Month: June 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is a question by the Hon Holden Chow and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (June 11):
 
Question:
 
In the 2017 Policy Address, the Government proposed the “Five-Year Plan for Sports and Recreation Facilities” to launch 26 projects to develop new and improve existing sports and recreation facilities. However, the Government indicated in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure 2025-2026 that four out of such 26 ‍projects are still under planning. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) in respect of the aforesaid four projects still under planning, of (i) the dates when they were proposed, and (ii) the time lag to date since their proposal (set out in a table);
 
(2) as the Government has advised that among the aforesaid four projects, the project of Sports Ground and Open Space with Public Vehicle Park in Area 16, Tuen Mun (TMA16 Project) can only proceed after the depots of two franchised bus companies currently at the site concerned are relocated, and that the Government will actively co-ordinate in expediting the implementation of the depot relocation plans for the two franchised bus companies, of the latest progress of the relevant work, and how the Government will push forward the commencement of the TMA16 Project; and
 
(3) whether it will consider proceeding to tendering for the engagement of engineering consultants for the TMA16 Project as the first step, so as to kick-start the engineering design and submission of the planning applications as early as possible, thereby compressing the overall timeline of the project; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
The Government announced in the 2017 Policy Address the “Five-Year Plan for Sports and Recreation Facilities” with a view to commencing 26 projects to increase and improve sports and recreation facilities. Among which, 13 projects have been opened or partially opened for public use while four projects are still under planning. Having consulted the relevant policy bureaux and departments, my reply to the questions raised by the Hon Holden Chow is set out below:

(1) In order to make optimal use of land resources, the Government announced in the 2018 Policy Address that the principle of “single site, multiple uses” would be adopted when implementing public works projects. In view of the public demand for parking spaces in the relevant districts, the Government has proposed to incorporate public vehicle parks into four sports and recreation facility projects under planning to meet the public needs for sports and recreation facilities and alleviate the demand for parking spaces in the districts concerned. The latest progress of the four projects is set out below:
 

Project	Date of obtaining support from the District Council (DC) upon revision of the proposed project facilities	Number of years since the date of obtaining support from the DC and current progress (up to 2025)
Sports Ground and Open Space with Public Vehicle Park in Area 16, Tuen Mun (TMA16 Project)	Support was obtained from Tuen Mun DC in February 2019	Around six years The relevant site is currently used for several temporary purposes, including bus depots of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) and the Citybus Limited (Citybus), the Tuen Mun Training Ground and Testing Centre of the Construction Industry Council, as well as a fee-paying public vehicle park. The two bus companies have preliminarily identified new sites and submitted their applications for short-term tenancy (STT) to the Lands Department with a view to relocating their bus depots and returning the site for taking forward the project.
Football-cum-Rugby Pitch with Public Vehicle Park in Area 33, Tai Po	Support was obtained from Tai Po DC in November 2018.	Around six years The Government consulted the DC about the conceptual design of the project on September 4, 2024. “Design and build” (D&B) model will be adopted for the project. The Government will take the project forward in accordance with public works procedures.
Sports Facilities with Public Vehicle Park in Tung Tau Industrial Area, Yuen Long	Support was obtained from Yuen Long DC in January 2019.	Around six years D&B model will be adopted for the project. The Government will take the project forward in accordance with public works procedures.
Open Space with Public Vehicle Park in Area 17, Tuen Mun	Support was obtained from Tuen Mun DC in June 2019	Around six years The Government has engaged a consultant to undertake the design and planning applications for the project.

The Government will continue to review the order of priority of works projects under planning and update their works schedules as appropriate for using public resources more effectively.

(2) Regarding the TMA16 Project, relevant government departments have been actively assisting franchised bus operators in identifying sites for relocating the bus depots so as to vacate the site early for taking forward the project. Both the KMB and Citybus have submitted STT applications to the Lands Department for the use of government sites at the southern and northern ends of Ho Wo Street respectively for relocating the bus depots currently located at Area 16, Tuen Mun. The site at the southern end of Ho Wo Street was handed over to the KMB in March 2025. The KMB will carry out site formation and associated works as soon as practicable to expedite the commencement of the new bus depot thereat.

