Tseung Kwan O Outline Zoning Plan Amendments Announced for New Residential Developments and Public Facilities

Approved Tseung Kwan O Outline Zoning Plan amended

The Town Planning Board today (February 14) announced amendments to the approved Tseung Kwan O Outline Zoning Plan (OZP).

The amendments are mainly to take forward the proposed developments at Tseung Kwan O Areas 137 and 132 for a new community primarily for residential purposes and accommodation of public facilities serving the region, which marine frontage is required for their operation respectively, and to reflect the proposed reclamation boundary and the existing boundary of Clear Water Bay Country Park. The amendments mainly involve (i) incorporation of two sea areas in Fat Tong O into the planning scheme area, zoning the areas and/or rezoning the adjoining land from "Other Specified Uses" ("OU") annotated "Deep Waterfront Industry" ("OU(DWI)") and/or "OU" annotated "Desalination Plant" to "Residential (Group A) 9", "Residential (Group A) 10", "Residential (Group A) 11", "Residential (Group A) 12", "OU” annotated "Commercial/Residential Development with Public Transport Interchange (1)", "Government, Institution or Community (10)" ("G/IC(10)"), "Open Space", "OU" annotated "Effluent Polishing Plant", "OU" annotated "Green Fuel Station", "Green Belt" ("GB") and an area shown as 'Road'; (ii) rezoning of a site in Fat Tong Chau from "GB" and "OU(DWI)" to "G/IC(10)"; (iii) incorporation of a site occupied by a pier near Tit Cham Chau into the planning scheme area, zoning the site and rezoning the adjoining land from "OU(DWI)" to "OU" annotated "Pier"; (iv) incorporation of a sea area in Chiu Keng Wan into the planning scheme area, zoning the area and/or rezoning the adjoining land from "GB" to "OU" annotated "Electricity Facilities", "OU" annotated "Construction Waste Handling Facility and Public Fill Transfer Facility", "OU" annotated "Refuse Transfer Station", "OU" annotated "Concrete Batching Plant", "G/IC(10)", "G/IC", and an area shown as 'Road'; (v) incorporation of four sites near Chiu Keng Wan into the planning scheme area and zoning the sites to "GB"; and (vi) excision of five sites within "OU(DWI)" zone from the planning scheme area.

The Notes and Explanatory Statement of the OZP are amended to take into account the above amendments. Opportunity is also taken to update the general information of various land use zones and the planning scheme area, where appropriate.

The draft Tseung Kwan O OZP No. S/TKO/31, 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 Sai Kung and Islands District Planning Office, (iv) the Sai Kung District Office, and (v) the Hang Hau Rural Committee.

Any person may make written representations in respect of the amendments to the Secretary of the Town Planning Board on or before April 14. 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 Tseung Kwan O OZP are available for sale at the Map Publications Centre in North Point. The electronic version of the OZP can be viewed on the Town Planning Board's website (www.tpb.gov.hk).

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving incoming passengers at airport

Hong Kong Customs on June 17 and yesterday (June 18) detected two drug trafficking cases involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport, and seized a total of about 42 kilograms of suspected ketamine with a total estimated market value of about $16 million. Two men were arrested.

In the first case, a 50-year-old Japanese male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on June 17. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 16kg of suspected ketamine inside his check-in suitcase and 137 sticks of duty-not-paid cigarettes inside his carry-on baggage. The man was subsequently arrested.

In the second case, a 50-year-old British male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from London, the United Kingdom, yesterday. During customs clearance, Customs officers found about 26kg of suspected ketamine inside his two check-in suitcases. He was subsequently arrested.

The arrested man in the first case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug, one count of possession of dutiable goods and one count of failing to declare to a member of the Customs and Excise Service. The arrested man in the second case has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. Both cases will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (June 20).

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO), cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving incoming passengers at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving incoming passengers at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving incoming passengers at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Customs detects two drug trafficking cases involving incoming passengers at airport Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases