Public can bring dogs into permitted food premises starting today
Customers are allowed to bring dogs into the first batch of more than 940 permitted food premises starting today (July 9). Members of the public can visit the dedicated webpage of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/licensing/dog_restaurants/index.html) to look up the list of permitted food premises. These food premises must display the "Food Premises Permitted for Dog Entry" signage designated by the FEHD (see annex), at a conspicuous place at the main entrance at all times for identification.
The Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, visited a permitted food premises in the West Kowloon Cultural District this afternoon to observe the implementation of the new measure on the first day, and to exchange views with restaurant operators and customers. Mr Tse said, "The restaurant has made thorough preparations in terms of hygiene facilities and seating arrangements, and we can see customers bringing dogs were co-operative. Everyone was beaming, feeling that this is a remarkable breakthrough." He expects that permitted food premises can demonstrate professionalism and self-discipline to strictly abide by the laws and licensing conditions. As for customers bringing dogs, they are expected to properly control their dogs while enjoying meals and to respect other customers, so as to jointly maintain a comfortable and harmonious dining environment.
The Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology (Food), Ms Irene Young; the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Albert Yuen; and the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene of the Legislative Council, Ms Chan Hoi-yan and Mr Yang Wing-kit, also joined the visit.
A spokesman for the FEHD said, "The new measure offers a quota of 1 000 restaurants in the first phase, and the vetting and approval process has been smooth. As some successful balloting applicants did not complete the procedures to amend their licences, the FEHD is allocating the remaining quotas to waitlisted applicants in the order determined by the earlier ballot results. Information on the newly added food premises will be progressively uploaded to the dedicated webpage after completion of the procedures."
To assist operators of food premises in adapting to the new measure as early as possible, the FEHD has deployed a dedicated team of 90 members to visit each of the permitted food premises, providing the persons-in-charge with detailed explanations on the statutory requirements, licensing conditions and other compliance arrangements. The coming month will serve as an adaptation period for the new measure, during which the dedicated team will step up visits to the permitted food premises to observe the implementation and assist the industry in complying with the regulations. The FEHD has previously released the Guidelines on Good Practices and Behaviour, and the Code of Practice, covering points to note for restaurant operators, customers bringing dogs, and those without dogs, providing references and guidance to all parties.
Public can bring dogs into permitted food premises starting today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Public can bring dogs into permitted food premises starting today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Public can bring dogs into permitted food premises starting today Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Government announces latest progress on Pak Shek Kok Station integrated development project
The Government today (July 9) announced the latest progress on the Pak Shek Kok (PSK) Station integrated development project, and will consult the Tai Po District Council tomorrow (July 10).
The PSK development project encompasses multiple policy objectives. These include building the PSK Station to enhance commuting convenience for residents and the working population at the Science Park, as well as boosting the overall attractiveness of the Science Park; reprovisioning the existing Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) Sports Centre to a site adjacent to EdUHK's main campus to facilitate students' use of it, releasing the development potential of land in the vicinity including the EdUHK Sports Centre site in PSK to be freed up after reprovisioning; and upgrading the infrastructure required for the proposed development in the district.
A Development Bureau (DEVB) spokesman said, "As the project itself involves constructing a station on running tracks, as well as the reprovisioning of the EdUHK Sports Centre and the upgrading of infrastructure, it faces considerable engineering and financing challenges. Following detailed studies with the MTR Corporation Limited (MTRCL), we have finalised the development proposal that will benefit various sectors of the community. This includes not only the building of PSK Station to facilitate commuting convenience for the working population at the Science Park and nearby residents, but also the reprovisioning of the EdUHK Sports Centre to enhance students' learning and campus life experience, which also aligns with the Government's policy to promote Hong Kong as an international higher education hub. We will also finance the relevant integrated development by granting the property development rights for private residential development."
The spokesman continued, "At present, the residential and working population in PSK and the Science Park rely primarily on road transport. As the district becomes increasingly mature, there has been a strong local demand for enhancing the external transport infrastructure of PSK. We will adopt a 'station first, residential development later' approach to take forward the project, with a view to enhancing the attractiveness of the Science Park and improving commuting convenience for the residents as soon as possible through strengthened transport infrastructure."
The proposed PSK Station will be located roughly mid-way between the Science Park and the existing EdUHK Sports Centre site. The selection of the station site aims to facilitate the vast majority of the current and future residential and working populations. The proposed works also include the provision of a barrier-free elevated footbridge spanning across the Tolo Highway to connect the station with Chong San Road (near the Science Park), with a view to strengthening the connectivity between the developments on both sides of the highway.
The Chief Executive in Council has approved the Government to invite the MTRCL to proceed with the detailed planning and design for the PSK Station project, and agreed in principle to grant the property development rights of two sites to the MTRCL to finance the construction of PSK Station, the reprovisioning of the EdUHK Sports Centre, and the construction of relevant infrastructure. The two sites are located at PSK ("Site 1") and Ma On Shan ("Site 2").
The MTRCL will commence the detailed design and relevant assessments for the proposed integrated development, while the Government will continue to scrutinise the technical and financial assessments submitted by the MTRCL to further refine the project arrangements. Among others, the MTRCL will conduct detailed assessments including the traffic impact and will co-ordinate with relevant parties to implement appropriate mitigation measures. According to preliminary estimates by Government departments, the current capacity of the East Rail Line (EAL) is still sufficient to cater for the forecast passenger demand arising from the addition of the PSK Station. The Government and the MTRCL will continue to closely monitor the passenger demand on the EAL, and having regard to community development, population growth in the area, and changes in community planning, review the actual operational situation, as well as passenger distribution patterns and changes in a timely manner. Consideration will be given to the procurement of additional trains to increase train frequencies as necessary to meet the passenger demand and maintain the service levels of the EAL.
Subject to the smooth progress of subsequent works, the construction works for proposed PSK Station are expected to commence in the second half of 2028, with a target for commissioning the station by 2033. Following the resumption and clearance of private land involved at the Tung Tsz site at Ting Kok Road, Tai Po, the reprovisioning works for the EdUHK Sports Centre will commence in the second half of 2028 and is expected to be completed in 2031. To ensure a seamless transition, Site 1 will only be released after the new sports centre is commissioned. The residential developments at Site 1 and Site 2 are expected to commence progressively from 2031 at the earliest.
The paper (Chinese only) to be discussed by the Tai Po District Council tomorrow has been uploaded onto the website of the District Council (www.districtcouncils.gov.hk/tp/doc/2024_2027/tc/committee_meetings_doc/SHDC/32180/SHD_33_2026.pdf), which includes the location plans of the proposed PSK Station and relevant residential sites.
Source: AI-found images