As for the site at the northern end of Ho Wo Street which Citybus has applied for, its underground drainage facilities pose certain technical constraints on the use of the land, including the feasibility of setting up petrol stations and vehicle-washing machines at the site. In this regard, relevant government departments are actively liaising with Citybus and exploring possible solutions. Upon the granting of STT, Citybus will commence the preparatory work for relocating its bus depot.

Relevant bureaux and departments will continue to co-ordinate and assist the two bus companies in the relocation exercise to ensure that the bus depots can be moved out and the site can be cleared as soon as practicable. Meanwhile, other preparatory work will continue to be carried out so that the works can be commenced immediately after the tender exercise is completed and funding approval is obtained from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council.

(3) To implement the TMA16 Project, the Government will adopt the D&B model under which bids for design works and building works will be invited under a single contract. The successful contractor is required to engage construction and design teams to carry out detailed design for the project simultaneously to shorten the overall construction period as well as make best use of its expertise and experience on building materials and construction techniques to enhance the design quality and cost-effectiveness of the project.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     â€‹Following is a question by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (June 11):

Question:

     Many members of the public have relayed that under the circumstances of a lack of parking spaces, some businesses are occupying on-street parking spaces in various districts on a long-term basis or blocking them with objects in order to use such parking spaces for commercial activities. There are views that such practices defeat the original purpose of installing parking meters to prevent prolonged parking and occupation of road space by vehicles, violate the principle of fair use of public resources, and adversely affect motorists’ convenience when going out. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the measures taken by the Government in the past three years to combat the illegal long-term occupation of on-street parking spaces, and the relevant enforcement situation;

(2) as there are views pointing out that the long-term occupation of on-street parking spaces or their blockage with objects by businesses has existed in various districts for many years, what specific measures the Government has in place to step up efforts in combatting such practices; and

(3) as it is learnt that at present, some Mainland cities have implemented number plate recognition systems by installing sensors to identify vehicles in parking spaces to assist with enforcement, whether the authorities will consider introducing similar systems or other innovative technological devices at on-street parking spaces to assist law enforcement agencies in combatting the illegal occupation of on-street parking spaces, including long-term occupation, blockage with objects and holding of commercial activities?

Reply:

President,

It is the Government’s policy to centre on public transport, and the Government encourages the public to make good use of the public transport services as far as possible, so as to avoid aggravating the burden on road traffic resulting from excessive private cars (PCs). In response to the parking demand for both PCs and commercial vehicles, over the past years, the Government has been actively pursuing a host of short-term and medium-to-long-term measures, to increase the supply of parking spaces where circumstances permit. Over the past three years, the number of metered parking spaces (metered spaces) has increased by more than 2 300. Having consulted the Transport Department (TD) and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), a consolidated reply in response to the questions raised by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee is as follows:

(1) and (2) The Government has all along been combatting the illegal occupation of metered spaces, deterring fare evasion and other forms of illegal use, to enhance turnover and ensure these spaces meet short-term parking needs. The HKPF conducts inspections and takes enforcement actions against unpaid parking, and maintains close co-ordination with relevant departments, such as the TD, at the district level for ongoing monitoring. Since 2021, the new-generation parking meter system, equipped with sensors, can detect real-time occupancy and enable the TD to identify unpaid metered spaces through its backend computer system. The TD shares this information with the HKPF via a dedicated application to facilitate enforcement. In terms of actual operation, the meter operator engaged by the TD provides information of unpaid but occupied metered spaces detected by the meters’ sensors to the HKPF for follow-up, and dispatches personnel to regularly patrol parking meters in various districts. If any unlawful occupation of metered spaces is observed, the contractor will report the situation to relevant departments (for example, the HKPF, the Lands Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department) for enforcement. Currently, the contractor conducts daily inspections, and refers an average of about 120 000 cases per year to the HKPF for non-payment of parking fees, and the number of referrals concerning parking spaces occupied by non-vehicle items to the HKPF and other relevant departments has risen over the past three years to over 200 cases. The TD also refers public complaints to the appropriate authorities for action. Additionally, the HKPF continues its public awareness and education efforts. Between 2021 and 2024, the number of metered spaces increased by over 10 per cent, while revenue from metered parking fees rose by more than 40 per cent, suggesting improved compliance with paid parking regulations.

