Minutes of the 1st Food, Environmental Hygiene and … LEE Ka-mei, Patty Senior ... (Mong Kok District) 2 Hong Kong Police Force Mr SO Ming-tak, ... David . Senior Engineer/3 (Kowloon)

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Minutes of the 1st Meeting of the Food, Environmental Hygiene and Public Works Committee of the

Yau Tsim Mong District Council (2016-2019) Date : 24 March 2016 (Thursday) Time : 2:30 p.m. Venue : Yau Tsim Mong District Council Conference Room

4/F., Mong Kok Government Offices 30 Luen Wan Street Mong Kok, Kowloon

Present: Chairman Mr YEUNG Tsz-hei, Benny, MH Vice-chairman Mr CHUNG Chak-fai District Councillors Mr IP Ngo-tung, Chris Mr JO Chun-wah, Craig Ms WONG Shu-ming Ms KWAN Sau-ling Mr CHAN Siu-tong, MH, JP Mr LAM Kin-man Mr CHOI Siu-fung, Benjamin Mr LAU Pak-kei Mr CHONG Wing-charn, Francis Ms TANG Ming-sum, Michelle Mr CHUNG Kong-mo, JP The Honourable TO Kun-sun, James Mr HUI Tak-leung Mr WONG Kin-san Mr HUNG Chiu-wah, Derek Mr YU Tak-po, Andy Representatives of the Government Mrs ARON Laura Liang, JP District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong) Home Affairs Department Ms LEE Ka-mei, Patty Senior Executive Officer (District

Management), Yau Tsim Mong District Office

Home Affairs Department

Mr WONG Yuk-pui, Paul Task Force Sub-Unit Commander (Mong Kok District) 2

Hong Kong Police Force

Mr SO Ming-tak, Stephen Station Sergeant (Mong Kok District) Hong Kong Police Force Mr TSANG Man-shing Sergeant, Police Community Relations

Office (Mong Kok District) Hong Kong Police Force

Mr SUNG Ming-hong Sergeant, Police Community Relations Office (Yau Tsim District)

Hong Kong Police Force

Mr CHEUNG Kwok-leung, Eric

District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Mong Kok)

Food and Environmental Hygiene Department

Mr WONG Kam-wah District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Yau Tsim)

Food and Environmental Hygiene Department

Mr FUNG Hon-wa, Harris Deputy District Leisure Manager (Yau Tsim Mong) 1

Leisure and Cultural Services Department

Mr CHAU Ngai-kwong, Alee

Chief Estate Officer/Kowloon West Lands Department

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Mr LAI Kwok-leung, Tommy

Senior Environmental Protection Officer (Regional East) 1

Environmental Protection Department

Mr CHAN Kam-wai Senior Structural Engineer Buildings Department Mr LEUNG Wing-tak, David

Senior Engineer/3 (Kowloon) Civil Engineering and Development Department

In Attendance:

Mr FONG Wai-pang, Andy District Engineer/Mong Kok Highways Department Mr LUI Man-kit, Derek Environmental Protection Officer

(Food Waste Management) 12 Environmental Protection

Department Ms OR Wai-lam Environmental Engineering Graduate Environmental Protection

Department Mr Steven CP CHOI Project Manager Green Council Mr Nok SN LAU Project Assistant Green Council Mr TAM Ka-kei, Eric Senior Transport Officer/Yau Tsim

Mong Transport Department

Mr CHENG Woon-kit Divisional Commander (Kowloon South)

Fire Services Department

Mr LO Cheung-wai Station Commander, Yau Ma Tei Fire Station

Fire Services Department

Mr YEUNG Sui-sang Senior Station Officer Fire Services Department Miss CHENG Kwok-lan Housing Manager/Kowloon West and

Hong Kong 3 Housing Department

Mr LAU Hing-wan, Norman Liaison Officer-in-charge (Building Management 1), Yau Tsim Mong District Office


Ms FUNG Po-dip, Kitty Liaison Officer-in-charge (Building Management 4), Yau Tsim Mong District Office


