Author Archives: hksar gov

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (September 14) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches that are open for swimming and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay*).
        
     Twelve beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 20 as Fair (Grade 2), six as Poor (Grade 3) and one as Very Poor (Grade 4).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:       

Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach	Repulse Bay Beach
Chung Hom Kok Beach	South Bay Beach
Hap Mun Bay Beach	St Stephen’s Beach
Hung Shing Yeh Beach	Tong Fuk Beach
Kwun Yam Beach	Turtle Cove Beach
Lo So Shing Beach	Upper Cheung Sha Beach

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

Cafeteria New Beach	Kiu Tsui Beach
Cafeteria Old Beach	Lido Beach
Castle Peak Beach	Lower Cheung Sha Beach
Clear Water Bay First Beach	Middle Bay Beach
Clear Water Bay Second Beach	Pui O Beach
Deep Water Bay Beach	Shek O Beach
Discovery Bay	Silver Mine Bay Beach
Golden Beach	Silverstrand Beach
Hoi Mei Wan Beach	Stanley Main Beach
Kadoorie Beach	Trio Beach

 
Grade 3 beaches are:

Approach Beach	Casam Beach
Big Wave Bay Beach	Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach
Butterfly Beach	Ting Kau Beach

 
Grade 4 beach is:
Anglers’ Beach
 
* Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.
 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Castle Peak Beach has been upgraded from Grade 3 to Grade 2. Clear Water Bay Second Beach, Kiu Tsui Beach, Lower Cheung Sha Beach, Middle Bay Beach, Shek O Beach and Trio Beach have been changed from Grade 1 to Grade 2; Butterfly Beach, Casam Beach and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach from Grade 2 to Grade 3; and Anglers’ Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 4. 
      
     “The changes are generally within the normal range of fluctuation of the bacteriological water quality of the beaches,” an EPD spokesman said. “For Anglers’ Beach, the temporary deterioration of water quality was due to frequent heavy rain that occurred in late August and early September.”
      
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, the spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
      
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
      
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the department’s websites on Beach Water Quality (www.beachwq.gov.hk and www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666. read more

     The Chief Executive in Council has approved the draft Tong Yan San Tsuen Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

     “The approved OZP provides a statutory land use planning framework to guide development and redevelopment within the Tong Yan San Tsuen area,” a spokesman for the Town Planning Board (the Board) said today (September 14).

     The planning scheme area, covering an area of about 647 hectares, is bounded by Castle Peak Road – Hung Shui Kiu to Ping Shan Sections to the north, Yuen Long New Town and Tai Tong area to the east, Lam Tei and Yick Yuen area to the west and the range of hills leading to Tai Lam Country Park to the south.

     Two sites of about 3.32 hectares are zoned “Comprehensive Development Area” for comprehensive development/redevelopment for residential use with the provision of open space, commercial and other supporting facilities. 

     About 22.69 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group A)” or its sub-areas primarily for high-density residential developments, including two sites for public housing developments. About 61.93 hectares, 12.78 hectares and 48.19 hectares of land are zoned “Residential (Group B)” or its sub-areas, “Residential (Group C)” and “Residential (Group D)” respectively for residential developments at various densities.

     About 59.86 hectares of land are zoned “Village Type Development” to designate both existing recognised villages and land suitable for village expansion.

     About 14.80 hectares, 10.51 hectares and 4.75 hectares of land are zoned “Industrial”, “Industrial (Group D)” and “Open Storage” respectively for relevant developments. Two sites with a total area of about 0.44 hectares are zoned “Other Specified Uses” annotated “Petrol Filling Station” to reflect existing petrol filling stations.

     About 14.35 hectares of land are zoned “Government, Institution or Community” primarily for the provision of government, institution or community facilities serving the needs of local residents and/or a wider district, region or the territory. About 1 hectare of land is zoned “Open Space” for the provision of outdoor open-air public space for active and/or passive recreational uses.

     About 101 hectares of land to the west of Kung Um Road are zoned “Undetermined” to cater for the continuing demand for open storage which cannot be accommodated in conventional godown premises. The area is now being reviewed under the Planning and Engineering Study for Housing Sites in Yuen Long South.

     To define the limits of urban and sub-urban development areas and to contain urban sprawl as well as to provide passive recreational outlets, about 129.22 hectares of land are zoned “Green Belt”. About 129.11 hectares of land are zoned “Conservation Area” to protect and retain the existing natural landscape, ecological or topographic features.

     The approved Tong Yan San Tsuen OZP No. S/YL-TYST/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; the Shap Pat Heung Rural Committee and the Ping Shan Rural Committee.
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     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

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 (Se… read more

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, September 14, 2018 is 104.2 (down 0.1 against yesterday’s index). read more

     For the first time, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Berlin (HKETO Berlin) participated in an international education fair, Perspektywy, in eastern Europe. Perspektywy is a series of events in 15 academic cities in Poland, including in the capital Warsaw where the biggest Polish education fair is staged, attracting about 15 000 visitors. Located in Warsaw University of Technology, HKETO Berlin hosted a booth on September 12 and 13 to promote studying in Hong Kong and the city’s various talent admission schemes.

     The Director of HKETO Berlin, Mr Bill Li, gave a presentation on September 13 about the unique advantages of studying in Hong Kong and the valuable living and working experience offered to students from around the world. “Hong Kong is not only Asia’s business capital and the gateway for Polish businesses to China but a great place to study. Hong Kong’s post-secondary education institutions offer a variety of high quality programmes which are internationally recognised”, Mr Li said.

     He introduced Hong Kong’s world-leading universities as well as scholarship other opportunities such as the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme that facilitates immigration to Hong Kong for young talents. Mr Li also highlighted the excellent research opportunities in Hong Kong supported by the HK$ 23 billion (PLN 10.7 billion) Research Endowment Fund and emphasised on the value of academic freedom in the city.

     Hong Kong’s high-quality programmes are taught in English, and the universities adopt international standards in curriculum design as well as quality assurance. Hong Kong universities also offer some of the world’s best business administration and management programmes. Of the 21 local degree-awarding higher education institutions, three are ranked in the world’s top 50 by the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings 2019 and three are ranked in Asia’s top 10 by the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2018.

     To attract outstanding non-local students to study in Hong Kong, the Government offers several scholarship opportunities. Among them, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Scholarship Fund offers HK$ 80 000 (about PLN 37 000) per year for each awardee, and the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme provides an annual stipend of HK$ 240 000 (about PLN 112 000) and a conference and research-related travel allowance of HK$ 10 000 (about PLN 4 600) per year to each awardee for a period of up to three years.

     Hong Kong is an innovative and open city offering high quality of life with its vibrant cultural scene and diverse nature, including beaches, mountains and country parks. For more details about studying and living in Hong Kong, please visit studyinhongkong.edu.hk.

About HKETO Berlin

     HKETO Berlin is the official Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government representative in commercial relations and other economic and trade matters in Poland as well as Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Switzerland. read more