The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) today (December 13) gazetted a notice to invite tenders for the contract for Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area Second Phase Development – Contract 6 – Site Formation and Engineering Infrastructure Works (Contract No. YL/2023/06). The closing time for the tender is noon on February 21, 2025.

     The works mainly include: 
1. site clearance and formation (including land decontamination works) for about 62 hectares of lands, together with provision of associated engineering infrastructure;
2. construction of district distributor and local roads connecting Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area to Ping Ha Road and Ha Tsuen Road;
3. construction of a sewage pumping station;
4. construction of associated works including water mains, drainage and sewerage works, cycle tracks, footpaths, box culverts, slope works, retaining structures, street furniture, landscaping works, electrical and mechanical works and other ancillary works; and 
5. implementation of environmental mitigation measures (including noise barriers) and environmental monitoring works for the works mentioned above.

     The works are scheduled to commence in mid-2025 and will take about 55 months to complete.

     The CEDD has commissioned Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited to design and supervise the works. Interested contractors can download the tender forms and other particulars from the e-Tendering System (e-TS). Tenderers must submit tenders in electronic format via the e-TS.

     Details of the tender notice are available on the CEDD website (www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/tender-notices/contracts/tender-notices/index.html). For enquiries, please call Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong Limited at 3447 6109 during office hours.

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     The Legislative Council (LegCo) Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will hold the second public hearing on "Nano and Advanced Materials Institute" (Chapter 1) of the Director of Audit's Report No. 83 tomorrow (December 14) at 9am in Conference Room 1 of the LegCo Complex.
 
     Six witnesses have been invited to appear before the above hearing to respond to points raised in the Report and answer questions asked by the PAC members.
 
     The programme for the public hearing is as follows:
 
Subject: Nano and Advanced Materials Institute
(Chapter 1 of the Director of Audit's Report No.83)
Date: December 14 (Saturday)
Time: 9am
Venue: Conference Room 1

Witnesses:
Professor Sun Dong
Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry

Mr Ivan Lee
Commissioner for Innovation and Technology

Mrs Elina Chan
Assistant Commissioner for Innovation and Technology (Research and Development Centres)

Professor Cheng Shuk-han
Chairwoman, Nano and Advanced Materials Institute

Mr Andy Fung
Chief Executive Officer, Nano and Advanced Materials Institute

Ms Jenny Yiu
Chief Operating Officer, Nano and Advanced Materials Institute

     The PAC is chaired by Mr Shiu Ka-fai, and its Deputy Chairman is Mr Paul Tse. Other members are Ms Yung Hoi-yan, Mr Luk Chung-hung, Mr Edmund Wong, Mr Louis Loong and Ms Carmen Kan.

     Road Traffic (Construction and Maintenance of Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulation 2024, Road Traffic (Safety Equipment) (Amendment) Regulation 2024, Road Traffic (Traffic Control) (Amendment) Regulation 2024 and Road Traffic (Expressway) (Amendment) Regulation 2024 were gazetted today (December 13).

     The above amendment regulations aim to tie in with international vehicle standards, technological development, and Hong Kong's road conditions to enhance road safety and facilitate the application of new vehicle technologies in Hong Kong. The amendment regulations will be tabled at the Legislative Council (LegCo) on December 18 for negative vetting. 

     A spokesperson for the Transport and Logistics Bureau said, "We aim to create a safer and more convenient road environment for road users in Hong Kong through optimising vehicle design and construction standards with the amendment regulations. The eight proposals are: (1) requiring electric vehicles to be equipped with an acoustic vehicle alerting system; (2) requiring vehicles with extendable aerial structures to be equipped with an over-height warning system; (3) mandating the use of child restraining device in private cars for child passengers; (4) enabling the use of remote control parking function by drivers; (5) relaxing the restrictions on information that can be displayed on a visual display unit when the vehicle is parked; (6) allowing camera-monitor systems as an alternative to conventional reflecting mirrors and setting out specifications and standards on reflecting mirrors and camera-monitor systems; (7) allowing electric commercial vehicles to travel on expressways without the need to apply for an expressway permit; and (8) updating the requirements on lighting lamps, reflectors and the maximum overall height of single-decked bus."

     The spokesperson continued, "The Government will continue to review technological advancements and vehicle operational requirements and update the regulations in a timely manner to keep pace with the evolving vehicle technologies and the latest international standards, flexibly adapting to industry development."

     When formulating the amendment regulations, views collected from consultations with various stakeholders were taken into consideration, including the LegCo Panel on Transport, the Transport Advisory Committee and industry representatives. The regulatory details and effective dates are specified in respective amendment regulations, and relevant information is set out in the LegCo Brief issued by the Government on December 11.

     â€‹Hongkong Post announced today (December 13) that, as advised by the postal administration of Thailand, mail delivery services to Thailand previously impacted by heavy rain have returned to normal.

     A team of six students representing Hong Kong achieved outstanding results in the 21st International Junior Science Olympiad (IJSO 2024), winning a total of two gold and four silver medals.  

     The IJSO is a science competition for secondary students aged 15 or below. The competition, covering physics, chemistry and biology up to the senior secondary level, comprises written assessments and science experiments that require students to analyse and solve unfamiliar problems. The IJSO 2024 was held in Romania from December 2 to 12 with the participation of around 300 contestants from 52 countries or regions.  

     Chan Tsz-kiu (Queen's College) and Tian Yu-yang Timothy (St. Paul's Co-educational College) each won a gold medal. Silver medalists are Chan Wai-yu (Po Leung Kuk No. 1 W. H. Cheung College), Chan Wing-yan (St. Paul's Co-educational College), Ma Sum-yuet (St. Paul's Co-educational College) and Yang Chun-chak (St. Paul's Co-educational College). 

     The Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, congratulated the Hong Kong team today (December 13) on their remarkable performance. "The excellent results of the Hong Kong team, which have demonstrated our students' exceptional talent in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics) and their persistence in learning, is indeed very commendable. The Education Bureau (EDB) will continue to strengthen the promotion of STEAM education in primary and secondary schools to nurture innovation in students, as well as step up the promotion of the effective use of the school-based student talent pool for identifying and nurturing more STEAM talent," she said.

     "The EDB has been attaching great importance to the grooming of gifted students and will strengthen the collaboration with the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) to offer more diversified training, and arrange for students to participate in territory-wide, cross-territory, national and international competitions so that students with potential in STEAM subjects have more opportunities to further develop their potential and nurture future innovation and technology talent for Hong Kong," she added. 

     The members of the Hong Kong team achieved excellent results in the International Junior Science Olympiad – Hong Kong Screening last year. They subsequently completed the science enhancement programmes provided by the HKAGE. The outstanding students in the programmes were then selected as contestants representing Hong Kong to participate in the IJSO 2024. The Hong Kong team was fully funded by the EDB to join this competition.