Secretary Mr WONG Lok-hang, Denis Executive Officer (District Council) 3,

Yau Tsim Mong District Office Home Affairs Department

Absent: Mr CHOW Chun-fai, BBS, JP District Councillor Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed all to the meeting and welcomed the attendance of Mr Paul WONG, Task Force Sub-Unit Commander (Mong Kok District) 2, Mr Stephen SO, Station Sergeant, (Mong Kok District), Mr TSANG Man-shing, Sergeant, Police Community Relations Office (Mong Kok District) and Mr SUNG Ming-hong, Sergeant, Police Community Relations Office (Yau Tsim District) of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF),

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and Mr CHAN Kam-wai, Senior Structural Engineer of the Buildings Department (BD). In addition, Mr CHOW Chun-fai was absent due to other commitments. 2. The Chairman said that according to the in-house meeting held on 13 January 2016, the discussion order of the papers submitted by Members and departments would be arranged in order of the submission dates. If a Member submitted two papers for a single meeting, under the arrangement of the Secretariat, after the discussion of the Members first paper, his/her second paper would be discussed subsequent to the papers submitted by other Members. There was no objection. The Chairman announced that the current-term Food, Environmental Hygiene and Public Works Committee (FEHPWC) would adopt the said arrangement. 3. The Chairman said that according to the in-house meeting held on 13 January 2016, each Member was allowed to speak thrice on each item: two minutes for the first time and one minute each for the second and the third times. Members could choose to combine the second speaking time with the third one to make a two-minute speech. If there was such a need, the Chairman could increase Members speaking rounds as appropriate. The Chairman sought views of the attendees and there was no objection. The Chairman announced that the current-term FEHPWC would adopt the said arrangement. 4. The Chairman suggested that the meeting started with the discussion of Item 2. Item 1 would be discussed after the discussion of all other items. There was no objection.

Item 2: Extension of Service Hours of Individual Refuse Collection Points Suggested by Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 5/2016)

5. The Chairman said that the paper was submitted by the Mong Kok District Environmental Hygiene Office of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD). He then welcomed Mr Eric CHEUNG, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Mong Kok) of the FEHD to the meeting. 6. Mr Eric CHEUNG briefly introduced the contents of the paper. 7. Mr HUI Tak-leung wanted to know why the FEHD considered implementing the scheme at the Mong Kok Road Refuse Collection Point only when residents of many areas in the district (such as those around Soy Street and Tak Cheong Street) also needed the service of refuse collection points at night. He hoped that the FEHD would consider including the refuse collection points in Nelson Street and Portland Street in the pilot scheme and extend their service hours. 8. Ms WONG Shu-ming was pleased to learn that the FEHD would extend the service hours of the refuse collection point, and hoped that the staff of the refuse collection point would minimise noise when performing duties. She also hoped for a smooth implementation of the three-month pilot scheme so that the extension of service hours of refuse collection points would become a regular measure.

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9. The Chairman asked whether the FEHD or the Government intended to provide round-the-clock service at all new refuse collection points in future, or the service hours would depend on areas or individual situations. 10. Ms KWAN Sau-ling said that some residents could dispose of household wastes like furniture only after they had been home at night. If the service hours of individual refuse collection points were extended, they could take such wastes to those points direct, and the hygienic condition of public places might be improved by this. She hoped that the FEHD would upload the list of refuse collection points with extended service hours to its website for public access. 11. Mr Eric CHEUNG responded as follows:

(i) There were 11 refuse collection points in Mong Kok district currently. As their locations and the situations of the areas were different, their operating hours also differed.

(ii) The Portland Street Refuse Collection Point and Dundas Street Refuse

Collection Point had already operated round the clock, and the Mong Kok Road Refuse Collection Point would implement the said pilot scheme. As such, the department believed that the needs of residents in the vicinity of Soy Street and Tak Cheong Street could be catered for.

(iii) The FEHD would review the actual situations from time to time and then

decide whether there was a need to change the operating hours of refuse collection points.

