Plan
on Provision of Buffer Zones
for
Tung Chung New Town Extension (West)
(EP
No. EP-519/2016)
January
2022
1.
Project Description
The development of Tung Chung New Town
Extension (TCNTE), comprising Tung Chung East (TCE) and Tung Chung West (TCW),
is a mega-scale and complex project aiming to provide land to meet the future
housing economic and social development needs of Hong Kong. Due to the fact
that the proposed works are geographically separated, the implementation of
mega-scale Project is divided into two packages, namely TCE and TCW
respectively. In accordance with the tight delivery programme, the Project will
be implemented in phases under separate contracts for the developments of TCE
and TCW.
2. Scope
of Works for Tung Chung New Town Extension
The Tung Chung New Town Extension
project (the Project) comprises the following elements:
(i)
reclamation of the seabed by a
non-dredged method at TCE to form a total of about 130 hectares of land;
(ii)
construction of about 4.9 kilometers
of seawalls, with an eco-shoreline, three drainage box culvert outfalls, three
circulation drains and a seawater intake at TCE;
(iii)
provision of infrastructure for Tung
Chung Area 58, including construction of a single two-lane road with a footpath
and the associated utility works;
(iv)
site formation works at TCW;
(v)
construction of the River Park
including a visitor centre at TCW;
(vi)
construction of proposed open space;
(vii)
construction of sustainable urban
drainage systems at TCW;
(viii)
construction of roads, footpaths,
cycle tracks and the associated junction / road improvement works;
(ix)
engineering infrastructure works
covering drainage, sewerage, waterworks (including a fresh water service
reservoir, a salt water service reservoir and a salt water pumping station),
common utility tunnels and landscaping works; and
(x)
implementation of environmental
mitigation measures and environmental monitoring and audit programme for the
works.
3. Implementation
Programme
The Contract No NL/2020/05 – Tung
Chung New Town Extension – Site Formation and Infrastructure Works at Ma Wan
Chung (i.e. Contract 5) at TCW has been awarded in May 2021 and is scheduled
for completion in 2025. The main contractor for Contract No. NL/2020/05 is
Build King – Richwell Civil Joint Venture (BKRCJV).
The Contract No NL/2020/06 – Tung
Chung New Town Extension – Site Formation and Infrastructure Works at Tung
Chung Valley, Phase 1 (i.e. Contract 6) at TCW has been awarded in May 2021 and
is scheduled for completion in 2025. The main contractor for Contract No.
NL/2020/06 is China Railway Group Limited (CREC).
The detailed design for the first
phase of site formation and infrastructure works at TCE and TCW (First Phase
development) has been completed, while the detailed design for the remaining
phase of site formation and infrastructures works is in progress.
4. Submission
under EP
In view that only Contract 6 has
construction works within the Tung Chung Stream courses, this submission is
prepared based on the latest information of Contract 6 according to the
relevant requirements contained in the EM&A Manual, EIA Report and EP.
Please find the enclosed Plan on Provision of Buffer Zones below.
2
Objectives of Provision of Buffer Zones
4
Proposed Methodology for Provision of Buffer Zones
Appendices
Annexes
Annex 1 Layout and Section of
Existing Carpark and Proposed U-channel at Mok Ka
1.1.1
China Railway Group Ltd. (known as
CREC) was commissioned by the Civil Engineering and Development Department
(CEDD) of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on
31 May 2021 as the contractor to provide construction works for the site
formation and infrastructure works at Tung Chung Valley, Phase 1 (Contract
NL/2020/06).
1.2.1
In mid-1996, the
Government completed the Territorial Development Strategy Review (TDSR) which
identified housing shortfall in the medium to long term. The TDSR also
identified the North Lantau New Town (NLNT) as a strategic growth area, among
other areas to meet the territorial housing demand, with a revised population
target of 320,000 by 2011.
1.2.2
In
2004, the Administration formulated a concept plan for planning initiatives on
Lantau (Concept Plan). The Concept Plan was then revised in mid-2007 taking
into account comments collected from the public consultation (Revised Concept
Plan). Under the Revised Concept
Plan, Tung Chung is to remain a comprehensively planned new town for a
population of 220,000 with adequate community facilities and regional
facilities to serve the whole of Lantau.
1.2.3 The CEDD and the Planning
Department (PlanD) jointly commissioned Agreement No. CE 32/2011(CE) - Planning
and Engineering Study on the Remaining Development in Tung Chung (P&E
Study) in 2012. The P&E Study aims at identifying development potentials
and
opportunities to extend Tung Chung into a distinct community to meet housing,
social, economic, environmental and local needs. Under the P&E Study,
various planning, engineering and environmental studies were carried out to
formulate a development scheme to extend existing Tung Chung to Tung Chung East
(TCE) and Tung Chung West (TCW).
