Month: January 2026

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Located on an artificial island near Shek Kwu Chau, the Integrated Waste Management Facilities Phase I, I·PARK1, represents a significant step forward in Hong Kong’s sustainable waste management strategy. As the city’s first waste‑to‑energy plant designed specifically to tackle municipal solid waste, I·PARK1 plays a key role in reducing reliance on landfills while producing energy.

I·PARK1 comprises three incineration modules. The first has commenced trial operations, while the remaining two modules will undergo phased testing and trials throughout the first quarter of 2026. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to process up to 3,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste per day and generate about 480 million kilowatt‑hours of surplus electricity annually for the city’s existing power grid, enough to meet the needs of 100,000 households.

Minimising waste

Municipal solid waste collected from across the city is first compacted and sealed in containers before being transported by vessels to I·PARK1. Upon arrival, the containers are unloaded at the berth and transferred by dedicated trailers to the processing building, where the waste is tipped into a bunker inside the tipping hall. Both the tipping hall and the waste bunker are maintained under negative pressure to prevent odour leakage.

From there, an overhead crane hoists the waste and feeds it into an incineration furnace. During the process, the waste is gradually pushed forward by a moving grate to ensure optimal combustion, while the heat energy generated is used to produce electricity.

Environmental Protection Department Senior Environmental Protection Officer (Infrastructure Development) Christopher Chan explained that waste inside the specially designed incinerator is combusted at temperatures exceeding 850 degrees Celsius. The flue gas produced must remain at this temperature for at least two seconds, ensuring complete combustion. Combined with high turbulence flow technology, this process guarantees the waste is completely combusted and organic pollutants, including dioxins, are thoroughly destroyed.

Sustainable measures

Mr Chan added that I·PARK1 is equipped with a highly efficient air pollution control system to treat all flue gas emissions. The system is designed to ensure compliance with the stringent emission limits set out in the Specified Process Licence issued under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance. The contractor is required to continuously monitor flue gas emissions with online monitoring equipment. The environmental monitoring data will then be verified and made available to the public through a dedicated website, as required by the Environmental Permit and the contract.

I·PARK1 will also provide education and leisure facilities to the public. While introducing the latest waste-to-energy technology in the environmental education centre, interactive exhibits will offer information about Hong Kong’s waste management and resource recovery efforts. Visits to the environmental education facilities will be ready for advance booking once I·PARK1 is fully operational.

The Environmental Protection Department is pressing ahead with the development of I·PARK2 at Tsang Tsui in Tuen Mun. Together with ongoing efforts in waste reduction, recycling and resource circulation, the Government believes that these initiatives will help Hong Kong move closer to its long‑term goals of achieving zero waste landfilling and carbon neutrality.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau today said the Government will submit an amendment to the Medical Registration Ordinance to the Legislative Council’s Panel on Health Services for discussion in February to improve the complaint handling mechanism for the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK).

Speaking to media following a radio programme appearance this morning, Prof Lo said the Government takes delays in handling complaint cases and disciplinary hearings very seriously. 

He outlined that the Government requested that the MCHK provide a review of the mechanism as well as suggestions and recommendations for areas of improvement. After receiving the review report, the Government also sought additional information, both of which are now being evaluated.

The health chief said the Government has identified some areas that must be addressed and improved, adding that certain areas may require an amendment to the Medical Registration Ordinance.

Prof Lo emphasised that the MCHK hearing must ensure procedural justice, as they are judicial in nature and involve direct disputes between complainants and defendants. This requirement can lead to delays, as both sides must be granted reasonable time to present their information.

“We have to look into the details and address all these pressure points and delays, so that we will ensure that similar cases will not happen again,” he said.

He added that the Government is looking into every area. After submitting the amendment to the Panel on Health Services in February, it may then submit the amendment to the Legislative Council in April.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Transport & Logistics Bureau announced today that it will repeal provisions in the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) Regulations that mandate seat belt use on franchised and non-franchised buses. The bureau intends to publish these changes in the Gazette as subsidiary legislation immediately.

The bureau noted public discussions regarding the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) (Amendment) Regulation 2025. After consulting the Department of Justice, it concluded that technical deficiencies prevent the provisions from fully reflecting the legislative intent, which is to extend the seat belt requirements to all vehicles for improved passenger protection.

 

Upon repealing of the legal provisions, there will be no statutory requirement for passengers to wear seat belts on franchised or non-franchised buses, the bureau said, adding that the Government will not enforce the provision for the period leading up to the repeal of relevant provisions.

Meanwhile, the statutory requirements for wearing seat belts on other types of vehicles, including private cars, taxis, goods vehicles, light buses, special purpose vehicles and student service vehicles, will remain in effect.

Moving forward, the bureau will now consult various stakeholders to ensure road safety while addressing concerns raised during the implementation of the new requirements. After refining these arrangements, the bureau will further consult the Legislative Council and reintroduce the requirements at a suitable time.

