Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Mr Edric Leung will assume the post of District Officer (Kwai Tsing) on August 11, succeeding Mr Huggin Tang.
Mr Leung joined the Government in 2011 and served in the Executive Officer Grade. He joined the Administrative Service in 2014 and has served in the Home Affairs Department and the Labour and Welfare Bureau.
He is currently the Assistant Secretary (Treasury) at the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau.
Source: Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Caledonie
Jérémie Katidjo-Monnier et Adolphe Digoué, membres du gouvernement respectivement chargé de la politique de l’eau et de l’agriculture et de l’élevage, ont visité le chantier lié aux travaux de confortement du barrage de la Dumbéa, en présence du Haut-commissariat, des membres du Comité de l’eau, des communes de Nouméa et de Dumbéa et des services de la direction des Affaires vétérinaires, alimentaires et rurales (DAVAR). L’occasion de faire un point d’avancement avec l’ensemble des partenaires du projet alors que ces travaux entrent dans leur phase la plus critique, à savoir la découpe et la reconstruction du seuil déversant.
Construit entre 1951 et 1953, le barrage de la Dumbéa alimente en eau potable la ville de Nouméa, l’usine de Doniambo ainsi qu’une partie de la ville de Dumbéa. Depuis 1972, date de son rehaussement de 3,5 mètres, l’édifice a subi des travaux en continu, dont les plus récents sont le changement de vannes en 2021.
Les travaux initiés en 2022 ont pour but de mettre en conformité l’ouvrage avec les normes françaises et de respecter la réglementation qui impose une protection contre une crue milléniale (2 360 m3/s) avec des marges de sécurité suffisantes. En effet, le barrage était jusque-là sous-dimensionné et conçu pour une crue de 1 400 m3/s. Ces travaux visent ainsi à assurer de façon pérenne la sûreté de l’ouvrage.
Trois étapes distinctes
Le calendrier des travaux a été impacté par plusieurs événements imprévus. Un effondrement de talus sur la piste, les événements de mai 2024 et des problèmes géotechniques lors des travaux de fondation pour la protection aval ont nécessité des interventions supplémentaires. Ces contretemps ont contraint l’équipe à décaler les travaux d’une saison sèche, repoussant la fin du chantier à 2025.
Le chantier est également soumis à une contrainte majeure : maintenir l’alimentation en eau potable pendant toute la durée des travaux. Cela exige de l’exploitant une régulation méticuleuse du niveau de la retenue. L’objectif est d’éviter tout débordement de la crête tout en assurant l’approvisionnement continu de la tour de prise d’eau.
Aussi, bien qu’il ne s’agit que de régulation et non de lâcher d’eau par un déversoir comme cela peut se produire sur le barrage de Yaté, les usagers de la branche Est du parc doivent être sensibilisés sur la possible survenu de légères variations de niveau d’eau dans le cours d’eau (< 1 mètre), en particulier durant ces dernières phases de travaux.
Malgré les imprévus, la complexité de ces travaux et une climatologie plus humide que la normale pour la saison, toutes les mesures ont été prises pour maîtriser au mieux le calendrier et les coûts du projet. À ce stade, la livraison des travaux devrait être possible d’ici la fin de cette année.
S’agissant du captage d’alimentation en eau potable le plus important de Nouvelle-Calédonie en volume et en nombre d’habitant desservis, la sécurisation de cette infrastructure répond à l’objectif stratégique N°1 de la Politique de l’eau partagée (PEP) « Sanctuariser nos zones de captage et nos ressources stratégiques, préserver nos milieux ». À l’issue des travaux, un périmètre de protection des eaux sera instauré et l’exploitation de l’ouvrage sera régularisée sur le plan administratif et juridique suivant les nouvelles règles fixées par loi du pays relative au domaine public de l’eau récemment promulguée.
Par ailleurs, en renforçant la sécurité structurelle du barrage par une augmentation du niveau de protection de l’ouvrage face aux événements climatiques majeurs, ces travaux s’inscrivent également dans les mesures d’adaptation au changement climatique.
Enfin, le chantier, labellisé « Chantier vert » bénéficie de stations de suivi, de la mise en place de barrages anti sédiments et d’une gestion spécifique des déchets et des déblais. Des dispositions sont prises telles que la revégétalisation à raison de dix arbres à planter pour un seul arraché.
Ces travaux améliorent l’accès au barrage, améliorent les dispositifs de contrôle et de suivis de l’ouvrage et améliorent la gestion des eaux de ruissellement, ce qui aura aussi des effets positifs directs sur la qualité de l’eau et des habitats de la faune dulçaquicole.
La réalisation de ces travaux s’inscrit dans le cadre des contrats de développement État/Nouvelle-Calédonie 2017-2022 et 2024-2027. Le coût global du projet est évalué aujourd’hui à 1 milliard de francs, avec un cofinancement de l’État à hauteur de 50 % sur le premier contrat et de 68 % sur le second.
Dimensions de l’ouvrage :
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases at airport (with photo)Issued at HKT 20:42
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Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Chief Executive John Lee today attended Sport For All Day 2025 at the Kowloon Park Sports Centre to convey to the public the benefits of regular exercise for physical and mental well-being.
With Hong Kong co-hosting the 15th National Games (NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG) with Guangdong Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region for the first time, the theme of this year’s Sport For All Day is “Coalescing together for the National Games”.
The Leisure & Cultural Services Department (LCSD) organised a series of free recreation and sports programmes at designated sports centres, with a focus on promoting various events of the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG, inviting the public to celebrate this national sports extravaganza.
Accompanying Mr Lee at the event were Secretary for Culture, Sports & Tourism Rosanna Law, the Gold Medalist in the Women’s Épée Individual event at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games Vivian Kong and the three-time Gold Medalist in the Men’s Individual Road race at the Asian Games and National Games Wong Kam-po.
The guests enjoyed the cheerleading and breaking performances, and joined rugby, virtual fencing, virtual triathlon, golf, virtual karting games, as well as table tennis fun activities for persons with different abilities.
They also visited the games booth of the Festival of Sport organised by the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC).
Sixteen principal officials including Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, Financial Secretary Paul Chan, Deputy Chief Secretary Cheuk Wing-hing and Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan also supported the event by joining the recreation and sports activities held at the sports centres in various districts.
A number of the LCSD’s fee-charging facilities were also open for use by members of the public for free today.
Supporting the event, the SF&OC also held the “Sport for All Experience Day” at GO PARK Sai Sha, additionally, a number of organisations opened their venue facilities or launched recreation and sports programmes for free public use today.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The publicity event “Anti-Drug, New Era” organised by the Narcotics Division (ND) of the Security Bureau was held at the Domain shopping mall in Yau Tong this afternoon (August 3). The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, introduced the concept of a new anti-drug publicity campaign to members of the public at the event, and talked about tearing down the facade of “space oil drug” and renaming it as etomidate.
Mr Tang said that many people have mistakenly believed that vaping etomidate is “cool”. He wanted to tell members of the public that drug abuse is definitely not “cool”. Knowing how to say no to drugs is “cool”!
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 3) said that no new confirmed chikungunya fever (CF) infection cases had been recorded as at 5pm today. The CHP will continue to strengthen its surveillance work in view of the CF case in recent days. Members of the public are advised to maintain strict environmental hygiene, mosquito control and personal protective measures both locally and when travelling outside of Hong Kong. Avoiding mosquito bites and eliminating mosquito breeding sites are effective ways to prevent CF.
A total of one CF case was recorded in Hong Kong this year, which is an imported case. From 2016 to 2019, between one and 11 CF cases were recorded in Hong Kong each year, all of which were imported cases.
