Press Releases
Proactive cross-departmental efforts to follow up columbarium issue
The Food and Health Bureau has set up a working group in co-ordination with
relevant policy bureaux and departments to study measures for increasing the
supply of columbarium facilities and enhancing protection of the rights of
consumers of private columbaria.
A government spokesman said today (April 15) that the working group hoped to
announce the relevant measures within this quarter of the year.
"We attach great importance to consumers' rights. We will study various
measures to assist the trade to enhance the transparency of information
about private columbaria, such as introducing a listing system for private
columbaria.
"This would allow the public to know more easily whether a columbarium
complies with relevant legislation and requirements which will strengthen
the protection of consumers' rights," the spokesman said.
The spokesman also called on the public to be cautious in purchasing private
niches.
The public are advised to ask the sellers of niches to provide comprehensive
information to ensure that the niches are in compliance with the relevant
legislation and requirements on planning, construction design and building
standards, as well as conditions of the land leases. They should also seek
professional advice where necessary.
Under the existing Town Planning Ordinance, any columbarium facilities must
conform to the requirements of the land use zoning as specified in the
statutory Outline Zoning Plan for the site under concern.
Compliance with the requirements under land lease is also needed for
development and operation of private columbaria. The relevant government
departments will handle the problems, enquiries and complaints relating to
private columbaria in accordance with legislation and administrative
measures under their purview.
The public can call the Planning Department hotline at 2231 5000, or visit
the website of the Town Planning Board (www.ozp.tpb.gov.hk),
to check if a private columbarium is in compliance with the Town Planning
Ordinance. Copies of the land lease can be obtained from the Land Registry.
The spokesman said the Government would implement every feasible measure to
increase the supply of public columbarium niches.
"Apart from studying further on the provision of additional niches in
existing cemeteries, we will actively identify suitable locations for the
development of these facilities in different areas in Hong Kong (including
urban area), such as by construction of new/conversion of existing buildings
into multi-storey columbarium blocks.
"Circumstances permitting, we will augment through flexible design the
supply of niches in columbarium facilities by increasing the number of
storeys of columbarium blocks as well as the number of tiers of niches.
"We will actively seek to improve the outlook and layout of future
columbaria by the provision of landscaping facilities in order to ease the
concern and anxiety of the residents.
"But the support from the Legislative Council, District Councils and local
communities are essential to the construction of columbaria. We hope the
community will support the idea of collective responsibility and allow
columbarium facilities to be developed in each district," the spokesman
said.
To meet the overall needs of the public, the spokesman added that the
Government would continue to proactively formulate a series of short, medium
and long-term measures to plan the development of columbarium facilities
more effectively.
Ends/Thursday, April 15, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:01
NNNN