(iv) The round-the-clock refuse collection points would certainly cause great

nuisances, such as noise and stink, to nearby residents and affect their daily life. Therefore, the FEHD must be extra careful when reviewing the operating hours of each refuse collection point to avoid such problem.

(v) The FEHD would upload the operating hours of the refuse collection points to

its website.

12. The Chairman thanked the representative of the FEHD for joining the discussion of this item.

Item 3: Request for Measures from Government Departments to Combat Indiscriminate Dumping of Construction Waste (YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 6/2016)

Item 4:

Request for Surveillance Systems to Eradicate Illegal Dumping of Construction Waste (YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 7/2016)

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13. The Chairman said that as both Item 3 and 4 were related to the dumping of construction wastes, he proposed that the two items be discussed together. There was no objection. 14. The Chairman said that the written responses of the FEHD and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) (Annexes 1 to 4) had been sent to Members for perusal before the meeting. He then welcomed the following representatives to the meeting:

(a) Mr Eric CHEUNG, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Mong Kok) and Mr WONG Kam-wah, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Yau Tsim) of the FEHD;

(b) Mr Andy FONG, District Engineer/Mong Kok of the Highways Department

(HyD); and (c) Mr Tommy LAI, Senior Environmental Protection Officer (Regional East) 1 of

the EPD.

15. The Vice-chairman said that the FEHD and the EPD had taken various actions but to little avail. He wanted to know whether the EPD conducted regular inspections or not, and how the FEHD informed the EPD of the cases when construction wastes were found during its inspections. He pointed out that many construction wastes were yet to be removed by relevant departments though being dumped for a period of time. Moreover, as the Government charged for construction waste disposal and the amount was even larger than the penalty mentioned in the written responses of the departments, the penalty had little deterrent effect. As a result, some small-sized contractors dumped construction wastes improperly. He was afraid that the problem would deteriorate into a situation like the waste hill in Tin Shui Wai. He hoped that government departments would formulate practicable measures to solve the problem. (Mr LAM Kin-man joined the meeting at 2:50 p.m.) 16. The Chairman said that contractors might have charged their clients for the waste disposal charges. However, even though having charged their clients, some contractors still dumped construction wastes improperly. He wanted to know how the EPD conducted effective surveillance with limited resources. He also pointed out that construction wastes would generally be removed by relevant government departments only after they had already been dumped for a few days. In the meanwhile, other people might follow suit, leading to a vicious cycle and affecting environmental hygiene. As there were some black spots of construction-waste dumping activities in the district, he wanted to know how the FEHD or the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) would tackle the problem. 17. Mr Tommy LAI responded as follows:

(i) After receiving a complaint, the department would dispatch officers to the scene for a better understanding of the case, and try to find out the source of the wastes. If the EPD officers saw people carrying out construction works during their routine inspections, they would proactively remind them to dispose of the construction wastes properly.

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(ii) The EPD would set out ambushes from time to time according to its own

information or that provided by the HyD and the FEHD.

(iii) Construction wastes were mainly removed by the HyD, while the FEHD was responsible for removal of refuse other than construction wastes.

(iv) The Construction Waste Disposal Charging Scheme had been implemented for

10 years since its introduction in 2006. The charge for inert construction wastes (e.g. spoil, concrete, soil and sand) was $27 per tonne, while the maximum charge for non-inert construction wastes (e.g. bamboos and concrete bags) or mixed construction wastes was $125 per tonne.

(v) During the previous half year, the EPD successfully prosecuted a person who

had illegally dumped construction wastes in Yau Tsim Mong (YTM) District. The offender was fined for $10,000, an amount relatively high when comparing with the construction waste disposal charges.

(vi) The EPD would make prosecution against any fly-tipper no matter what he

dumped were construction wastes or non-construction wastes. The penalties for the illegal dumping of non-construction waste cases mentioned in the written response ranged from $4,000 to $8,000. The amounts were never a small one.

(vii) As the locations of illegal dumping of construction wastes were rather

dispersed in YTM District and the duration of the dumping action could be very short, there were some difficulties in law enforcement.

