The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
 
     The Research Grants Council (RGC) will organise a series of public lectures from October 2023 to January 2024, covering areas including culture, health, technology and innovation. The first lecture titled "Hong Kong Success Stories – Cantopop and Fashion" will be held at the Hong Kong Central Library on October 29 (Sunday). All are welcome.
 
     The RGC has invited Professor of the School of Chinese of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Chu Yiu-wai, and Professor and Head of the Department of Public and International Affairs of City University of Hong Kong, Professor Ho Tat-kei, to tell the stories of Hong Kong through Cantopop and fashion development respectively. Details are as follows:
 
Time: 10.30am – 12.30pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre, G/F, Hong Kong Central Library
Language: Cantonese
Admission: Free (seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis)
 
     Members of the public can also watch a live broadcast of the lecture through the YouTube Channel of the Hong Kong Public Libraries (www.youtube.com/channel/UCJUipdvSACZjO1ldoO3YQBA).
 
First session: Sing Good Stories of Hong Kong: Cantopop in the 1980s as an Example
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     Using classic Cantopop as an example, Professor Chu Yiu-wai will illustrate how the superstars in the 1980s sang the good stories of Hong Kong, led the global trend of Chinese pop culture and enabled Hong Kong to shine in Asia and the world.
 
Second session: Fashion 2047 – From Sham Shui Po to the World    
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      Professor Ho Tat-kei will lead the public to review the history of Hong Kong's fashion and textile industries and discuss their development prospects. In the 1970s and 1980s, the fashion and textile industries in Sham Shui Po thrived. Despite the sector's gradual decline from its peak, the emergence of new technological development and talent in recent years, as well as the growing emphasis on sustainability and circular economy around the world, has brought opportunities for textile enterprises and fashion designers.  
 
     The RGC has been regularly organising public lectures since 2009, featuring various distinguished scholars as speakers. These lectures aim to promote research knowledge of Hong Kong's tertiary institutions and to raise public awareness of the significance and values of local research work.
 
     For enquiries, please call 2524 3987 or visit the University Grants Committee webpage (www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/about/events/lectures/lectures.html). In addition, members of the public can register for the RGC's email subscription service at www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/rgc/about/subscribe to receive regular updates.

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (October 20) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (see Note 2).
      
     Twenty-four beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 15 as Fair (Grade 2), and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

 
Grade 3 beach is:

 
     Compared with the grading released last week, Lower Cheung Sha Beach and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Anglers' Beach and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2.
      
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), 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.
 
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, an EPD 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 tropical cyclone or heavy rainfall.
      
     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 EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
      
     In line with the vision to develop Hong Kong into a smart city, the EPD launched the Beach Water Quality Forecast System on August 15 to provide daily water quality forecasts for all gazetted beaches in Hong Kong that are open for swimming, to supplement the existing beach water quality monitoring programme and further enhance services to the public (see Note 3). From now on, members of the public can obtain the latest daily water quality forecast information for all beaches through the Beach Water Quality Forecast mobile application (available for download from: www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQApp) or the dedicated beach water quality forecast page (www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQForecast) on the EPD's beach thematic website.
 
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 26 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from September 28. Stanley Main Beach is temporarily closed for clearance and urgent repair works. For details, please refer to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department's Special Announcement (www.lcsd.gov.hk/en/beach/index.html).
 
Note 2: This refers to the non-gazetted beach in Discovery Bay which has no lifeguard service.
 
Note 3: The EPD launched the Beach Water Quality Forecast System on August 15, 2023. For the press release, please visit www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202308/15/P2023081400345.htm.

     The Town Planning Board today (October 20) announced amendments to the approved Kwun Tong (South) Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

     The amendments mainly involve (i) rezoning a site to the west of Lai Yip Street from "Government, Institution or Community (1)" ("G/IC(1)"), "Open Space" ("O") and areas shown as 'Road' to "Commercial (1)" ("C(1)") for commercial development; (ii) rezoning a strip of land to the north of Hoi Bun Road from "G/IC(1)" and "C(1)" to an area shown as 'Road'; (iii) rezoning a site to the south of How Ming Street from "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Business 1" to "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Business" to reflect the completed development; (iv) incorporating the area covered by the approved Urban Renewal Authority Kwun Tong Town Centre – Yuet Wa Street Site Development Scheme Plan No. S/K14S/URA2/2 into the OZP and zoning the area mainly as "Residential (Group B)1" and a strip of land shown as 'Road'; and (v) rezoning a strip of land along Hang On Street from "O" to "G/IC" to reflect the completed development.