1.2.4
The P&E Study
adopted a three-stage Public Engagement (PE) programme to facilitate public
discussions and foster consensus building. Taking into account the public views
and the planning and technical assessments, the Recommended Outline Development
Plans (RODPs) for TCE and TCW were finalized under the P&E Study and were
endorsed in January 2015. The planned new population of TCE and TCW under the
RODPs would be around 120,000 and 25,000 respectively. With the new population in
TCE and TCW, the total planned population in Tung Chung will reach about
270,000 upon full development.
1.2.5
The development theme
of Tung Chung New Town Extension (TCNTE) will pursue a sustainable and balanced
approach while taking account of its strategic location and the synergy effect
to make Tung Chung a regional commercial hub for retail and office
developments. The TCNTE development, comprising TCE and TCW, will provide about
49,600 flats for an additional population of 145,500 and about 877,000m2
gross floor area (GFA) for commercial uses. The housing mix for public housing
and private housing is of a ratio of 65:35 approximately.
1.2.6
The
scope of works for Contract No. NL/2020/06 includes site formation and
engineering infrastructure works for the development of TCW and engineering
infrastructure improvement works for the commercial development at Tung Chung
Area 6. The scope of the Project comprises the following principal works
components:
(a) Construction of Road L29 and L30;;
(b) Road Improvement of Chung Mun Road
and Shek Mun Kap Road;
(c) Site formation works for Areas 42
and 46 for public housing development;
(d) Construction of Common Utility
Tunnel (CUT);
(e) Sustainable Urban Drainage System
(SUDS) and provision of roadside biowales, attenuation & treatment ponds;
(f)
Construction of River
Park and river revitalization works;
(g) Environmental impact mitigation measures
including woodland compensation; and
(h) Ancillary works including
associated civil, geotechnical, structural, electrical and mechanical
engineering and landscaping works.
1.3.1
According to Clause
2.18 of the EP-519/2016, "The Permit Holder shall, no later than 3 months
before the commencement of construction works at Tung Chung Valley, submit a
Plan on provision of buffer zones, in the form of either "Conservation Area"
zone, "Coastal Protection Area" zone, "Other Specified Uses" zone or other
appropriate zonings alongside the eastern and western branches as well as the
major tributary of the Tung Chung Stream for its protection, to the Director
for approval. The buffer zones shall, as far as practicable, be no less than 30
metres in width on either side of the Stream.".
1.3.2
This Plan on Provision
of Buffer Zones discusses the methodology and implementation for buffer zones
alongside the eastern and western branches as well as the major tributary of
the Tung Chung Stream for its protection.
2.1.1
According
to approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for Tung Chung New
Town Extension (AEIAR-196/2016), Tung Chung Stream is well-known of its high
ecological value and is recommended to be preserved as intact as
possible. Any works within the stream courses such as excavation works
for river training may lead to significant impact to its existing conditions
and ecology. It is therefore a 30m as far as practicable buffer zone from the
stream against any development and impact to the stream is proposed.
2.1.2
According
to the RODP, buffer zone will be provided for the natural sections of the Tung
Chung Stream main branches and the major tributary. The buffer zone aims to
minimize trespassing to the habitat and plants of conservation importance close
to the site boundary
and reduce the potential impact of human disturbance to the stream and
associated fauna during operation phase.
3
Habitat of Buffer Zones
3.1.1 Habitat types
identified within the buffer zone included secondary woodland, fung shui wood,
plantation, shrubland/grassland, agricultural lands (dry active, orchard, dry
abandoned, and wet abandoned), urbanized/ disturbed/wasteland and watercourse.
These habitats
supported a number of flora and fauna of conservation importance.
3.1.2 Fung
shui woods were mainly found behind the villages of Shek Mun Kap, Sheung Ling
Pei, Mok Ka, Ngau Au-Tung Hing, Nam Che and Shek Lau Po. During field surveys
it was found that only fung shui wood at Sheung Ling Pei remained fairly intact
probably due to its
location which is less accessible. Other fung shui wood (e.g. Shek Mun Kap, Mok
Ka) had more or less been cut back for village house construction and farming.
3.1.3
Plantation was mainly
found on engineered slopes along Shun Tung Road, North Lantau Highway, Yu Tung
Court and along Tung Chung Road north of Shek Mun Kap Road.
3.1.4
Shrubland-grassland
was the dominant habitat on hillsides of the Assessment Area. It was subject to
frequent fire. Ravines in shrubland-grassland and woodland habitat are also
subject to frequent vegetation clearance probably for mosquito control.
3.1.5
Agricultural
lands (active and abandoned) included dry vegetable farms, community/organic
farms and orchards. A variety of crops including vegetables, fruit trees and
flowers were cultivated. Most orchards were densely planted with fruit trees
including longan, litchi and
wongpei and appeared to be managed (e.g. clearance of understorey vegetation).
The dry abandoned agricultural land consisted of remnants of crops and were
also colonised by common weeds and herbs, no plant species of conservation
importance was recorded in this habitat.
