The Government gazetted today (December 1) the proposed extension of Hoi Wing Road in Tuen Mun, including the construction of a slip road between Tuen Mun Road (Sam Shing Section) northbound and Hoi Wing Road westbound, to improve the existing traffic conditions in Tuen Mun District.

     Details of the proposal are set out in the Annex. The plan and scheme of the works are available for public inspection at the following government offices during office hours:

Central and Western Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
G/F, Harbour Building,
38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong

Tuen Mun Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
2/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices,
1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories

District Lands Office, Tuen Mun,
6/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices,
1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories

     The gazette notice, scheme, plan and location plan are available at www.tlb.gov.hk/eng/publications/transport/gazette/gazette.html.

     Any person who wishes to object to the works or the use, or both, is required to address to the Secretary for Transport and Logistics an objection in writing, which can be submitted via one of the following means:
 

• By post or by hand to the Transport and Logistics Bureau's Drop‑in Box No. 6 located at the entrance on 2/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong. The box is available for use between 8am and 7pm from Monday to Friday (except public holidays);
• By fax to 2868 4643; or
• By email to gazettetlb@tlb.gov.hk.

     A notice of objection should describe the objector's interest and the manner in which he or she alleges that he or she will be affected by the works or the use. Objectors are requested to provide contact details to facilitate communication. A notice of objection should be delivered to the Secretary for Transport and Logistics not later than January 30, 2024.

     The Government gazetted today (December 1) the proposed extension of Lung Fu Road in Tuen Mun, including the construction of carriageways connecting Tsing Wun Road and Lung Fu Road viaduct northbound and southbound, to improve the traffic conditions in the district.

     Details of the proposal are set out in the Annex. The plans and scheme of the works are available for public inspection at the following government offices during office hours:

Central and Western Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
G/F, Harbour Building, 
38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong

Tuen Mun Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
2/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices,
1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories

District Lands Office, Tuen Mun,
6/F, Tuen Mun Government Offices,
1 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, New Territories

     The gazette notice, scheme, plans and location plan are available at www.tlb.gov.hk/eng/publications/transport/gazette/gazette.html.

     Any person who wishes to object to the works or the use, or both, is required to address to the Secretary for Transport and Logistics an objection in writing, which can be submitted via one of the following means:
 

• By post or by hand to the Transport and Logistics Bureau's Drop in Box No. 6 located at the 2/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong. The box is available for use between 8am and 7pm from Monday to Friday (except public holidays);
• By fax to 2868 4643; or
• By email to gazettetlb@tlb.gov.hk.

     A notice of objection should describe the objector's interest and the manner in which he or she alleges that he or she will be affected by the works or the use. Objectors are requested to provide contact details to facilitate communication. A notice of objection should be delivered to the Secretary for Transport and Logistics not later than January 30, 2024.

     The Police Negotiation Cadre (PNC) concluded the two-week comprehensive Crisis Negotiation Course (CNC) at the Hong Kong Police College today (December 1). This training featured a series of negotiation exercises tailored to simulate a variety of suicide intervention scenarios. In view of the recent rise in student suicides, similar scenarios were included in the exercises with an aim to strengthen the capabilities and negotiation skills of the negotiators in handling similar cases.

     The simulated exercises involved scenarios of students attempting to jump off buildings. Negotiators promptly arrived at the scene and initiated persuasion tactics. By displaying patience and empathy as well as actively listening to the students’ needs, the negotiators effectively communicated with them  and successfully convinced them to return to safe positions. Additionally, the exercises also simulated suicide attempts by non-ethnic Chinese individuals, presenting the challenge of language barriers. With the assistance of interpreters, the negotiators worked as a team to convey persuasive messages to the individuals, eventually defusing the crisis and saving lives.

     Following the exercises, the Commanding Officer of the PNC, Chief Superintendent Liauw Ka-kei, shared the design principles of the CNC. Crisis negotiation work often involves unpredictable duty hours, sometimes requiring overnight operations. The two-week intensive training places high demands on the emotional control, physical stamina and negotiation skills of the personnel. The course features a variety of exercises, closely aligning with cases that occur in daily life and taking into account the diverse development of the society. It aims at enhancing the personnel's ability to respond to crises, improving communication and co-ordination with stakeholders, and keeping pace with the times.

     Through these training exercises, the PNC hoped to enable the public to understand from another perspective the pivotal role that Police play in preserving life. The PNC also seizes this opportunity to promote positive messages about suicide prevention and encourage citizens, especially the younger generation, to actively seek community support and assistance when facing difficulties.
 

        

     To promote fertility and create a childbearing environment, the Housing Bureau (HB) will adjust the application requirement for Category A tenants of Transitional Housing starting today (December 1). Families with newborns, who have been waiting for traditional public rental housing (PRH) for two years (the general requirement is three years), will be considered as eligible Category A tenants.
 
     Families/persons currently waiting for traditional PRH for less than three years are Category B tenants of Transitional Housing. With effect from today, the PRH waiting time requirement is shortened by one year for families with newborns on or after October 25, 2023, i.e. those who have been waiting for traditional PRH for two years will be eligible for applying Category A tenant; the existing eligibility requirement (i.e. waiting for traditional PRH for three years) for Category A tenant will remain unchanged for other applicant families/persons. The families with newborns are required to submit applications for transitional housing with the baby under one year of age.
 
     For information on the application for transitional housing, please visit www.hb.gov.hk/eng/policy/housing/policy/transitional/tenantapplications.html. For enquiries, please call the Task Force on Transitional Housing under the HB on 3611 8156.
 
     Organisations operating transitional housing should allocate not less than 80 per cent of the units in a project to Category A tenants. Meanwhile, organisations may formulate detailed criteria targeting at specific groups of applicants having regard to their service features and reserve not more than 20 per cent of the units for other categories of applicants (i.e. Category B tenants). The HB anticipated the above measures would help families with newborns in need break away from the difficulties swiftly and have a better quality of life.

     A property owner who failed to comply with a removal order issued under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123) was convicted and fined over $70,000 at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts last week.

     The case involved a five-storey unauthorised village house with an area of about 28 square metres per storey at Sai Pin Wai, Yuen Long. Since the Lands Department would not issue a certificate of exemption for the building, it is not a New Territories Exempted House under the Buildings Ordinance (Application to the New Territories) Ordinance (Cap. 121). As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without the prior approval and consent from the Buildings Department (BD), a removal order was served on the owner under section 24(1) of the BO.

     Failing to comply with the removal order, the owner was prosecuted by the BD and was fined $77,050 upon conviction at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts on November 24.

     A spokesman for the BD said today (December 1), "UBWs may lead to serious consequences. Owners must comply with removal orders without delay. The BD will continue to take enforcement action against owners who have failed to comply with removal orders, including instigation of prosecution, so as to ensure building safety."

     Failure to comply with a removal order without reasonable excuse is a serious offence under the BO. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $200,000 and one year's imprisonment, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.