The bureau added that it will also continue to enhance publicity and education efforts to encourage the regular use of seat belts.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) announced today (January 30) that it noted public discussions on the scope of application of the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) (Amendment) Regulation 2025. Having consulted the Department of Justice, it is considered that there are technical deficiencies in those legal provisions which state the requirement on passengers to wear seat belts on franchised and non-franchised buses. Those provisions do not fully reflect the legislative intent, which is to extend the statutory requirement for the wearing of seat belts to all vehicle seats, thereby providing better protection for passengers.

The TLB will promptly repeal the relevant provisions (i.e., Section 8D and related provisions (if applicable)) of the Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) Regulations (Chapter 374F) by way of publishing in the Gazette as subsidiary legislation. Upon repealing, there will be no statutory requirement for passengers to wear seat belts on franchised or non-franchised buses; for the period leading up to the repeal of relevant provisions, the Government will not enforce the provision. The statutory requirement for the wearing of seat belts on other types of vehicles (including private cars, taxis, goods vehicles, light buses, special purpose vehicles, student service vehicles) will remain in effect.

As the next step, we will gather opinions from various stakeholders, and consider how best to ensure road safety while addressing the concerns raised during the implementation of new requirements. We will further consult the Legislative Council after optimising the arrangements, and reintroducing them at an appropriate time. Meanwhile, we will continue to enhance publicity and education efforts to encourage the voluntary habit of wearing seat belts.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

  Police are investigating a fatal traffic accident in Tuen Mun today (January 30) in which a man died.

     At 5.38pm, a motorcycle driven by a 30-year-old man was travelling along Tsing Tin Road towards Tai Hing. When approaching a right bend near lamp post KHM111, it suspectedly went out of control, sideturned and rammed into barriers. The motorcyclist then fell from Tsing Tin Road onto a carriageway of Tuen Mun Road near Tsing Tin Interchange.

     Sustaining serious head injuries, the motorcyclist was rushed to Tuen Mun Hospital in unconscious state and was certified dead at 6.36pm.
 
     Investigation by the Special Investigation Team of Traffic, New Territories North is underway.

     Anyone who witnessed the accident or has any information to offer is urged to contact the investigating officers on 3661 3800.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, on his visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, today (January 30) officiated at a Chinese New Year dinner hosted by the newly established Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur ETO) to celebrate the festive season with various sectors of the local community and deepen links between the two places.

     This was the first-ever large-scale event organised by the new ETO in Kuala Lumpur after its establishment last December. Speaking to some 400 guests at the dinner, Mr Yau thanked the Malaysian government for supporting the setting up of the ETO in the capital city, adding that it is an important milestone in the already close and solid ties between Malaysia and Hong Kong, and also a clear testament to the shared commitment to deepening bilateral co-operation. From January to October 2025, bilateral trade reached US$21.5 billion, making both places among each other’s top 10 trading partners.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Buildings Department (BD) today said it found through its monitoring mechanism that two registered contractors violated the compliance requirements regarding scaffold nets which were not procured through the Construction Industry Council (CIC). 

One of the cases involved a contractor that had installed scaffold nets prior to obtaining a test report confirming compliance, involving repair works in an existing building. 

In the other case, the contractor installed a batch of scaffold nets with test reports failing to meet the standards, involving a construction site of a new building. 

The BD has ordered the contractors to remove non-compliant nets and is investigating the irregularities, adding that it will take punitive action against the parties involved in accordance with the investigation results.

The department promulgated new tracking and testing requirements for scaffold nets in December last year.

A media report today claimed that there was a case in which sampling tests had been conducted in accordance with the new requirements and a test report was obtained with results that met the fire retardant performance standards. The nets were installed on scaffolding. However, after installation, an audit check by the BD revealed that the scaffold nets did not meet the required standards and removal was required.

The BD made it clear that there was no such case to date.

It pointed out that it has only recently started receiving notifications on completion of scaffold net installation and random testing of installed scaffold nets has just commenced. So far, samples have been collected from three cases that have completed net installation, not involving the scaffold nets procured collectively by the CIC and have been or will shortly be sent to the Government Laboratory for testing. Test results are not yet available.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

The Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong today said its Disciplinary Committee is investigating and taking appropriate follow-up actions on individuals or organisations for suspected violations of provisions of the code of conduct for Chinese medicine practitioners (CMPs).

The council made the statement in response to media enquiries regarding reports on the promotion of Chinese medicine practices.

A media report alleged today that online posts by certain individuals or organisations may have violated relevant provisions of the code of conduct for CMPs.

The council said that over the past five years, its Board and the Disciplinary Committee have investigated a total of 410 cases involving suspected violations of the code of conduct regarding practice promotion by CMPs.

For substantiated allegations, the Disciplinary Committee issued advisory letters to CMPs involved in 365 cases after confirming that the irregularities had been rectified.

Should a CMP fail to comply with the requirements of an advisory letter, the Board and the Disciplinary Committee will take further disciplinary action.

If during the course of handling a case, the Board or the Disciplinary Committee suspects that illegal activities are involved, the matter will be immediately referred to the law enforcement authorities for follow up.