Author Archives: hksar gov

     â€‹The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Lam Tei and Yick Yuen Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
      
     “The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development and redevelopment within the Lam Tei and Yick Yuen area,” a spokesman for the Town Planning Board (the Board) said today (October 26).
      
     The planning scheme area covers about 474.93 hectares of land in the southwestern part of the North West New Territories. It is bounded by Hung Shui Kiu New Development Area and Yuen Tau Shan in the north, Tan Kwai Tsuen in the northeast, Tai Lam Country Park in the east and southeast, the Tsing Shan Firing Range in the west, Fu Tai Estate, Tsz Tin Tsuen and Po Tong Ha in the south.
      
     About 0.69 hectares of land are zoned “Commercial”. Two sites with a total area of about 6.99 hectares are zoned “Comprehensive Development Area” for comprehensive development/redevelopment of the area for residential use with the provision of commercial, open space and other supporting facilities. 
      
     About 9.54 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group B)” for suburban medium-density residential developments. About 2.52 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group C)” for low-rise and low-density residential developments. About 20.36 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group D)” for improvement and upgrading of existing temporary structures in the rural area to permanent buildings. About 11.56 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group E)” primarily for phasing out existing industrial uses through redevelopment for residential use.
      
     About 102.78 hectares of land are zoned “Village Type Development” to reflect existing recognised and other villages and provide land suitable for village expansion and reprovisioning of village houses affected by government projects.
      
     To serve the needs of the local residents and/or a wider district, region or the territory, about 5.78 hectares of land are zoned “Government, Institution or Community” to provide a wide range of government, institution and community facilities. About 1.93 hectares of land are zoned “Open Space” for outdoor open-air public space for active and/or passive recreational uses.
      
     About 29.66 hectares of land are zoned “Other Specified Uses” for specific uses including quarry, refuse transfer station as well as petrol filling station.
      
     About 110.68 hectares of land are zoned “Green Belt” to define the limits of urban and suburban development areas and to provide passive recreational outlets. About 152.43 hectares of land are zoned “Conservation Area” to protect and retain the existing natural landscape, ecological or topographical features of the area.
      
     The approved Lam Tei and Yick Yuen OZP No. S/TM-LTYY/10 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Tuen Mun and Yuen Long West District Planning Office, the Tuen Mun District Office and the Tuen Mun Rural Committee.
      
     Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed at the Board’s website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb). read more

     The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Lau Fau Shan and Tsim Bei Tsui Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
      
     “The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development and redevelopment within the Lau Fau Shan and Tsim Bei Tsui area,” a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (October 26).
      
     The planning scheme area covers about 677.74 hectares of land in the northwestern corner of the North West New Territories. The southern boundary is demarcated by Sha Kong Wai, the Hung Shui Kiu New Development Area, the Tin Shui Wai New Town, Ng Uk Tsuen and Yuen Long Industrial Estate while the north is bounded by Deep Bay.
      
     About 4.27 hectares of land around the Lau Fau Shan Roundabout are zoned “Commercial/Residential” for commercial and/or residential developments. 
      
     About 8.33 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group C)” for low-rise and low-density residential developments. About 5.70 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group D)”, which is intended primarily for improvement and upgrading of existing temporary structures in the rural area to permanent buildings. About 11.89 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group E)” primarily for phasing out existing industrial uses through redevelopment for residential use.
      
     About 53.26 hectares of land are zoned “Village Type Development” to designate both existing recognised villages and areas of land considered suitable for village expansion.
      
     To serve the needs of the local residents and/or a wider district, region or the territory, about 3.38 hectares of land are zoned “Government, Institution or Community” to provide a wide range of government, institution or community facilities.
      
     About 36.41 hectares of land are zoned “Recreation” for development of active and/or passive recreation and tourism/eco-tourism.
      
     About 81.82 hectares of land are zoned “Other Specified Uses” for specific uses including comprehensive development and wetland enhancement as well as a helicopter landing pad. 
      
     About 203.21 hectares of land are zoned “Green Belt” to define the limits of urban and suburban development areas and to provide passive recreational outlets. About 78.41 hectares of land are zoned “Conservation Area” to conserve the ecological value of the wetland and fish ponds in the Deep Bay Area.
      
     About 55.99 hectares of land along the Deep Bay coast are zoned “Coastal Protection Area” to conserve, protect and retain the natural coastlines and the sensitive coastal natural environment. 
      
     About 77.91 hectares of land are zoned “Site of Special Scientific Interest” covering the mangroves at the coastal areas of Tsim Bei Tsui and Inner Deep Bay, and the Tsim Bei Tsui Egretry.
      
     The approved Lau Fau Shan and Tsim Bei Tsui OZP No. S/YL-LFS/9 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Tuen Mun and Yuen Long West District Planning Office, the Yuen Long District Office and the Ping Shan Rural Committee.
      
     Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed at the Board’s website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb). read more

     The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a series of territory-wide anti-illegal worker operations, including an operation codenamed “Twilight”, and joint operations with the Hong Kong Police Force and the Labour Department codenamed “Champion”, from October 22 to 25. A total of 12 illegal workers, three suspected employers and two overstayers were arrested.

     During operation “Twilight”, ImmD Task Force officers raided 20 target locations including a garage, an office, farms, a refuse collection point, an industrial building, residential buildings, a warehouse and restaurants. Nine illegal workers and three employers were arrested. The illegal workers comprised six men and three women, aged 24 to 66. Among them, two women were suspected of using and being in possession of forged Hong Kong identity cards. Meanwhile, two men and a woman, aged 41 to 63, were suspected of employing the illegal workers.
 