Regarding enforcement against other forms of illegal occupation, section 4A of the Summary Offences Ordinance stipulates that anyone who leaves objects in a public place – such as pallets/shop goods to reserve spaces – without reasonable excuse, causing obstruction, inconvenience, or danger to others or vehicles, is liable to a Level 4 fine ($25,000) or three months’ imprisonment.

(3) As mentioned above, the new generation parking meter system is equipped with sensors to detect the usage status of parking spaces in real time. The purpose of collecting information is to provide motorists with locations of vacant on-street parking spaces in real time, and does not have the function of identifying number plate numbers.

Having said that, this information could assist the HKPF and the TD in identifying cases where metered spaces are occupied without payment, enabling targeted enforcement actions by the HKPF. The departments will continue to draw on experiences from other places and advancements in relevant technologies, actively exploring the adoption of new technologies to enhance the management and operational efficiency of metered spaces. The TD plans to conduct a two-month pilot scheme in the fourth quarter of 2025, adopting artificial intelligence sensors in targeted areas with greater demand for metered spaces and higher rates of illegal occupation of parking spaces. Depending on the success of the trial, we will expand the coverage of the scheme. Regarding number plate recognition systems, the TD remains open-minded and will assess their reliability alongside the cost-effectiveness of upgrading the meter system’s hardware and software holistically to determine their suitability for application in Hong Kong.

Thank you, President.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Following is the speech by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 2025 Annual Meeting today (June 11):

Professor Greco (President of the ISSCR, Professor Valentina Greco), Mr Alm (Chief Executive Officer of the ISSCR, Mr Keith Alm), Professor Kathryn Cheah (2025 Annual Meeting Program Committee Co-Chair of the ISSCR), Professor Rocky Tuan (Lee Quo Wei and Lee Yick Hoi Lun Professor of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong), Professor Nancy Ip (President of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu warmly welcomed Secretary-General Chen Pin-Shan of Taiwan’s Miaoli County Government, who led the expedition team on “Renewable Energy and Industrial Development” to Sydney.
We had lively discussions on Australia’s energy transition, green energy and solar power development, and on organizing large cultural and tourism events.
Miaoli County will host the Taiwan Lantern Festival again in 2027. This trip included a visit to Vivid Sydney for inspiration. The county government aims to offer a unique experience for domestic and international visitors.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Attention TV/radio announcers:
 
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
 
     The Civil Engineering and Development Department today (June 11) announced that as the Standby Signal No. 1 has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Chai Wan Public Fill Barging Point has been closed at 8.30am until further notice.     

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     A joint operation was conducted by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) together with the Hong Kong Police Force and Zhuhai Municipal Marine Comprehensive Law Enforcement Team in the southern waters of Hong Kong yesterday (June 9).

     During the operation, the AFCD personnel intercepted a local fishing vessel suspected of engaging in fishing using snake cages (a type of cage trap banned in Hong Kong waters) in waters off Cheung Chau at around 9.30pm for investigation. Some fishing gear (including snake cages and winches) on board was seized by the AFCD.

     The AFCD is investigating a local coxswain and six Mainland fisherman deckhands on board suspected of engaging in fishing using snake cages, in violation of the Fisheries Protection Ordinance (Cap. 171).

     Only a vessel registered under the Ordinance can be used for fishing in Hong Kong waters and only the fishing methods listed on its Certificate of Registration of Local Fishing Vessel can be employed for fishing by the vessel. The conditions of the Certificate of Registration of Local Fishing Vessel regarding cage traps also stipulate that any collapsible cage traps should not be connected in any way to another; or should not exceed five metres in any of its extended dimensions. Hence, it is unlawful to fish using snake cages. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $100,000 and six months’ imprisonment upon conviction.

     A spokesman for the AFCD stressed, “The Government is committed to combatting illegal fishing activities in Hong Kong waters. The AFCD will continue to step up patrols and take stringent enforcement action.”

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region