Today, the CHP issued another letter to all doctors and hospitals in Hong Kong regarding CF to provide them with the latest epidemiological information and appeal them to watch out for CF-related symptoms among those who return to Hong Kong from outbound travel to affected areas. If there are suspected CF cases, they should immediately refer the patients to hospitals for treatment and reported to the DH in accordance with the established mechanism so that the DH can initiate epidemiological investigations, and implement prevention and control measures. Moreover, for patients with typical clinical symptoms of CF, irrespective of their travel history, doctors should consider to arrange testing based on clinical judgment.
The Head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the CHP, Dr Albert Au, reminded members of the public that if they return from areas affected by mosquito-borne diseases, they should apply insect repellent for 14 days upon arrival in Hong Kong. Members of the public should closely observe personal health conditions, in particular symptoms such as fever, joint pain and rash. If they feel unwell, they should seek medical advice promptly and provide their travel details to the doctor for clinical diagnosis and arrange appropriate testing based on an individual patient’s condition. Members of the public are urged not to self-medicate, particularly with aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (such as ibuprofen), as these drugs may cause serious side effects, for example increasing the risk of haemorrhage.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has intensified anti-mosquito measures at the residence of the confirmed patient and the locations visited after the onset of illness. The FEHD appeals to members of the public to continue to stay alert and work together to carry out mosquito prevention and control measures early, including inspecting their homes and surroundings to remove potential breeding grounds, changing water in vases and scrubbing their inner surfaces as well as removing water in saucers under potted plants at least once a week, properly disposing of containers such as soft drink cans and lunch boxes. The FEHD also advises members of the public and property management agencies to keep drains free of blockage and level all defective ground surfaces to prevent the accumulation of water. They should also scrub all drains and surface sewers with an alkaline detergent at least once a week to remove any mosquito eggs.
The latest gravidtrap and density indices for Aedes albopictus in different survey areas are available on the department website at: https://www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pestcontrol/dengue_fever/Dengue_Fever_Ovitrap_Index_Update.html#.
The CHP will collaborate with the FEHD to hold an online live seminar on its Facebook page on Tuesday (August 5) from 8pm to 8.30pm, to provide information and health advice on preventing mosquito bites and controlling mosquito breeding, as well as addressing related public inquiries. Members of public are welcome to attend.
The public should call 1823 in case of mosquito problems and may visit the following pages for more information: the CF page of the CHP and the Travel Health Service, the latest Travel Health News, tips for using insect repellents, and the CHP Facebook Page, Instagram Account and YouTube Channel, and also Mosquito Prevention and Control dedicated page of the FEHD.
Source: Hong Kong Information Services
Chief Executive John Lee today led his team of principal officials to attend the second 2025 Policy Address District Forum to continue listening to the views and suggestions of members of local communities on the upcoming Policy Address.
Held at Yuen Long Public Secondary School, the forum was attended by about 120 people from different backgrounds.
The two-hour district forum consisted of two sessions. In the first session, the Chief Executive and the principal officials listened to the views of members of the public. The matters raised covered land and housing, transport, innovation and technology, financial services development, culture and sports, education, youth issues, poverty alleviation and support for the disadvantaged, healthcare services, social welfare and more.
In the second session, participants were divided into four groups centred on the themes of “pursuing development and economic growth” and “improving people’s livelihood and building our future together” to engage in more extensive exchanges with the Chief Executive and the principal officials. The Chief Executive interacted and discussed with members of each group in turn and listened to their views.
Mr Lee attended the district forums on two Sundays in a row to exchange and interact directly with the public, learning about their views on the Policy Address and understanding their expectations for Hong Kong’s development.
He said: “The participants’ remarks have shown me their passion and confidence in Hong Kong, and have also inspired me as I prepare the Policy Address. We will carefully consider every suggestion put forward by the public and formulate policies to boost the economy and improve people’s livelihoods.”
