Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government proposes to carry out reclamation works within an area of about 240 hectares of foreshore and seabed at Lung Kwu Tan. The extent of the area of foreshore and seabed affected is described in a notice gazetted today (January 2).
      
     The proposed works include filling of the seabed to form about 145 hectares of land, reprovisioning of a submarine outfall, and construction of a seawall. The proposed works are tentatively scheduled to commence in 2028.
      
     The notice and its related plan are posted near the site. The plan is also available for inspection at:

* Survey and Mapping Office of the Lands Department (6/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong) (where copies can be purchased on order);
* Tuen Mun Home Affairs Enquiry Centre of the Tuen Mun District Office (2/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices, 1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories); and
* Lands Department’s website (www.landsd.gov.hk) under Government Notices.

     According to the environmental impact assessment carried out by the Civil Engineering and Development Department, the proposed reclamation works at Lung Kwu Tan are not expected to cause an adverse ecological impact, and the proposed reclamation area is away from the habitat of the Chinese White Dolphins at the Sha Chau and Lung Kwu Chau Marine Park, with the existing Urmston Road Fairway in between serving as a natural buffer zone. It is expected that the proposed reclamation works would only cause relatively minor impact on the Chinese White Dolphins. The relevant Environmental Impact Assessment Report is made available for public inspection from today.

     Enquiries regarding the proposed works can be addressed to the Land Works Division, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, as stated in the notice.
     ​
     Any person who considers that he has an interest, right or easement in or over the foreshore and seabed involved may submit a written objection to the Director of Lands, 20/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong, within two months from the gazette date, i.e. on or before March 2. The objector shall describe in the notice of objection his interest, right or easement, and the manner in which he will be allegedly affected.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Government proposes to construct a new pier within an area of approximately 0.89 hectares of foreshore and seabed to the west of Yim Tin Tsai. The extent of the area foreshore and seabed affected is described in a notice gazetted today (January 2).

     The proposed works will provide additional berths and barrier-free facilities to enhance the convenience and safety of pier users while boarding and alighting. The proposed works are scheduled to commence as early as the second half of 2027 for completion in approximately two years. During the construction period, the existing pier will maintain normal operation.

     The notice and its related plan are posted near the site. The plan is also available for inspection at:

* Survey and Mapping Office of the Lands Department (6/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong) (where copies can be purchased on order);
* Sai Kung Home Affairs Enquiry Centre of the Sai Kung District Office (G/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Hang Hau, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories); and
* Lands Department’s website (www.landsd.gov.hk) under Government Notices.

     Enquiries regarding the proposed works can be addressed to the Port Works Division, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, as stated in the notice.

     Any person who considers that he has an interest, right or easement in or over the foreshore and seabed involved may submit a written objection to the Director of Lands, 20/F, North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong, within two months from the gazette date, i.e. on or before March 2. The objector shall describe in the notice of objection his interest, right or easement, and the manner in which he will be allegedly affected. 

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Communications Authority:

     The Communications Authority (CA) announced today (January 2) the commencement of a one-month public consultation on the renewal of a domestic pay television programme service (pay TV) licence.
 
     The pay TV licence of Now TV Limited (Now TV) is due to expire on September 25, 2027 (Note). Now TV has submitted its licence renewal application to the CA. In accordance with the requirements under the Broadcasting Ordinance (Cap. 562) (BO) and established procedures, the CA will carry out a detailed assessment of the licensee’s past performance and collect public views through various means, including carrying out a one-month public consultation, an opinion survey and a televised online public hearing (TOPH). The CA will take into account the licensee’s performance and renewal proposal, views of the industry and public, the latest market developments etc, and make recommendations on the licence renewal application to the Chief Executive in Council in September 2026.  
 
     Members of the public may give their views through various means, including submitting views in writing during the period from January 2 to February 1, 2026 (by email: paytv-pc@ofca.gov.hk, fax: 2507 2219 or mail to: Office of the Communications Authority (Attn: Broadcasting Section 32), 20/F, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, Hong Kong); and/or by participating in the TOPH which will be held on January 17, 2026. For the TOPH registration arrangements and the details of the licensee’s service (including compliance records and investment plans), please visit the dedicated webpage on the CA’s website. 
 
