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[Community Engagement Activities] [Voluntary Services and Charity Activities] [Stakeholder Engagement Activities]
[highlight6.gif] 3,300 No. of Visitors to Our Sewage Treatment Facilities
In order to promote HATS Stage 2A Project to the public, we devoted in public engagement throughout the year of 2012-13. Our key public engagement activities include:
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To engage the public on the planning of Kai Tak River, we conducted a two-stage public engagement exercise on "Building our Kai Tak River" in 2010 and 2011. Based on the outcome of the exercise, we are reconstructing and revitalising the existing Kai Tak River into an attractive green river and townscape feature to enhance its visual quality and image, in addition to its prime objective for flood protection.
To engage the participation of students of neighbouring schools, we launched a drawing competition in 2012 on the envisioned Kai Tak River. A total of 54 students from three primary schools participated in the competition and the winning drawings have been displayed on the site hoardings, giving a hand to visual enhancement of the project.
In implementation of village sewerage works, we engage relevant stakeholders at the pre-construction, construction and completion stages of the projects.
Prior to the construction works, our Department, together with Environmental Protection Department (EPD), consulted relevant District Councils, Rural Committees, Village Representatives and villagers. They were consulted of the proposed sewerage schemes, sewer alignment and the proposed locations of sewage pumping stations while the responsibilities of villagers after the completion of works, e.g. the connection works to the public sewerage system and payment of sewage services charges, were also introduced.
During construction, we liaised with the Village Representatives and villagers on the construction arrangements to minimise nuisance to them, and posted notices/signboards at the village access to indicate clearly the extent of works as well as the anticipated works period. We would agree with the house owners regarding the locations of terminal manholes. We also briefed the house owners for the connection works to the public sewerage system which they would be required to carry out in future.
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When the sewerage works were close to completion, EPD, with our Department's assistance, visited each house in the village to understand their potential difficulties of the connection works. Our Department and EPD then held briefing sessions for all villagers to provide detailed explanation on the technicality and responsibility of the connection works required. After the briefing session, EPD would issue letters to the villagers requiring them to carry out the connection works within a specified period (typically 6 to 12 months) according to government's guidelines and specifications as well as the Water Pollution Control (Sewerage) Regulation. Our Department and EPD would continue to liaise with the house owners and provide necessary assistance in the connection works during this time.
To work with the public and stakeholders together to optimise the relocation proposal, we conducted the Stage 1 public engagement exercise between November 2012 and March 2013.
The Stage 1 public engagement was kicked off by a media briefing at Stanley STW in early November 2012, and the media briefing received extensive media coverage. This was followed by a series of roving exhibitions at 16 venues and 12 community centres and community halls in Sha Tin and Ma On Shan areas to disseminate the information of the feasibility study. During the roving exhibitions, the public were invited to complete questionnaires to collect their views and concerns on the relocation proposal. They would also provide their comments and opinions via various channels including hotline, email, fax and mail.
To share the latest information and progress of the project with the public, we launched a project website (www.STSTWinCaverns.hk) and a facebook page (STSTWinCaverns) in November 2012. Also, we published two issues of newsletters in November 2012 and March 2013. Apart from uploading onto the project website, we distributed the newsletters to the residents in the vicinity of the proposed relocation site and the existing Shatin STW as well as other stakeholders. Publicity video was also broadcast in TV channels, Roadshow in buses and MTR trains and uploaded to the project website and Youtube.
To consult the residents in the vicinity of the proposed relocation site and existing Shatin STW as well as other stakeholders, three community group meetings were held in March 2013. A focus group meeting was also held in March 2013 to exchange views with the green groups and professional organisations. The Stage 2 public engagement exercise is tentatively scheduled to be carried out between July to October 2013. We will continue to work with the public and stakeholders together to further improve the relocation proposal.
Our Department places great emphasis in communicating closely with stakeholders and the public under the Happy Valley Underground Stormwater Storage Scheme (HVUSSS) project so that their views are taken into account in the course of delivering the project. We also aim to enhance the living environment for the community and to further strengthen its ties with the community while the project is being constructed. The engagement activities included connecting with the concern groups and schools in the Happy Valley area.
To maintain close ties with the local community and ensure that public views are heard, we always attended District Council meetings over the years. In 2012-13, our Director and relevant colleagues were presented at different District Council meetings, including those of Sai Kung, Kwai Tsing, Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Tai Po and Yuen Long, to brief members on our work and major projects in their districts and to solicit their opinions.
Technologies are very important to enhance our performance; we therefore greatly treasure expert views and opinions to achieve technological advancement in our operation. In November 2012, we hosted the DSD Research & Development Forum 2012 on"Sustainable Drainage Design" and "Wastewater Treatment". A total of 17 scholars/experts were invited to present their research in this two-day forum on aspects including (i) Hydrology and Hydraulics, (ii) Sustainable Urban Drainage System, (iii) Design & Materials, (iv) Wastewater & Sludge Treatment, (v) Odour Management, and (vi) Renewable Energy. The expertise and knowledge in their research were shared and we would study their findings for suitable application to our projects and facilities.
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In order to further raise the awareness of our colleagues on the ecological impact when implementing the works under river training projects in Hong Kong, our Drainage Projects Division invited green groups, including Green Power, Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden Corporation, and WWF-Hong Kong to jointly conduct a one-day training course for Ecology of Urban Stream on 21 March 2013.
Representatives from green groups introduced the stream ecology in Hong Kong during the training course and highlighted the common ecological problems and their associated environmental impacts during the works implementation at natural stream. Our Drainage Projects Division also organised site visit in the afternoon session so that the green groups could more specifically explain the ecological concern for the works implementation at natural stream and how to enhance the ecological protection measures.
Besides, our Department organised a "One-Day Workshop on Ecological Consideration of Urban Stream" on 17 May 2012 to share and consolidate experience gained from incorporating ecological features in its previous drainage improvement projects in Ho Chung, Lam Tsuen and Mui Wo; and to explore the understanding of the emergent concept of ecology of urban stream in Hong Kong. Representatives from green groups including Green Power, World Wide Fund for Nature Hong Kong, Conservancy Association Hong Kong, Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden and Hong Kong Bird Watching Society were invited to participate in the event to provide their views and advice, which will be studied and applied to our future projects, where appropriate.
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