The public consultation for the Policy Address was launched on June 16. The Government has held more than 40 consultation sessions to date. Citizens can continue to give their views through various channels, including the Policy Address website, social media platforms, hotlines, by email, fax and post.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (August 3) led his team of Principal Officials to attend the second 2025 Policy Address District Forum at Yuen Long Public Secondary School to continue listening to the views and suggestions of members of local communities on the upcoming Policy Address. About 120 people from different backgrounds participated in the District Forum.
The two-hour District Forum consisted of two sessions. In the first session, the Chief Executive and the Principal Officials listened to the views of members of the public. The matters raised covered many areas, including land and housing, transport, innovation and technology, financial services development, culture and sports, education, youth issues, poverty alleviation and support for the disadvantaged, healthcare services, social welfare and more. In the second session, participants were divided into four groups centred on the themes of “pursuing development and economic growth” and “improving people’s livelihood and building our future together” to engage in more extensive exchanges with the Chief Executive and the Principal Officials. The Chief Executive interacted and discussed with members of each group in turn and listened to their views.
Mr Lee said, “The District Forums form an important part of the consultation for the annual Policy Address. I have incorporated the views received from these forums into the Policy Addresses over the past three years. I attended the District Forums on two consecutive Sundays to exchange and interact directly with the public, learning about their views on the Policy Address and understanding their expectations for Hong Kong’s development. The participants’ remarks have shown me their passion and confidence in Hong Kong, and have also inspired me as I prepare the Policy Address. We will carefully consider every suggestion put forward by the public and formulate policies to boost the economy and improve people’s livelihoods.”
The public consultation for the Policy Address was launched on June 16. The Government has held more than 40 consultation sessions to date, which included two District Forums, to tap the views and suggestions of representatives from various sectors on the Policy Address. Members of the public can continue to give their views through various channels, including the Policy Address website, social media platforms, hotlines, email, fax and post.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (August 3) that due to big waves/inclement weather, red flags have been hoisted at Deep Water Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island, Hung Shing Yeh Beach in Islands District; and Hap Mun Bay Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
​Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) announced that Fashion Momentum Group (FMG), a Chinese fast-fashion retailer, has opened its first athleisure store, BENLAI, in Hong Kong today (August 2), just a few months after the opening of its flagship fashion store, URBAN REVIVO, in May this year in the city. This marks the group’s latest efforts in using its Hong Kong regional headquarters to expand into Asia and other global markets.
Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion at InvestHK Mr Arnold Lau said, “We are pleased to welcome FMG as they expand their investment in Hong Kong. The introduction of a new fashion band, BENLAI, not only shows the Group’s confidence in Hong Kong’s retail market, but also reflects the city’s unique role as a bridge between the Mainland and worldwide markets, making it an ideal base for regional co-ordination and international growth. We wish it every success in Hong Kong and beyond.”
The Chief Executive Officer of International Business at Fashion Momentum Group, Ms Vivian Chen, said, “Hong Kong is a city where you can easily get to the countryside within 30 minutes. With that, customers embrace versatile fashion, simple and sustainable fashion – perfectly aligned with our philosophy of reimagining wardrobe essentials through high-performance fabrics. We see Hong Kong as a window to showcase to local consumers and global visitors our modern lifestyle and values as an original Asian brand.”
She added, “Our Hong Kong regional headquarters will support key functions such as finance, retail and operations, and serve as a base for our expansion into Southeast Asia and other overseas markets. As one of the important international cities in Asia, we will continue to leverage Hong Kong’s strategic advantages – including its robust supply chain ecosystem – to increase our global visibility and lay the groundwork for entering more mature markets.”
Founded by FMG, BENLAI is a contemporary fashion brand that combines sustainable functional fabrics with minimalist design. Its collections are tailored for diverse everyday scenarios including commuting, leisure, and light sports, and have gained popularity among younger consumers. The group currently operates more than 400 stores worldwide and is actively expanding its international footprint.
For more information about BENLAI, please visit www.benlaishop.com.
For a copy of the photos, please visit: www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72177720328061482.