     The pay TV licence of Now TV is valid for 12 years from September 26, 2015, to September 25, 2027. As required by the BO, Now TV has submitted its licence renewal application to the CA no less than 24 months before the expiry of the validity period of its licence. The CA will carry out a review exercise for the renewal application in accordance with the BO and established procedures.
 
Note: The Chief Executive in Council renewed the licence of PCCW Media Limited in December 2014, with a validity period of 12 years from September 26, 2015, to September 25, 2027. PCCW Media Limited was renamed as Now TV Limited with effect from September 2024.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     In accordance with the Roads (Works, Use and Compensation) Ordinance (Cap. 370), the Government published a notice in the Gazette today (January 2) on the authorisation of the proposed road works for the Smart and Green Mass Transit System Phase 1 in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK/HT NDA).

     The Phase 1 road works of the system is about 4.5 kilometres long with seven proposed stations. It will connect Nai Wai to the planned Logistics, Enterprise and Technology Quarter and Residential Area in the HSK/HT NDA, and will connect to the Tuen Ma Line Hung Shui Kiu Station (under construction), the Light Rail Nai Wai Stop, the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Rail Link (Hung Shui Kiu-Qianhai) (under planning) and transport interchanges within the area, supporting the Second Phase Development of the HSK/HT NDA.

     The Government has consulted the public on the scheme for the Phase 1 road works of the system and received wide support. The invitation of tenders for the relevant proposed road works is targeted for 2026, with a view to completing the relevant road works by 2031 and commissioning the system in time to meet the major population intake in the HSK/HT NDA.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Transport Department (TD) published a Gazette notice today (January 2) to invite applications for a passenger service licence for the operation of a package of New Territories public light bus (scheduled) route (green minibus route) covering one route in total, plying between Fanling North and Kwu Tung North.
 
     Application documents are available free of charge from the following TD offices and the TD website:
 

1. The TD New Territories Regional Office, 7/F, Mongkok Government Offices, 30 Luen Wan Street, Mong Kok, Kowloon;
2. The TD Public Light Bus Section, 11/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon;
3. The TD Urban Regional Office (Hong Kong), 37/F, Immigration Tower, 7 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong; and
4. The TD Hong Kong Licensing Office, 3/F, United Centre, 95 Queensway, Hong Kong.

 
     A spokesman for the TD reminded applicants to refer to the details and requirements of the green minibus route concerned and the “Guidance Notes for Applicants” attached in the application document. They should also follow the guidelines when completing the application form.
 
     Completed application forms and relevant supporting documents must be submitted in a plain envelope sealed and marked on the outside of the envelope with “Application for Passenger Service Licence in respect of the Package of Public Light Bus (Scheduled) Route Gazetted in January 2026”. They must be placed in the tender box located at the reception counter of the TD Headquarters at 10/F, South Tower, West Kowloon Government Offices, 11 Hoi Ting Road, Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, before noon on February 27, 2026 (Friday). Applications by any other means or late submissions will not be considered.
 
     For enquiries, please call the hotline at 2804 2600.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     On the second day (January 2) of the implementation of the Hospital Authority public healthcare fees and charges reform (fees and charges reform), public hospitals maintained smooth operation. The HA will continue to deploy additional manpower across various departments at hospitals to assist patients in need.

     On the first day (January 1) of the fees and charges reform, 3 888 patients attended the Accident and Emergency departments (A&E) of 18 public hospitals, a decrease of about 25 per cent when comparing to New Year’s Day last year. From midnight to 2pm yesterday (January 2), 2 329 patients attended all A&E, approximately 30 per cent fewer than the same time period of January 2 of last year. Among the patients seeking medical consultation, there were 34 critical cases and 82 emergency cases. According to the new fees and charges arrangement, these two categories of patients will have their A&E charges fully exempted. The other cases subject to the new fees and charges arrangement include 986 urgent cases, 1 171 semi-urgent cases, and 56 non-urgent cases. The average waiting times for semi-urgent and non-urgent cases was around 55 minutes, which is shorter compared to the average waiting time for the same period last year (approximately 147 minutes) for semi-urgent and non-urgent cases.