     In addition, during operation “Champion”, enforcement officers raided 23 target locations in Mong Kok, Kowloon East and Hong Kong West including massage parlors, a residential building, restaurants and a supermarket. Three illegal workers comprising two men and a woman, aged 28 to 40, were arrested. Furthermore, two overstayers – one male and one female – aged 29 and 46, were also arrested.
 
     “Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties,” an ImmD spokesman said.
 
       The spokesman warned that, it is an offence to use or possess a forged Hong Kong identity card or a Hong Kong identity card related to another person. Offenders are liable to prosecution and a maximum penalty of a $100,000 fine and up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. According to court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee’s identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker’s valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.
 
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threat and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent interference, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments. read more

     The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Ha Tsuen Fringe Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).
      
     “The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide the development and redevelopment within the Ha Tsuen Fringe area,” a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (October 26).
      
     The planning scheme area covers about 341.15 hectares of land in the western part of the North West New Territories. It is bounded by the Hung Shui Kiu New Development Area and the Kong Sham Western Highway in the east, Lau Fau Shan and the coast of Deep Bay in the north, Tsing Shan Firing Range in the west and Yuen Tau Shan in the south and southwest.
      
     About 17.35 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group D)” for improvement and upgrading of existing temporary structures in the rural area to permanent buildings.
      
     To serve the needs of the local residents and/or a wider district, region or the territory, about 1.56 hectares of land are zoned “Government, Institution or Community” for provision of government, institution or community facilities.
      
     About 50.35 hectares of land are zoned “Agriculture” to retain and safeguard good quality agricultural land/farms/fish ponds for agricultural purposes.  
      
     About 116.34 hectares of land are zoned “Green Belt” to define the limits of urban and suburban development areas and to provide passive recreational outlets. About 123.22 hectares of land are zoned “Conservation Area” to protect and retain the existing natural landscape, ecological or topographical features of the area. 
      
     About 30.27 hectares of land along the Deep Bay coast stretching from Sha Kong Tsuen to Ngau Hom Sha are zoned “Coastal Protection Area” to conserve, protect and retain the natural coastlines and the sensitive coastal natural environment.
      
     The approved Ha Tsuen Fringe OZP No. S/YL-HTF/12 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Tuen Mun and Yuen Long West District Planning Office, the Yuen Long District Office and the Ha Tsuen and Ping Shan Rural Committees.
      
     Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed at the Board’s website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb). read more

     The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Tseung Kwan O Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

     “The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide development and redevelopment in the Tseung Kwan O area,” a spokesman for the Town Planning Board said today (October 26).

     The planning scheme area, covering about 1 718 hectares, is located at the southern part of Sai Kung District. It is bounded by the Clear Water Bay Peninsula to the east, Junk Bay to the south, the Lam Tin and Sau Mau Ping areas to the west, and Tseng Lan Shue and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to the north.

     Two sites with a total area of 38.72 hectares are zoned “Comprehensive Development Area”. The site in Area 86 is intended for comprehensive development including an MTR depot, an MTR station, associated property development and supporting community facilities. Another site which covers the existing film studio in Area 92 is intended for comprehensive redevelopment for low-density residential use.

     About 20.07 hectares of land, including sites in the town centre and district centres where accessibility is enhanced by the MTR Tseung Kwan O Extension, are zoned “Commercial/Residential”. 

     About 152.23 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group A)” for high-density residential developments, while a further 4.49 hectares are zoned “Residential (Group B)” for medium-density housing developments and 0.66 hectares are zoned “Residential (Group C)” for low-rise residential developments. The “Residential (Group E)” zone, with an area of about 4 hectares, is intended to phase out existing industrial uses through redevelopment (or conversion) for residential use on application to the Board.

     About 22.03 hectares of land are zoned “Village Type Development” to reflect existing recognised and other villages, and to provide land considered suitable for village expansion and reprovisioning of village houses affected by government projects.

     A total of 142.56 hectares of land are zoned “Government, Institution or Community” to provide facilities serving the needs of the local residents and/or a wider district, region or the territory. About 190.8 hectares of land are zoned “Open Space” and a further 65.85 hectares are zoned “Recreation” for active and/or passive recreational and tourism/eco-tourism uses.

     The “Other Specified Uses” zones, with a total area of about 225.69 hectares, are allocated for specific uses including a waterfront site reserved for water sports and recreational facilities, a pair of finger piers for the berthing of recreational/pleasure vessels and kaidos, commercial/residential developments with public transport interchange, the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate, the deep-waterfront industry, a proposed desalination plant, a bus depot, an explosives store, petrol filling stations, the landing steps, the sewage treatment works, a cemetery, an underground desilting compound, and the proposed ventilation building for the Tseung Kwan O – Lam Tin Tunnel.

     About 753.06 hectares of land are zoned “Green Belt” to define the limits of urban and sub-urban development areas by natural features and to contain urban sprawl as well as to provide passive recreational outlets.

     The approved Tseung Kwan O OZP No. S/TKO/26 is now available for public inspection during office hours at the Secretariat of the Board, the Planning Enquiry Counters of the Planning Department in North Point and Sha Tin, the Sai Kung and Islands District Planning Office and the Sai Kung District Office.

     Copies of the approved OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the plan can be viewed at the Board’s website (www.info.gov.hk/tpb). read more