(viii) Despite the constraints of resources, the EPD would continue to conduct

ambushes at night.

18. The Chairman added that some construction wastes were dumped beside motorways without removal for some days, blocking the view of drivers. He asked the representative of the HyD to make a response. 19. Mr Andy FONG responded as follows:

(i) As the HyD was not a law enforcing department, it did not conduct regular inspections for the problem of construction wastes.

(ii) After receiving a complaint, the department would dispatch officers to the

scene for a better understanding of the case. If what were dumped were not construction wastes, the department would refer the case to the FEHD for removal. If they were confirmed to be construction wastes, then the HyD would be responsible for removing the wastes.

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(iii) Due to the constraints of resources, the HyD might not be able to send officers to remove the wastes immediately after receiving a complaint, but it would make the corresponding removal arrangement according to the degree of disturbance caused by the wastes to pedestrians and drivers. If the wastes would affect the safety of road users, the HyD would remove them within 48 hours.

(iv) All complaints relating to construction wastes would be referred to the EPD for

follow-up actions. (Mr Francis CHONG joined the meeting at 2:58 p.m.) 20. Mr Eric CHEUNG said:

(i) If FEHD officers found construction wastes on roads, they would inform the HyD to follow up the cases by fax.

(ii) If the construction wastes were mixed with other refuse, the FEHD would

remove the refuse therein.

21. Mr LAU Pak-kei said that in the written responses from the FEHD, the EPD and the HyD, it was mentioned that they had successfully prosecuted the persons who dumped construction wastes in Larch Street and Wai On Street, Tai Kok Tsui and the offenders were fined for $1,500 to $10,000. It explained that there were actually black spots of construction-waste dumping in the district. He requested the relevant departments to reinforce their inspection and law enforcement efforts at those black spots. He also considered that only by the HyDs removal of the construction wastes, the problem could not be solved. He hoped that the relevant departments could increase the frequency of unannounced inspections and law enforcement actions. If closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems could not be installed, then publicity efforts should be enhanced and posters should be posted for deterrent effect. 22. Mr HUI Tak-leung understood that there were quite a lot of black spots of construction-waste dumping in YTM District and the resources of government departments were limited. He was pleased to learn that the EPD conducted ambushes in Tak Cheong Street and Soy Street, but opined that with only the law enforcement efforts of the EPD, the effectiveness would be low. He hoped that the Police could provide assistance in law enforcement. And it would be more effective if the FEHD was empowered to conduct prosecution. He also noticed that the situation was improved after warning signs had been placed. He suggested that the Government should set up spoil collection points at suitable locations (e.g. the vicinity of refuse collection points) and charge users a reasonable fee. Besides, when receiving applications for permits of minor works, the BD should inform the relevant departments in order to narrow the surveillance scope. 23. Mr LAM Kin-man said that apart from roads and streets, construction wastes were also dumped at back lanes and side lanes, but the latter involved private areas. He thanked the FEHD for sending officers to remove the general refuse found in private areas for hygienic reason, and asked how government departments would handle the cases of construction wastes being found at back lanes or side lanes.

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24. Mr CHUNG Kong-mo said that the Council had discussed the issue for many times. According to the information provided by the EPD, the number of complaints concerning YTM District reached 160 for the previous half year and the problem had been deteriorating. He understood that the EPD were of limited resources, but it was its duty to enforce laws. If the EPD discovered illegally-dumped construction wastes and could not find their owners, the cases would be referred to the HyD or the FEHD for follow-up actions. In the end, it was still the Government handling the cases with public fund, and this handling approach was not satisfactory. He hoped that the department would consider setting up construction waste collection points in Kowloon. He added that construction wastes were usually generated from subdivided flats or alternation works in the district, where the contractors were required to obtain minor works permits before commencing the works. He asked the department whether it would consider introducing a demerit point system as a considering factor for permit renewal. 25. Mr Craig JO said that there were many black spots of construction-waste dumping in Jordan (e.g. Parkes Street, Woosung Street, Shanghai Street and Ning Po Street). As the number of prosecution by the EPD was relatively low, it was not deterrent at all and was hard to lead contractors to the legal way of waste disposal. He considered that the EPD should step up its law enforcement efforts. 26. The Chairman pointed out that the Government could consider the installation of CCTV systems at the black spots of construction-waste dumping to help surveillance and prosecution, and wanted to know if the FEHD and the FHB could make the relevant arrangement. He considered that the handling approach of the EPD could not solve the problem of illegal dumping of construction wastes effectively. 27. Mr Tommy LAI responded as follows:

