, for the Government, there is never an official estimate. So, the practitioners in the market will come up with whatever estimate that they believe the market will bear. The question on discount actually does not arise for the Government. For us is always the market-led approach. For Site 3, it will be a "two-envelope" tender. One tender will be design, the other tender will be money. Basically, both the design tender and money tender would have to pass a minimum requirement before they can be accepted for further evaluation. I take it that of course the tender price will be affected by the ongoing market situation, but for us, I think we have explained time and again in public that Site 3 is a very valuable and very strategic piece of land. Not only it will provide us with substantial Grade A office area, which is good for our long-term economic development, of the five hectares of sold site area about half will actually be very good open space, and also act as a connecting landscape corridor linking our new harbourfront with various parts of Central. So, its value goes way beyond just the amount of money that can be fetched from the tender. We do believe that, and also as advised by the Task Force on Land Supply, it is imperative for the Government to ensure that we can provide a steady supply of land, residential or commercial. I hope that addresses your second question to some extent. For the first question, if you look at the composition, the target of 12 900 units for this year, about 4 150 units comes from private development or redevelopment, on which we don't have that much control. I think we have explained that very clearly. Up to now, of that 4 000 or so estimated supply, we have already got about 1 700. So, a lot would depend on whether in the remaining months of the financial year, the supply from the private sector can catch up. For the Government, we need to come up with around 9 000 units equivalent of land. We are quite confident that we will be able to do that. So, taking everything in total, whether the overall target will be reached would depend quite heavily on how private sector development and redevelopment fares in the coming months. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Opening remarks by SDEV on land sale programme for October to December 2020
28.9.2020

Following is the transcript of the opening remarks by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, at a media session today (September 28) on the land sale programme for October to December 2020: In the third quarter of the financial year 2020-21, the Government will sell by tender two residential sites, at the Peak and in Kai Tak, capable of providing about 630 units in total. For the residential site on Mansfield Road at the Peak, the Government will divide it into two parcels for disposal. The first one, to be tendered in the third quarter, is capable of providing about 240 units. The site in Kai Tak is located on the old runway and is capable of providing about 390 units. The MTR Corporation Limited plans to sell by tender in the third quarter Package 5 of the Wong Chuk Hang Station project, which will produce about 1 000 units. In addition, four private development and redevelopment projects are expected to complete the lease modification necessary in the third quarter and will produce a supply of 1 150 units. In other words, taking all sources of supply into account, the total supply in the third quarter would be about 2 780 units. Together with a supply of about 4 620 units from the first two quarters, the total private housing land supply in the first three quarters of this financial year will stand at about 7 400 units. With regard to commercial land, we will sell by tender in the third quarter Site 3 at the New Central Harbourfront, which was originally planned for tender in the second quarter. As you are aware, the sale of this site will adopt a "two-envelope" approach, which is rather uncommon and entails tender documents which are more complicated than usual. We thus need a bit more time to complete the necessary work. With regard to industrial land, the Government will sell by tender an industrial site in Fanling, capable of providing about 20 100 square metres of GFA (gross floor area). Looking ahead, the Government will continue to increase land supply through a multi-pronged approach to meet the housing, economic and social development needs of our community. Thank you.
SDEV speaks to media on quarterly land sale programme for July to September 2020
26.6.2020

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, at a media session today (June 26) on the quarterly land sale programme for July to September 2020: Reporter: First of all, on the Central plot, you spoke about the "two-envelope" approach earlier. Can you give us more details on how will the vetting be done, in terms of the weighting between the design as well as the price? Who will be the ones to judge the design of this programme? Will there be a committee or some sort of advisors to give the designs and the proposals their weighting? My second question is on the overall land sale programme. Given the overall business environment, and also concerns and uncertainties with the pandemic going on, are you concerned that there will be unsuccessful&hellip; the bidding prices for these plots will not meet the government's lowest bottom prices for all these plots? Secretary for Development: Thank you for your questions. Your first question, the "two-envelope" approach. We have already announced that the allocation of scores between the two envelopes will be 50:50. So basically, they will carry equal weights. The evaluation committee will be staffed by essentially civil servants. As we are talking about tender and government procurement, according to government procurement procedures, it will be (evaluated by) a panel of civil servants. We have also said that the panel of civil servants will be advised by outside professionals. This will be the overall framework. With regard to the specific requirements, as I said earlier, we will announce those when we issue the tender documents. Please be patient for now. Your second question pertains to the economic prospect. The way we look at the economy and the way we look at land sale is as follows. Land sale does not only generate revenue for the government. For example, if we are talking about Grade A offices, it is also important in generating economic activities for Hong Kong. If we are talking about residential land, the land supply is also important. So that's why in the past we said we do not hoard. We will put up the relevant sites for sale as and when they are ready. That continues to be our main philosophy. And we do not sell land cheaply. There will be a reserve price for each site that we sell by tender. If it so happens that all the price submissions are below the reserve price, then the site will not go out. If you look at the past eight years, we sold about 180 sites by tender. The number of sites that could not go out because the price submissions were below the reserve price was less than 10. The percentage is not that big. That's an inherent risk the government will have to accept. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Opening remarks by SDEV on land sale programme for July to September 2020
26.6.2020

Following is the transcript of the opening remarks by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, at a media session today (June 26) on the land sale programme for July to September 2020: In the second quarter of the financial year 2020-21, the Government will sell by tender two residential sites, one in Sai Kung and one in Tai Po, capable of providing about 160 flats. In addition, the MTR Corporation Limited plans to tender Package 13 of LOHAS Park project, which will produce about 2 550 flats. The total supply from these three projects would be about 2 710 flats. Together with the supply in the first quarter, the total private housing land supply in the first half of the financial year 2020-21 from all sources would be about 4 290 flats. With regard to commercial land, in the coming quarter, the Government will put up for sale two commercial sites in the New Central Harbourfront and Tung Chung, capable of providing about 267 000 square meters of gross floor area in total. The site at the New Central Harbourfront can provide about 150 000 sq m of commercial gross floor area. The developer would be required to provide a large-scale public open space and a landscaped deck spanning across the site to enhance pedestrian connectivity to the Central Harbourfront. As we attach great importance to the development design of this site, we will use a "two-envelope" approach for this tender, so that both design and price submissions would be taken into account during the tender evaluation. The detailed tender arrangements will be announced when the site is put up for sale. The commercial site in Tung Chung is the first land sale site in the Tung Chung East reclamation area, showing that our efforts in producing land through near-shore reclamation is beginning to bear fruit. Looking ahead, the Government will continue to increase land supply through a multi-pronged approach to meet the community's needs for housing, economic and social development. Thank you very much.
Government establishes Arboriculture and Horticulture Industry Development Advisory Committee
29.5.2020

The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced today (May 29) the establishment of the Arboriculture and Horticulture Industry Development Advisory Committee and the appointment of 12 non-official members for a term of two years from June 1, 2020. Appointed by the Secretary for Development, the Committee will advise on issues related to the Registration Scheme for Tree Management Personnel, the Study Sponsorship Scheme and Trainee Programme under the Urban Forestry Support Fund, and the development and the manpower supply and demand of the arboriculture and horticulture industry. The Committee comprises a wide range of experienced academics, practitioners and vocational trainers from the trade associations, unions, professional groups and higher education and vocational training institutions in the industry. A spokesman for the DEVB said, "This composition will offer broad perspective and pragmatic insight on a wide range of issues related to the industry's development." The membership of the Committee is set out below: Chairperson ------------- Deputy Secretary for Development (Works) 1 Non-official Members (Individuals) -------------------------------------- Professor Leslie Chen Hung-chi Mr Kingsley Choi Lim-cho Mr Ho For-hei Mr Daniel Ho Tat-pui Ms Iris Hoi Mr Lai Ka-ming Dr Allen Lim Miaw-shin Mr Victor Man Kwok-hing Mr Ken So Kwok-yin Dr Peter Yau Non-official Members (Institutions) -------------------------------------- Construction Industry Council Vocational Training Council Official Members ------------------ Head of Greening, Landscape, and Tree Management Section, DEVB Representative of Education Bureau Representative of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Representative of Highways Department Representative of Housing Department Representative of Leisure and Cultural Services Department
Lantau Development Advisory Committee holds 14th meeting
18.1.2020

The Lantau Development Advisory Committee held its 14th meeting today (January 18), which was also the last meeting for the third term of the Committee. At the meeting, the Committee discussed the work of the Sustainable Lantau Office and the progress of the "Ecological Study for Pui O, Shui Hau, Tai O and Neighbouring Areas &ndash; Feasibility Study". During this term, the Committee convened three meetings and in conjunction with its three subcommittees, namely the Sustainable Development Subcommittee, the Traffic, Transport and District Improvement Subcommittee as well as the Public Relations and Promotion Subcommittee, it conducted two site visits to better understand the latest progress of the reclamation works under the Tung Chung New Town Extension as well as the habitat of Pui O and Shui Hau. The current term of the Committee will expire at the end of this month. At the meeting, the Secretary for Development and Chairman of the Committee, Mr Michael Wong, expressed his gratitude to members for their efforts and contributions in the past two years and hoped that the Committee would continue to provide advice on the sustainable development and conservation of Lantau.
SDEV continues visit to Singapore (with photos)
14.1.2020