     Additionally, the HA’s 75 Family Medicine Clinics (FMCs) providing family medicine outpatient services also operated smoothly yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, approximately 10 000 patients attended these FMCs, with overall service usage remaining similar to that before the implementation of the measures.

     The HA has deployed additional manpower to expedite the processing of patients’ medical fee waivers applications. As of 2pm yesterday, public hospitals received approximately 3 300 applications in total for the day, with nearly 90 per cent approved, amounting to about 2 900 applications. The remaining cases will be processed as soon as possible. Compared to the 14 000 individuals who were approved for medical fee waivers in 2023/24, the HA has approved approximately 35 000 applications since early November last year, benefiting citizens in need.

     Furthermore, patients who had previously scheduled non-urgent radiology services or pathology services will be receiving payment notifications through mail or the HA mobile application HA Go starting from January 1. The HA reminds patients with recent appointments can arrange payment as early as practicable upon receiving the notification. For patients with distant appointment dates, payment can be arranged at their convenience after receiving the notification. Patients are not required to settle the payment immediately. Patients undergoing non-urgent radiology services must settle the payment at least 14 days before their appointment date, while patients requiring pathology services must settle the payment before testing. If patients have questions regarding payment items, they can inquire with healthcare staff during follow-up appointment, and specialist out-patient clinics will also have Integrated Patient Service Centres to provide detailed explanations about payment arrangements.

     The HA reminds patients that the fees and charges reform has been implemented. Patients are advised to familiarise themselves with the new fees and charges arrangements before visiting public hospitals or outpatient clinics. Some medical service procedures have also been modified. Every cluster has set up hotlines (see table below) for patients to inquire about the fees and charges reform arrangements. Patients can also visit the HA website to learn about the new arrangements.

Hotlines for Public Healthcare Fees and Charges Reform

Clusters	Hotlines
Hong Kong East Cluster	6460 4303
Hong Kong West Cluster	2255 4177
Kowloon Central Cluster	3506 7198
Kowloon East Cluster	5215 7326
Kowloon West Cluster	3467 7575
New Territories East Cluster	6273 3551
New Territories West Cluster	2468 5353

Service hours: January 2-11, 2026, 8am to 8pm

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (January 2) that open auctions for a total of 464 stalls in 42 public markets will be held in January. Market stalls not taken at open auctions will be available to the public for renting at their upset prices on January 23 on a first-come, first-served basis.

(1) Open auctions

     The types of stalls to be auctioned this time cover cooked food, frozen meat, fresh meat, fresh fish, frozen (chilled) poultry, fruits, vegetables, food-related dry goods and wet goods, non-food related dry goods and wet goods, tradesman/service trades, siu mei and lo mei, newspaper, etc. The tenancy agreement is a three-year fixed term from February 1, 2026, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on the sizes, locations and vacancy periods of the individual stalls. The upset prices for the stalls in an open auction will be initially fixed at 80 per cent of the open market rent (OMR) if the stalls have been vacant for over six months, and at 60 per cent of the OMR if the vacant period has been over eight months. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website.

     The date of the auctions and the number of stalls are as follows:

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (1)
————————————————–
Auction date: January 8 (Thursday) (pm)
Number of stalls: 101

Hong Kong Island and Islands District (2)
————————————————–
Auction date: January 9 (Friday) (am)
Number of stalls: 46

Aberdeen Market
——————-
Auction date: January 9 (Friday) (pm)
Number of stalls: 16

Kowloon (1)
————–
Auction date: January 12 (Monday) (am)
Number of stalls: 71

Kowloon (2)
————–
Auction date: January 12 (Monday) (pm)
Number of stalls: 50

Kowloon (3)
————–
Auction date: January 13 (Tuesday) (am)
Number of stalls: 47

New Territories (1)
———————
Auction date: January 14 (Wednesday) (am)
Number of stalls: 68

New Territories (2)
———————
Auction date: January 14 (Wednesday) (pm)
Number of stalls: 65

     The open auctions will be held at Room 410, 4/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon. Limited seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The admission tickets will be issued 30 minutes prior to the commencement of each auction. Persons who want to attend the auctions must wait at the waiting area of the auction venue and produce their Hong Kong identity card or passport for registration. The registered person will then be provided with an admission ticket for the auctions. In addition, eligible bidders after verification will be issued with a bidding paddle for the auction. The FEHD has also invited representatives of the Police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption to monitor the auctions at the auction venue in order to ensure that the open auctions are conducted in an orderly and fair manner.