(i) Government departments had to apply to the relevant District Lands Office (DLO) before placing any publicity materials on roadside fences. For the locations mentioned in Paper No. 6/2016, the EPD would contact the DLO and carry out follow-up actions.

(ii) Regarding the disposal of construction wastes, works contractors could arrange

for the removal of construction wastes simply by contacting the relevant service providers. However, the persons prosecuted by the EPD in YTM District were mainly residents living in the vicinity but not contractors.

(iii) Waste dumping was often found in the vicinity of Tak Cheong Street, and that

was one of the locations the EPD kept watch on.

(iv) The EPD welcomed Members suggestion of installing CCTV systems at the black spots of construction-waste dumping, but factors such as privacy and technical requirements should be taken into account when deciding the installation locations.

(v) If dumping of construction wastes was discovered in private back lanes, the

EPD would seek assistance from the management offices or owners

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corporations of the relevant buildings. In most cases, the wastes would finally be removed.

(vi) The EPD would base on the information from different sources to make

ambush deployment and reinforce law enforcement.

28. Mr Andy FONG responded that if construction wastes were found at a back lane, the HyD would first confirm whether the location was a private area. If it was a public area, the HyD would handle the case with the approach mentioned earlier. Otherwise, the HyD would inform the management office of the relevant building or the Lands Department to follow up the case. 29. Mr CHAN Siu-tong asked how many offenders charged with illegal dumping of construction wastes were jailed, and how many offenders discovered during inspections of the department or upon complaints were successfully prosecuted. 30. Mr LAU Pak-kei understood that government departments had to go through various formalities for posting posters or hanging banners, but he believed that the buildings near the locations where prosecutions took place (e.g. Wai On Street and Larch Street) would let the EPD post posters or hang banners there. 31. Mr CHUNG Kong-mo asked when government departments did not adopt Councillors suggestions, what solutions they had to solve the problem under the situation that there was no increase in resources. 32. Mr Derek HUNG said that the problem of construction wastes involved three departments, i.e. the HyD, the EPD and the FEHD, and some cases involved the jurisdictions of various departments. He wanted to know whether there was any inter-departmental arrangement for the issue. He also expressed that if the departments could not handle the cases immediately after the receipt of complaints due to limited manpower, the result would only be the generation of more complaints. He hoped that the subject officers would reflect the problem of manpower shortage to their supervisors. 33. The Chairman said that the list of black spot locations in the district would be collected from Members after the meeting. Afterwards, he would write on behalf of the Committee to the authority concerned, requesting for the installation of CCTV systems. 34. Mr Tommy LAI responded as follows:

(i) Whether a prosecuted person would be sentenced to jail was entirely decided by the judge basing on the facts of the case. As far as he could remember, in the previous two years, no offender was sentenced to jail in the district.

(ii) In the previous year, the EPD conducted about 1 000 inspections (including

ambushes) on construction wastes in YTM District.

(iii) The EPD thanked for Members suggestion of posting publicity posters at the buildings around Wai On Street against the dumping of construction wastes, and would take the relevant follow-up actions.

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(iv) The EPD indicated that although some individual cases of construction-waste

dumping might need a longer handling time, the department kept a smooth cooperation with other departments in handling the cases.

35. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the FEHD, the HyD and the EPD for joining the discussion of this item. (Post-meeting note: The Committee wrote to the Secretary for Food and Health on 20 April

2016, requesting the relevant departments to reinforce law enforcement and consider the installation of CCTV systems at the black spot locations in the district.)

