Following is the speech by the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie Lam, on Motion to amend the Building (Refuse Storage and Material Recovery Chambers and Refuse Chutes) (Amendment) Regulation 2008 made under the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance at the Legislative Council today (July 12) (translation):
Madam President,
I rise to move the motion on the Agenda to amend the Building (Refuse Storage and Material Recovery Chambers and Refuse Chutes) (Amendment) Regulation 2008 ("the Amendment Regulation").
Together with the Secretary for the Environment and the relevant departments, I would like to express our gratitude to the Honourable Choy So-yuk, together with the Subcommittee under her chairmanship, who has completed scrutinising the Amendment Regulation within a short time frame and tendered invaluable advice.
The Amendment Regulation seeks to amend Building (Refuse Storage and Material Recovery Chambers and Refuse Chutes) Regulations to impose a mandatory requirement for provision of a refuse storage and material recovery room (RSMRR) on every floor of new domestic buildings and the domestic part of new composite buildings from December 1, 2008. The new requirement aims at providing sufficient space on every floor to facilitate separation of waste at source for recycling. It will also help to prevent potential fire hazards and hygiene problems posed by improper placing of refuse storage and waste separation facilities in lift lobbies, corridors and staircases of buildings.
Some stakeholders pointed out that the mandatory requirement for provision of a RSMRR on every floor of new domestic buildings and the domestic part of new composite buildings might cause hardship to some small developments. To address their concerns, it is proposed that buildings meeting specific conditions may be exempted from such mandatory requirement.
At the Subcommittee meetings, Members agreed to the exemption of hotels, guest-houses and boarding-houses, but expressed different views on the exemption of hostels and dormitories from the proposed mandatory requirement. Some Members considered that, in order to encourage waste recovery, hostels and dormitories should not be exempted from the new requirement.
Having considered Members' comments and obtained consent from the Subcommittee, the Administration proposes to remove "hostel or dormitory" from the new section 3A(5) of the Amendment Regulation so as to include them under the control of the Amendment Regulation.
The Subcommittee has discussed and is in support of the proposed amendment. I hope Members would support the motion.
Madam President, I beg to move the above motion.
Ends/Saturday, July 12, 2008
Issued at HKT 21:16
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