âThe Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, today (January 14) continued his visit to Singapore, where he met with senior government officials to exchange views on issues relating to urban planning and development. He also visited two development projects adopting the modular integrated construction (MiC) method. In the morning, Mr Wong visited a private high-rise development project using MiC modules in the Little India area. He was briefed on the project design and the construction process, and in particular on the experience of transportation, lifting and installation of large modular units in the busy city centre. He then met with the Minister for National Development, Mr Lawrence Wong, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Mr Lim Eng Hwee, to exchange views on land use planning, urban development and urban renewal issues. Mr Wong was given an overview by URA officials on the Master Plan 2019, which sets out the land use plan for Singapore's development over the next 10 to 15 years. He was also briefed on how Singapore adopts innovative technology to facilitate its urban planning process. Accompanied by the minister and Mr Lim, he toured Singapore City Gallery, which showcases the country's development story over the past 50 years. At noon, Mr Wong attended a lunch hosted by Mr Lawrence Wong. There, he kept the minister abreast of the latest developments of Hong Kong, while they discussed matters of mutual concern. In the afternoon, Mr Wong visited a private residential project under construction. It consists of two 56-storey towers and will become the tallest MiC buildings in the world when completed. He was briefed by staff on-site on the project design and details of the conservation of five historic buildings during the construction process. He also visited an integrated construction and prefabrication hub to see for himself how different processes of manufacturing prefabricated construction units are consolidated in a single multi-storey factory to optimise land use. Mr Wong also paid a courtesy call on the Chinese Ambassador to Singapore, Mr Hong Xiaoyong, today. Tomorrow (January 15), he will meet with the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, before returning to Hong Kong in the afternoon.
SDEV begins visit to Singapore (with photos)
13.1.2020

The Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, started his visit programme in Singapore today (January 13), where he met senior government officials to discuss issues relating to the adoption of innovative construction technologies and promotion of green buildings. He also visited a healthcare centre project being built using the modular integrated construction (MiC) method. In the morning, Mr Wong first met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Mr Hugh Lim, to learn about the various policies rolled out by the Singapore Government to support and promote the adoption of MiC - known as Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction (PPVC) in Singapore - in works projects. Singapore has been promoting this innovative construction method since 2013, and has developed more than 50 MiC projects so far. Mr Wong and Mr Lim also shared experiences on the promotion of green buildings in the two places. Mr Wong took the opportunity to brief BCA officials on Hong Kong's BEAM Plus assessment method, and learnt about the operation and effectiveness of Singapore's Green Mark Scheme. He also toured the revamped Zero Energy Building (ZEB) situated at the BCA Braddell Campus. The ZEB is retrofitted from an existing building to produce sufficient renewable energy for its daily operation. It is a project which incorporates low carbon, green building technologies and innovative designs. Mr Wong then met the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Housing and Development Board, Mr Fong Chun Wah, to learn more about the implementation strategy and experiences of Singapore in adopting MiC in public housing projects, as well as how MiC improves building efficiency and quality. In the afternoon, Mr Wong visited a nursing home project being built using MiC modules. He was briefed on the project design and how the concept of "factory assembly followed by on-site installation" is being applied to construct a 12-storey integrated building for healthcare purposes. He also visited the off-site yard, which supplies construction components for the project. Mr Wong then proceeded to Jurong Port to visit a prefabrication fitting-out factory to gain a better understanding of the workflow and process of assembling free-standing integrated MiC modules, including completing the basic interior fitting-out as well as appliance and facilities installation at the factory. There, representatives also shared their experiences on how special traffic arrangements were made to transport large modular units to building sites for installation. Mr Wong will continue his visit in Singapore tomorrow (January 14).
SDEV to visit Singapore
11.1.2020

The Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, will depart for an official visit to Singapore tomorrow (January 12). He will meet senior government officials and visit building projects to learn more about Singapore's work and experience with urban planning and development, adoption of innovative construction technologies as well as its efforts in promoting green buildings. During his visit, Mr Wong will hold discussions with senior officials of the Building and Construction Authority, the Housing and Development Board and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. He will call on the Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Minister for Transport, Mr Khaw Boon Wan, and hold a lunch meeting with the Minister for National Development, Mr Lawrence Wong. In addition, Mr Wong will visit building projects constructed with Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) modules to learn more about the process, the experience of Singapore in promoting the adoption of this innovative construction method, as well as the achievement of employing MiC in uplifting the overall performance of the construction industry. He will also visit off-site yards to gain a better understanding of the workflow and process of assembling free-standing integrated MiC modules. Accompanying Mr Wong on the visit will be the Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Lam Sai-hung, and the Principal Government Engineer, Mr John Kwong. Mr Wong will return to Hong Kong in the afternoon of January 15. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Development, Mr Liu Chun-san, will be the Acting Secretary for Development.