Item 5: Food Waste Reduction Activities in YTM District (YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 8/2016)

36. The Chairman said that the paper was submitted by the EPD. He then welcomed Mr Derek LUI, Environmental Protection Officer (Food Waste Management) 12 of the EPD, and Mr Steven CHOI, Project Manager and Mr Nok LAU, Project Assistant of the Green Council to the meeting. 37. Mr Derek LUI said that apart from the Miramar Shopping Centre, the Food Waste Reduction Activities in YTM District was also supported by the Langham Place. He added that the activities were held by the Green Council, and it would introduce the details of the activities. (Mr Benjamin CHOI joined the meeting at 3:35 p.m.) 38. Mr Nok LAU gave a PowerPoint presentation on the contents of the paper, and introduced the Food Waste Reduction Activities in YTM District. He said that a kick-off ceremony of the activities would be held later, and Councillors would then be invited to it. He distributed promotional materials such as posters to the attendees, and asked Councillors to help promote the importance of food waste reduction at the district level. He also said that if the attendees were interested, the Green Council could arrange a visit to the composting plant at Kowloon Bay 39. Ms WONG Shu-ming said that the food waste reduction activities were targeted at big shopping malls, but single-block buildings were the majority in the district. Since it was difficult to place recycling bins in private buildings/housing estates, residents could not put food waste reduction into practice. She asked whether the EPD could formulate a suitable food waste reduction policy for the particular circumstances of YTM District. 40. Ms KWAN Sau-ling asked if the EPD had conducted any survey on the number of restaurants in YTM District, and if its publicity efforts reached every restaurant. She said that small-to-medium-sized restaurants might not actually carry out the measures of food waste reduction. Moreover, unsold food was still eatable but some restaurants and bakeries would dirty the unsold food before throwing it away. She asked in what ways the EPD would educate the public.

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41. Mr Derek LUI replied that the activities were educational. They were targeted at shopping malls because the heavy visitor flows there would lead to greater effectiveness. As for households, housing estates could apply for the Environment and Conservation Fund to carry out domestic food waste recycling projects. Currently, several dozens of housing estates had installed food waste processors with the Fund. Moreover, one part of the Food Wise campaign was food donation, which voluntary groups went to collect eatable food from shops every day. 42. Ms WONG Shu-ming was disappointed at the EPDs response. According to her understanding, no non-government organisation in YTM District had ever been successfully granted the Environment and Conservation Fund so far. Among the several dozens of housing estates mentioned by the EPD, few of them were in YTM District. She hoped that the EPD would enhance its publicity efforts in YTM District in view of its situation. 43. Mr Derek LUI expressed that all interested housing estates could apply for the Fund. However, adequate space was required for the installation of food waste processors. Besides, when examining applications, the department would take into account the ancillary facilities such as those of sewage disposal, drainage and odour absorption at the installation locations. He understood that the housing estates in the district with limited space might have difficulties in applying for the Fund, and he would relay Members views to the department. 44. The Chairman thanked the representative of the EPD for joining the discussion of this item. Item 6: Market Management Consultative Committees of Public Markets under

FEHD (YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 9/2016)

45. The Chairman said that the paper was submitted by the Mong Kok District and Yau Tsim District Environmental Hygiene Offices. He then welcomed Mr Eric CHEUNG, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Mong Kok) and Mr WONG Kam-wah, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Yau Tsim) of the FEHD to the meeting. 46. Mr Eric CHEUNG briefly introduced the contents of the paper. 47. At the meeting, Members unanimously agreed on the nomination of the following District Councillors to be the members of the respective Market Management Consultative Committees in the district.

Names of Markets Names of District Councillors Kwun Chung Market Derek HUNG, Craig JO Yau Ma Tei Market Benny YEUNG Haiphong Road Temporary Market Michelle TANG Fa Yuen Street Market HUI Tak-leung, LAM Kin-man Tai Kok Tsui Market CHUNG Chak-fai Mong Kok Cooked Food Market Andy YU

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48. The Chairman thanked the government departmental representatives for joining the discussion of this item. (The Hon James TO joined the meeting at 4 p.m.)

Item 7: Dog Fouling Found on Three Footbridges in YTM District (YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 10/2016)

49. The Chairman said that the written response of the FEHD (Annex 5) had been sent to Members for perusal before the meeting. He then welcomed Mr Eric CHEUNG, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Mong Kok) and Mr WONG Kam-wah, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Yau Tsim) of the FEHD to the meeting. 50. Mr Andy YU briefly introduced the contents of the paper. He wanted to know the current situation/frequency of the cleansing of footbridges by the relevant department(s), and asked whether departmental officers conducting ambushes in plain clothes or strengthening their inspection efforts in uniforms would be more effective. He also requested that the FEHD should set up a hotline for residents in the district to reflect the problem direct. 51. Mr Eric CHEUNG responded as follows:

(i) The FEHD carried out the first round of sweeping on the footbridges around the said locations from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. every day. And the department would send workers to sweep the footbridges again at another period of time in daytime. The cleansing of footbridges was responsible by the HyD.

(ii) Apart from the officers of the Mong Kok District, the plain-clothes officers of

the Intelligence Unit (IU) also undertook enforcement actions. Recently, IU officers provided assistance in law enforcement on 15 and 17 March and successfully prosecuted a dog walker in breach of law.

(iii) The dogs which fouled on the footbridges belonged to nearby shops. As their

owners were not at their side when the dogs fouled, it was difficult for the FEHD to take enforcement action. The FEHD would liaise with the shopkeepers and checked whether the dogs had a licence or not with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

52. Mr Andy YU said that the FEHD did not reply to his questions. He also requested that the FEHD should seriously consider setting up a hotline which could directly contact the FEHD officers responsible for the district. 53. Mr CHUNG Kong-mo was pleased to learn that the FEHD traced the dog and send workers to remove the dog excreta in the early morning. He expressed that after being cleaned by the FEHD, the footbridges would then be dirtied by other law-breaching dog walkers again. Therefore, he hoped that the FEHD would strengthen its efforts in education and law enforcement, and arrange sweeping of the footbridges at other periods of time as well. 54. The Chairman added that dog fouling was also found on the footbridge at Waterloo Road, and asked whether the FEHD had traced the dog(s).

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55. The Hon James TO suggested that the FEHD should strengthen its liaison with shopkeepers and advise them to take their dogs to foul at an appropriate place. 56. Mr Eric CHEUNG responded that members of public could call 1823 if they found any dog excreta which affected the environmental hygiene. He said that the FEHD would adopt the suggestion of the Hon James TO, and he would provide the telephone number of the Cleansing Section of the FEHD after the meeting. (Post-meeting note: After the meeting, the FEHD provided Mr Andy YU with the relevant

direct telephone number for the public to call to reflect dog fouling cases in Mong Kok District during office hours.)

57. Mr WONG Kam-wah responded that the FEHD took law enforcement actions at the footbridge of Waterloo Road from time to time and had successfully prosecuted two law-breaching people, but law enforcement was actually not easy. Nevertheless, the plain-clothes officers from the IU of the FEHD would continue to take law enforcement actions at different periods of time (including early morning and midnight). 58. Ms Michelle TANG said that the problem was also very serious in the vicinity of Kings Park Hill. She considered that the 1823 hotline was of low effectiveness, so residents must contact the FEHD officers responsible for the district direct. Moreover, even the dog walker was only a domestic helper but not the owner of the dog, the FEHD should prosecute the domestic helper as well for deterrent effect. 59. Mr Andy YU asked whether the FEHD would prosecute domestic helpers. And he doubted about the effectiveness of departmental officers enforcing laws in plain clothes. 60. Mr LAM Kin-man considered that the FEHD could prosecute domestic helpers. Besides, he hoped that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department would pay attention to the dog fouling problem in Kings Park Hill and remove the dog excreta at an earlier time so as to provide a clean environment for morning walkers. 61. Mr Eric CHEUNG replied that the FEHD would take enforcement action against all dog walkers who did not remove the excreta from their dogs no matter they were dog owners or domestic helpers who helped walking dogs. The department considered that it was currently more effective to dispatch officers to enforce laws in plain clothes. Moreover, the IU officers of the FEHD would continue to provide assistance in law enforcement actions. 62. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the FEHD for joining the discussion of this item. Item 8: Request for Action by FEHD to Address Obstruction and Danger Imposed by