     Opportunity is also taken to amend the Notes and Explanatory Statement of the OZP to reflect the above amendments and to update the general information of various land use zonings and the planning scheme area, where appropriate.

     The draft Kwun Tong (South) OZP No. S/K14S/25, incorporating the amendments, is available for public inspection during office hours at (i) the Secretariat of the Town Planning Board, (ii) the Planning Enquiry Counters, (iii) the Kowloon District Planning Office and (iv) the Kwun Tong District Office.

     Any person may make written representations in respect of the amendments to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before December 20. Any person who intends to make a representation is advised to read the Town Planning Board Guidelines No. 29C on "Submission and Processing of Representations and Further Representations" (TPB PG-No. 29C).

     Submission of a representation should comply with the requirements set out in TPB PG-No. 29C. In particular, the representer should take note of the following:
 
* If the representer fails to provide his or her full name and the first four alphanumeric characters of his or her Hong Kong identity card or passport number as required under TPB PG-No. 29C, the representation submitted shall be treated as not having been made; and
* The Secretariat of the Town Planning Board reserves the right to require the representer to provide identity proof for verification.
 
     The Guidelines and the submission form are available at the above locations (i) and (ii) and the Town Planning Board's website (www.tpb.gov.hk).

     Copies of the draft Kwun Tong (South) OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centres in North Point and Yau Ma Tei. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the Town Planning Board's website (www.tpb.gov.hk).

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by Banque Pictet & Cie SA relating to phishing instant messages, which have been reported to the HKMA. A hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website.

     The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks' websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).

     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the instant messages concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

     The new intelligent sports and recreation services booking and information system, SmartPLAY, will be officially launched at 7am on November 9. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) announced today (October 20) that a promotional activity with prizes will be held to encourage members of the pubic to register as users as soon as possible and exercise more. All users who have successfully registered as SmartPLAY users by November 5 and have completed authentication (including the 210 000 registered SmartPLAY users) are automatically entitled to enter the lucky draw with an opportunity to win prizes.

     Three grand prize winners will be drawn from the eligible SmartPLAY users. Each grand prize winner will be presented with a latest model of smartphone (Apple iPhone 15 Pro, Samsung Z Flip 5 or Huawei P60 Pro). Moreover, 30 consolation prizes will be offered. The prizes include smart health devices such as sports massage guns, smart body scales, etc. 

     Prize winners will be drawn randomly by computer on November 13 under the supervision of a registered accounting firm. A list of prize winners will be published on the SmartPLAY website (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk) and the LCSD's social media pages LCSD Plusss as well as in Sing Tao Daily and the Standard for public information on November 20. Prize winners will be individually informed. Details of the promotional activity can be found on the website: smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk/website/en/news/10015.html.

     The LCSD reminds the public that starting from November 9, all people, including existing Leisure Link patrons, must register with the new system and complete an identity authentication process before using the new system to enrol in programmes and book leisure facilities.

     The LCSD has provided 375 new Smart Self-service Stations at around 240 leisure venues (including District Leisure Services Offices in various districts). Members of the public can submit their registration details and complete identity authentication and account activation procedures at these Smart Self-service Stations. A dedicated website (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk) and a mobile app (My SmartPLAY) are also provided for user registration. If users complete their registration through "iAM Smart", they can have their SmartPLAY accounts instantly activated.

     To assist members of the public to complete the registration of SmartPLAY user accounts and to familiarise themselves with the booking of facilities and enrolment of programmes under the new system, a series of SmartPLAY Smart Way Workshops (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk/website/en/news/9984.html) organised by the LCSD are now open for application, including some workshops dedicated to citizens aged 60 or above. Members of the public are welcome to join the workshops for free. Those interested are invited to check out the details on the above website. 

     For more information on SmartPLAY, please visit the SmartPLAY website (www.smartplay.lcsd.gov.hk), or call the SmartPLAY hotline at 3954 5150.