4
Proposed Methodology for Provision of
Buffer Zones
4.1.1
As recommended in the
EIA report (AEIAR-196/2016), buffer zones of the Tung Chung Stream shall be set
to minimize trespassing to the habitat and plants of conservation importance
close to the site boundary. All natural sections of Tung Chung Stream
(including the two main branches and the joined outlet section) and one major
tributary at Ngau Au will be provided with buffer zones (30m buffer zones for
the natural sections in eastern and western branches and 20m buffer zones for
the major tributary at Ngau Au), except where overlapped with the road
crossings of local distributors.
The widths of buffer zones are in general
30m, except the areas adjacent to the major tributary at Ngau Au and existence
of constraints (such as without sufficient space or adjacent to existing
developed areas, e.g. YMCA of Hong Kong Christian College, football fields and
villages). The Buffer Zone Plan in Appendix A
shows the buffer zones from Tung Chung Stream (the width of the buffer zone
measured from one side of the stream to its riverbank).
4.1.2
Stream bed and stream
banks in buffer zones would not be encroached, developments within buffer zone
are prohibited, habitats with ecological values shall be preserved, as
recommended in EIA report.
4.1.3 The
majority of buffer zones fall within Conservation Area ("CA"), Coastal
Protection Area ("CPA") and Other Specified Uses ("OU") zones that fall on the
planned River Park, Stormwater Attenuation and Treatment Ponds and polders
except where overlapped with road crossings. For "CA" and "CPA" zones, only
development needed to support the conservation of the existing landscape of
scenic quality of the area or are essential infrastructure projects with
overriding public interest may be permitted, such as the outlets of the
Stormwater Attenuation and Treatment Ponds. For "OU(Polder)" and "OU(River
Park)" zones, mainly polders and river park are proposed. Though construction
works will be required for the outlets, the polders and/or the future River
Park, the scale of the construction works would not be large and mitigation
measures are proposed in the approved EIA to prevent site runoff affecting
stream courses. Furthermore, these future polders and River Park would be
managed by Government after construction, and could thus better protect the stream.
For "OU (Stormwater Attenuation and Treatment Ponds)" zones, mainly Stormwater
Attenuation and Treatment Ponds are proposed which will include wetlands and
will provide additional habitats for fauna. Native riparian tree and shrub
species will be planted on the earth-line polders and aquatic plants will be
planted in biofiltration zone of Stormwater Attenuation and Treatment Ponds.
4.1.4 Within the buffer zones, polder is
originally proposed along Area 86 ("OU(Polder)" zone) to the east of Mok Ka to
protect the proposed development areas and indigenous village from the
potential flood risk of Tung Chung Stream. However, it is anticipated that the
areas around Tung Chung Stream will have no flood risk under 1 in 200 year
event with end-21 century climate change and therefore, it is considered that
the original proposed polder sections on the areas of Area 86 next to Mok Ka
and Chap Mun Tau are not required. Having said that, other flood preventive
measures, including flood wall and U-channel, are proposed on these areas next
to Mok Ka and Chap Mun Tau. With respect to the portion of these areas of
Area 86 where the existing facility (i.e., village house and car park) to the
south of proposed Road L28 currently partially locate, a U-channel is proposed
on the existing paved area of the existing car park in Area 96C ("CA" Zone) to
the east of Mok Ka to collect
surface runoff from the car park.
The main usage of the proposed
U-channel is to collect and convey potential surface run-off from the existing
car park near Mok Ka and Chap Mun Tau to the proposed Stormwater Attenuation
and Treatment Ponds in Area 45B to the north of Road L25 so as to prevent any
discharge of surface run-off from the carpark to Tung Chung Stream. Currently,
the middle portion of the existing car park falls on "OU(Polder)" zone. If
U-channel is located on the area of "OU(Polder)" zone within the car
park, it will only divert half of the surface run-off of the car park which is
considered not effective. To effectively divert surface run-off from the
car park, it is inevitable that the proposed U-channel is to be placed along
the edge of the car park which has been located on "CA" zone. Plans and
sections of the existing situation and the proposed u-channel are shown in Annex 1.
To avoid any potential disturbance
to the existing riparian vegetation and the stream, ecological baseline survey
will be conducted to establish the baseline profile for the habitat and flora
and fauna species of conservation importance along Tung Chung Stream prior to
construction. CREC shall also carry out different appropriate preventive measures to avoid adverse environmental
impact from the U-channel of the car park and prevent wastewater discharge from
the car park into the U-channel.
5.1.1
Pursuant to the Clause
2.18 of EP-519/2016 for the Project, this Plan for Provision of Buffer Zones is
submitted prior to the construction commencement. The Contractor shall update
and refine this Plan as necessary subject to the site conditions upon
possession of the site and re-submit to the EPD for approval prior to the
construction.
Buffer
Zone Plan
Layout
and Section of Existing Carpark and Proposed U-channel at Mok Ka