(2) Renting at upset prices on first-come, first-served basis
     
     The tenancy agreement of market stalls renting on a first-come, first-served basis is a three-year fixed term from March 1, 2026, with no right of renewal upon expiry of the tenancy agreement. The upset prices of the monthly rent of the stalls vary depending on their sizes, locations, vacancy periods and the reduced upset prices from the last open auction of the individual stalls. The tenancy agreement of market stalls at Stanley Waterfront Mart is a short-term five-month tenancy from February 1, 2026, tenants must return the stall upon expiry of the tenancy. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website after the open auction.
          
     ​Members of the public who are interested in renting a market stall at its upset price should approach the following FEHD offices, as appropriate, to apply in person from 9.30am to 12.30pm or 2.30pm to 4.30pm on January 23 (Friday):
 

Districts in which the market stalls are located	Venues for selection of market stalls
Hong Kong Island and Islands District	Hawkers and Markets Section (Hong Kong and Islands) Office, 8/F, Lockhart Road Municipal Services Building, 225 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Kowloon	Hawkers and Markets Section (Kowloon) Office, Room 301-302, 3/F, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Nam Cheong Offices and Vehicle Depot, 87 Yen Chow Street West, Kowloon
Kwai Tsing District	Kwai Tsing District Environmental Hygiene Office, 9/F, Kwai Hing Government Offices, 166-174 Hing Fong Road, Kwai Chung, New Territories
North District	North District Environmental Hygiene Office, 4/F, Shek Wu Hui Municipal Services Building, 13 Chi Cheong Road, Sheung Shui, New Territories
Sai Kung District	Sai Kung District Environmental Hygiene Office, 7/F, Sai Kung Tseung Kwan O Government Complex, 38 Pui Shing Road, Tseung Kwan O, New Territories
Sha Tin District	Sha Tin District Environmental Hygiene Office, Units 1201-1207 and 1220-1221, 12/F, Tower 1, Grand Central Plaza,  138 Sha Tin Rural Committee Road, Sha Tin, New Territories
Tai Po District	Tai Po District Environmental Hygiene Office, 3/F, Tai Po Complex, 8 Heung Sze Wui Street, Tai Po, New Territories
Tsuen Wan District	Tsuen Wan District Environmental Hygiene Office, 3/F, Yeung Uk Road Municipal Services Building, 45 Yeung Uk Road, Tsuen Wan, New Territories
Tuen Mun District	Tuen Mun District Environmental Hygiene Office, 1/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices Building, 1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories
Yuen Long District	Yuen Long District Environmental Hygiene Office, 2/F, Yuen Long Government Offices, 2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long, New Territories

     
     A spokesman for the FEHD said, “Bidders or applicants for the market stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. To allow more people to bid for or select the stalls and increase customer choices by enhancing the diversity in terms of the variety of stalls, there will be a restriction on the number of stalls to be rented in the same market by a single tenant. Any person who is currently a stall tenant is not allowed to bid in the first round of auction for any stall in the same market, and will only be allowed to bid for one stall in the second round of auction or to select one stall in the same market on a first-come, first-served basis (except Stanley Waterfront Mart). The existing tenants under the new three-year fixed-term tenancy scheme are allowed to bid for a stall in the auction or select a stall on a first-come, first-served basis in the same market, but shall vacate the current stall and return it to the FEHD before the effective date of commencement of the new tenancy agreement.”

     Details of the open auctions and the public market stalls concerned (including stalls for open auction at reduced upset prices) have been uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/open_auction_coming.html). Details on renting public market stalls (including Stanley Waterfront Mart) on a first-come, first-served basis will be uploaded to the FEHD website after open auctions (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/FCFS/index.html). Interested bidders or applicants may visit the department website or contact the respective District Environmental Hygiene Office.