Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and an oral reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works, Dr Sarah Liao, in the Legislative Council meeting today (July 2) :-
Question:
I have learnt that the Water Supplies Department has offices at a number of reservoirs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the breakdown by locations, sizes, numbers of staff and construction dates of the reservoir offices,and whether or not the offices have been listed as statutory monuments; whether the authorities have assessed which of the reservoir offices not so listed could be considered for being listed as statutory monuments; if so, of the assessment results; and
(b) whether it has considered adopting the mode of development for the former Marine Police Headquarters in Tsim Sha Tsui to convert some of the reservoir office sites of historical value into tourist spots with facilities such as heritage hotels etc?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) The Water Supplies Department (WSD) has eight waterworks with offices in the reservoir areas. The location, size, number of staff and year of construction of each of these waterworks are listed in the following table:
Year of
Site Area Number of Construction/
Waterworks Location sq.metre Staff Commissioning
********** ******** ********* ********* *************
Shek Lei 4.5 Milestone 910 5 1928
Pui Water Tai Po Road
Treatment
Works
Aberdeen Aberdeen Lower 70 - 1931
Raw Water Reservoir
Pumping
Station
Tai Tam Tuk Tai Tam 1,100 3 1935
Raw Water Reservoir Road
Pumping
Station
Tai Po Road 4.5 Milestone 900 4 1956
Water Tai Po Road
Treatment
Works
Tai Lam Chung 161/2 Milestone 430 - 1963
Raw Water Castle Peak
Pumping Road, Tai Lam
Station Chung
Tai Mei Tuk Bride's Pool 1,600 2 1968
Raw Water Road, Tai Mei
Pumping Tuk, Tai Po
Station
High Island High IslandPak 2,100 2 1975
Raw Water Reservoir, Tam
Pumping Chung, Sai Kung
Station
Lower Shing Lower Shing 1,400 2 1983
Mun No.2 Mun Road,
Raw Water Sha Tin
Pumping
Station
None of the buildings of the above waterworks have been listed as "statutory monuments" under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance. The Antiquities Advisory Board has assessed the historical and architectural values of the buildings of individual waterworks previously and has listed the Tai Tam Tuk Raw Water Pumping Station at Tai Tam Reservoir Road as a Grade I historical building and the Shek Lei Pui Water Treatment Works at 4.5 Milestone Tai Po Road and the Aberdeen Raw Water Pumping Station at Aberdeen Lower Reservoir as Grade III historical buildings for reference in carrying out heritage conservation work.
(b) All of the above waterworks are still operational and there are various electrical and mechanical installations in the buildings concerned. Since we have no plan to vacate or abandon these buildings at this stage, we have not considered converting the buildings of higher historical value into tourist sites. However, the WSD is willing to consider allowing individual groups or organisations to visit those buildings of higher historical value by appointment, provided that water supply is not disrupted.
End/Wednesday, July 2, 2003
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