Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ3: Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market
Following is a question by the Hon Vincent Fong and a reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (July 12):
Question:
The Government has indicated that it will implement central slaughtering of live
poultry in 2009. By then, the existing live poultry wholesale market will lose
its original functions. In this connection, will the Government inform this
Council:
(a) of the use of the present site of the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale
Poultry Market after the stoppage of the wholesale of live poultry, and whether
it will conduct any consultation on the use of the resumed land; and
(b) whether it will consider giving preference to using the site as a wholesale
market of other foods, such as fresh fruit; if not, whether the site will be
converted for residential use, like the areas in the vicinity?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) In view of the recent emergence of avian influenza cases around the world
and with the outbreak no longer confined to winter, there is an increasing risk
of human infection of avian influenza. Therefore, we need to formulate long-term
measures to prevent outbreak of avian influenza. Past experience has shown that
humans were infected with avian influenza virus mainly through contact with live
poultry or their faeces. Therefore, it has always been our long-term policy
objective to achieve "human-poultry segregation".
To accomplish this policy objective, we have proposed to develop a poultry
slaughtering plant in Sheung Shui and consulted the Legislative Council Panel on
Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene, North District Council, the New
Territories Heung Yee Kuk and the live poultry trade about the proposal. We are
now carefully studying the views collected and will continue to liaise closely
with the organisations or parties concerned in the planning process.
As the project involves massive preparation work, we expect that the plant will
only commence operation in 2009 at the earliest. When the plant comes on line,
all live poultry retail activities will be banned. Given that all live poultry
from local or Mainland farms will be transported directly to the poultry
slaughtering plant, there will not be any live poultry wholesale activities in
the plant in order to enhance effective management. Therefore, wholesale market
would no longer constitute a part in the poultry supply chain in future.
As there is still a long time before the poultry slaughtering plant would
commence operation, we have not yet drawn up any plan on the future use of the
present site of the Cheung Sha Wan Temporary Wholesale Poultry Market (CSWTWPM).
The CSWTWPM is located on both sides of Hing Wah Street. (See Annex). The part
on the northwestern side of Hing Wah Street has already been zoned for long term
development as "Open Space" and "Government, Institution or Community" in draft
Cheung Sha Wan Outline Zoning Plan (draft OZP) in 1998 while the part on the
southeast side of Hing Wah Street is designated as "Residential (Group A)". If
the future development of the site involves amendment to the draft OZP, the
department concerned would consult the public under the Town Planning Ordinance.
(b) According to the usual procedures, the public works department involved
would undertake feasibility study, including environmental impact and traffic
impact assessments, to ascertain whether the site is suitable for a particular
public works project. Our experience shows that the operation of a wholesale
food market would generate considerable noise and additional traffic in the
neighbourhood. As such, any new fresh food wholesale facilities should be
located away from densely populated area. As such, the present site of the
CSWTWPM is not an ideal location for the development of a new wholesale food
market, given the development of residential buildings in a nearby site.
There is no concrete plan for the site at present. As noted in the part (a) of
the substantive reply, part of the present site of the CSWTWPM has already been
zoned for residential development.
Ends/Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Issued at HKT 14:15
NNNN
Annex to LCQ3