Press Releases and Statements
Transcript of the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works meet-the-media session
Following is a transcript of the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao's meet-the-media session after attending a function at the Ocean Park today (January 10):
Reporter : What's your comment on yesterday's court judgement? Any confidence towards the Central Reclamation III judicial review next month?
Dr Liao : Actually the appeal has served its purpose. The Court of Final Appeal has made very clear explanation over the exercise of the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance and we welcome those opinions. It will actually make the assessment much easier and of course much clearer on the timing of future judicial review challenge. As far as the Central Reclamation III is concerned, it is a judicial review initiated by the Society (for the Protection of the Harbour) and we will see what will happen. I think they have already stated that they will go ahead with it. So we'll wait and see what will happen.
Reporter : What is the next move by the Bureau upon the appeal result? Will there be difficulties for the plan to be carried out?
Dr Liao : One thing that the SHPL (Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands) would need to do is to review the Wanchai Reclamation (WR II) Project to make sure it will comply with the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance. And once that is done, the connection to the part in Central should not be any problem. I don't think the engineering part presents any problem.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion)
Ends/Saturday, January 10, 2004
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