â€‹The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) is investigating the suspension incident of the Hong Kong Observation Wheel happened today (December 5).
      
     An EMSD spokesman said, "Upon notification of the suspension incident of the Hong Kong Observation Wheel at 5.26pm today, EMSD officers immediately conducted an on-site investigation. The preliminary findings revealed that the failure of the backup system of the observation wheel has triggered the safety system to suspend the observation wheel. The operator followed the operation procedures to restart the observation wheel and release the passengers. All passengers were safely evacuated at 5.48pm, and no passengers were injured in the incident."
      
     For safety's sake, the EMSD has requested the Hong Kong Observation Wheel to conduct a detailed inspection and reopen it only after confirming safety by the competent person of the amusement ride. The Hong Kong Observation Wheel is required to submit a report on the incident. The EMSD will continue closely monitoring the operation of the Hong Kong Observation Wheel.

     Leading a business delegation to visit Urumqi, Xinjiang, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau, met with the Secretary of the CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Regional Committee, Mr Ma Xingrui; the Chairman of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Mr Erkin Tuniyaz; and Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Mr Serik Zhumangarin today (December 5) to exchange views on promoting economic and trade co-operation among the three places, with a view to jointly exploring the full range of opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative.
 
     Mr Yau noted that Kazakhstan is a hub connecting Europe and Asia, while Xinjiang serves as a key link for the Silk Road on land, whereas Hong Kong is the premier gateway to the Mainland market. By strengthening exchanges and co-operation, the three places will be able to achieve complementarity for greater benefits, contributing to the prosperity of the Belt and Road regions.
 
     Mr Yau said that over the past decade, trade value between Hong Kong and Belt and Road economies other than Mainland China has increased by nearly 60 per cent, demonstrating that the Belt and Road Initiative has been creating more opportunities for Hong Kong and has become a new driving force for Hong Kong's economic growth.
 
     He added that Hong Kong is ranked as the world's freest economy and serves as the country's gateway to the world and the functional platform for the Belt and Road Initiative. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government will continue to support enterprises and professional services in exploring global markets and business opportunities along the Belt and Road, as well as assist Belt and Road countries and regions to enhance professional capacities and promote people-to-people bonds.
 
     Mr Yau also held bilateral meetings with Mr Tuniyaz and Mr Zhumangarin respectively to exchange views on issues of mutual concern.
 
     The Commissioner for Belt and Road, Mr Nicholas Ho, and other members of the delegation attended a co-operation and exchange forum between China (Xinjiang, Hong Kong) and Kazakhstan today to promote Hong Kong's advantages and participated in sharing sessions focusing on various areas including cultural exchanges, energy industries, digital economy, commerce and logistics and finance, with a view to promoting economic and trade co-operation and people-to-people exchanges among the three places.
 
     After his arrival yesterday (December 4), Mr Yau visited the exhibition centre of textile and geographical indication products of Urumqi, Xinjiang, to learn about the development of local specialty products. He then had dinner with representatives of Hong Kong enterprises in Xinjiang to keep abreast of their business operations and the latest economic developments in the region.
 
     Mr Yau will lead the delegation to visit local enterprises tomorrow (December 6) to gain an understanding of the development of the related industries before returning to Hong Kong.

          

     The Government will gazette the Protection of the Harbour (Amendment) Bill 2024 (the Bill) tomorrow (December 6). By amending the existing legislation, the Bill seeks to, on the one hand, set out a clearer mechanism to regulate reclamations in the Victoria Harbour (the Harbour), in particular large-scale reclamations, for protecting the Harbour, and on the other hand, streamline the mechanism for small-scale reclamations which improve the Victoria Harbour to facilitate and promote harbourfront enhancement for public enjoyment and to strengthen harbour functions. The streamlined mechanism will also be applicable to non-permanent reclamations in the Harbour.
      
     A spokesperson for the Development Bureau (DEVB) said, "The existing Protection of the Harbour Ordinance (PHO) prescribes the 'presumption against reclamation' in the Victoria Harbour (the Presumption) but does not stipulate any specific mechanism to ascertain whether a proposal can fulfill the 'overriding public need' to rebut the Presumption. Moreover, at present, the Presumption covers all harbour reclamations across the board, which is not conducive to reclamations for the purpose of improving the Harbour. As promenades on both sides of the Victoria Harbour are taking shape, and the community has aspired for better facilities and experiences along the harbourfront. Amending the PHO will help meet such aspiration."
      
     The Government has earlier reaffirmed that there is no plan to initiate large-scale reclamation in the Victoria Harbour to form land for housing, commercial or industrial developments. Amendments in the Bill are proposed along two main directions, namely (1) small-scale reclamations proposed to be carried out in the Harbour for the purpose of harbourfront enhancement or harbour non-permanent reclamations meeting certain criteria may be handled according to streamlined procedures involving the granting of exemption from the Presumption by the Financial Secretary for such reclamations; and (2) other than the aforesaid harbour reclamations exempt from the Presumption, to enhance certainty and transparency, all harbour reclamations will continue to be subject to the existing stringent Presumption and will be required to go through the statutory procedures stipulated in the amended legislation, to ascertain whether the "overriding public need" test is fulfilled for rebutting the Presumption.
      
     In respect of small-scale reclamations involved in improving the Victoria Harbour, only harbour reclamations as specified in the schedule of the Bill may be exempt from the Presumption, for example, for the construction of piers, viewing decks, breakwaters, etc., where the total area of the harbour occupied or covered by the structure, feature or device so constructed does not exceed 0.8 hectare.
      
     In respect of harbour non-permanent reclamations, the reclamations may be exempt from the Presumption if area of land formed in the Victoria Harbour does not exceed three hectares at any time during the works and the expected duration of the works does not exceed seven years. 
      
     According to the Bill, the Financial Secretary, in considering the granting of exemptions for the above two types of reclamations, must be satisfied that the relevant reclamation is in the public interest, including the public benefits that can be brought and the limited impact on the Harbour.
      
     As regards the harbour reclamations not exempt from the Presumption, including large-scale reclamations, they are still subject to the stringent Presumption. To rebut the Presumption, it is necessary to undergo the statutory procedures in the Bill to determine whether the "overriding public need" test is met in rebutting the Presumption. To this end, the Bill incorporates the three considerations set out in earlier court judgment for rebutting the Presumption, which are (i) there is an overriding public need for the harbour reclamation that is not exempt from the Presumption and the need is compelling and present; (ii) there is no reasonable alternative to the reclamation; and (iii) the extent of the reclamation does not go beyond the minimum of that which is required by the overriding public need. Under the formalised mechanism proposed in the Bill, the project proponent is required to prepare a report to set out the assessment on whether the reclamation fulfills the "overriding public need", and the report must be published for public comments for a period of 60 days.  The project proponent is required to submit the report and the comments received to the Chief Executive in Council within a specified period for determination on whether the Presumption is rebutted.
      
     The DEVB consulted the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Development and Harbourfront Commission (HC) twice in March last year and June this year, and conducted a five-month public engagement exercise last year. During the public engagement period, various stakeholders, including professional bodies, water-based activities organisations, fishermen's organisations, users with operations in the harbour, District Councils, local representatives and members of the general public were engaged. The proposals met with cross-party support from the LegCo to a large extent and most HC members were supportive. The public was also generally supportive of the proposed legislative framework. 
      
     The spokesperson continued, "The proposed amendments would provide greater flexibility in taking forward small-scale reclamations involved in improving the Victoria Harbour. The Government will fully support the LegCo's examination of the Bill, with the hope that the Bill could be passed and implemented as soon as possible, thereby enabling the Government to take forward some long-awaited harbour enhancement works and bringing the public a better harbourfront experience."
      
     The Bill will be introduced into the LegCo for first reading on December 11. For details, please refer to the LegCo Brief issued today.

     â€‹Following are the remarks by the newly appointed Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, at a media session today (December 5):

Reporter: First of all, what are your job priorities in your tenure of two and a half years? And also, what are the most critical areas of work for which you want to see improvements in the Bureau? Given that you had no previous experience in the Bureau, how do you plan to use your strengths to serve the general public? Thank you.

Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism: There are several important areas in the portfolio of culture, sports and tourism. First of all, of course, in the National Fourteenth Five-Year Plan, it is clearly stated that Hong Kong is supported to develop into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange. This will allow Hong Kong to fully leverage its strength in international creativity and experiences in external exchanges under the "one country, two systems". This is obviously an important priority. Hong Kong has distinctive advantages in enjoying the strong support of the Motherland while being closely connected to the world. With the strong support from the Central Government, we must leave no stones unturned in achieving this important goal. 

     On sports, obviously the most important thing is the opening of the Kai Tak Sports Park. And with this, the successful organisation of the 15th National Games. We will have to work very closely with Guangdong Province and Macao SAR (Special Administrative Region). This will allow athletes to shine, Hong Kong people to strengthen their national identity, and for visitors to have a great time in Hong Kong.

     For tourism, I am most grateful to the Central Government for the recently announced supporting measures for Hong Kong, including the new pair of adorable new pandas, and the resumption of the multiple entry policy for Shenzhen residents. Opportunities are everywhere. And so my priority would be to learn the latest development of my Bureau's work, and then to meet old friends, make new friends. Have candid, useful, constructive discussions with all stakeholders, with a view of bringing culture, sports, and tourism to new heights.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the remarks.)

  

     The Water Supplies Department (WSD) is holding the Water Save Carnival from today (December 5) until December 15 at the HarbourChill in Wan Chai. Under the theme "Save Water Today for a Sustainable Future", the carnival aims to encourage members of the public to save water and work together to create a sustainable future without water shortages.
      
     In her opening speech, the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said that the country has been providing Dongjiang water to Hong Kong since the 1960s to resolve Hong Kong's water shortage and ensure the prosperity and stability of the city. Earlier this year, the Pearl River Delta Water Resources Allocation project was commissioned to divert water from the Xijiang River, enabling dual sources of water supply from the Dongjiang River and Xijiang River, and further safeguarding the security of Hong Kong's water supply. To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Dongjiang's water supply to Hong Kong next year, the Development Bureau (DEVB) and the WSD will hold a series of events to deepen the public's understanding of the history of Dongjiang's water supply and the country's support provided to Hong Kong to overcome water supply challenges.
      
     Ms Linn added that the DEVB and the WSD are implementing the Total Water Management Strategy with an emphasis on containing the growth of water demand and exploiting new water resources. The WSD will strengthen water conservation through public education, adding that the Water Intelligent Network will be enhanced to reduce water mains leakages. Also, the WSD will exploit new water resources by developing desalination and expanding the use of lower-grade water.
      
     Delivering his welcoming remarks, the Director of Water Supplies, Mr Roger Wong, said everyone needs to face water shortages. Hong Kong's average daily water consumption per person rose to 150 litres during the pandemic. The consumption is 50 per cent higher than that recommended by the World Health Organization (i.e. 50 to 100 litres). As such, the WSD continues to promote water conservation through different publicity events with a view to appeal to the community to work together to save water.
      
     The opening ceremony featured celebrities participating in interactive games with the mascot, Water Save Dave. They shared valuable tips on everyday water-saving practices with the audience and sang the theme song "Droplet is Love" alongside the Droplet Boy Band to promote cherishing water resources.
      
     Other officiating guests attending the event today included Legislative Council members, Mr Lau Kwok-fan and Mr Chu Kwok-keung; the Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Water Supplies, Professor Joseph Kwan; the Chairman of the Hong Kong Aided Primary School Heads Association, Ms Kathy Chung; and the Chairman's Representative of the Subsidised Primary School Council Mr Ma Chung-tsun.
      
     The carnival features a variety of activities, including water conservation workshops, interactive games, and Water Save Dave meet-and-greet sessions, etc. A giant crystal droplet is set up on-site, allowing the public to step inside for photos. All activities at the carnival are free of charge. Some of the activities require pre-registration. Members of the public are welcome to join. Details are available on the thematic webpage.