Discarded Polyfoam Boxes (YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 11/2016)

63. The Chairman said that the written response of the FEHD (Annex 6) had been sent to Members for perusal before the meeting. He then welcomed Mr WONG Kam-wah, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Yau Tsim) of the FEHD to the meeting.

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64. Mr Craig JO briefly introduced the contents of the paper. He pointed out that polyfoam boxes were found being heaped up to the height of the first floor of a building at various locations in the district. Some polyfoam boxes occupied bicycle parking lots, resulting in indiscriminate parking of bicycles by cyclists. Some polyfoam boxes were heaped up near schools. Moreover, food waste was found in some of the boxes and caused environmental hygiene problems. And pedestrians might be injured if the boxes dropped down. He also said that polyfoam boxes were inflammable. On the Lunar New Years Day this year, a fire occurred at the Reclamation Street Cooked Food Hawker Bazaar due to polyfoam boxes catching fire. 65. Mr WONG Kam-wah responded that upon receiving the referral from Councillors, the FEHD had dispatch officers to handle the cases at the scene and the situation had been improved. The FEHD would strengthen its efforts in handling the problem of polyfoam boxes. 66. Mr Chris IP said that polyfoam boxes were also heaped up around Min Street and Kwun Chung Street. Residents were deeply afraid that the boxes would cause fire. 67. Ms KWAN Sau-ling said that polyfoam boxes were heaped up at the rear doors or side doors of many buildings in Tsim Sha Tsui East, obstructing the fire escapes. She hoped that the Fire Services Department (FSD) would pay attention to the situation. Besides, polyfoam boxes dumped by restaurants would generate environmental hygiene problems. She hoped that long-term strategies would be drawn up by different departments to solve the problems. 68. Mr CHUNG Kong-mo said that the issue of polyfoam boxes had also been discussed at the meeting of the YTM East Area Committee. Polyfoam boxes containing vegetables or seafood were often heaped up in Hamilton Street, Yau Ma Tei (around Shanghai Street), leading to environmental hygiene problems. He hoped that the FEHD would pay attention to that. 69. Mr WONG Kam-wah responded that the FEHD was very concerned about the problem of polyfoam boxes around Min Street and Kwun Chung Street, and would continue to strengthen its liaison with the owners of the boxes. The FEHD would inform the FSD to follow up the cases if finding that fire escapes in private areas were obstructed by polyfoam boxes, and would take regular actions to remove the polyfoam boxes around Hamilton Street. 70. The Chairman thanked the representative of the FEHD for joining the discussion of this item. 71. The Chairman said that as he had to leave the conference room for a while, he suggested that the meeting be temporarily chaired by the Vice-chairman. There was no objection. (Ms Michelle TANG left the meeting at 4:29 p.m.) (Mr Francis CHONG left the meeting at 4:30 p.m.)

Item 9: To Reflect Urine Smell and Hygiene Condition around Tai Kok Tsui (Island Harbourview) Public Transport Interchange and Deficiency of Facilities in the Public Transport Interchange

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(YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 12/2016) 72. The Vice-chairman said that the written response of the FEHD (Annex 7) had been sent to Members for perusal before the meeting. He then welcomed Mr Eric CHEUNG, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Mong Kok) of the FEHD, and Mr Eric TAM, Senior Transport Officer/Yau Tsim Mong of the Transport Department (TD) to the meeting. 73. The Hon James TO said that the term (installation) in the heading of the paper was a typo and it should be (facilities). He added that many residents complained about the odour from the planters of the public transport interchange, and wanted to know whether the relevant departments had paid attention to the problem. He enquired if pouring urine into planters was illegal. Besides, as some professional drivers might urinate into bottles and then dumped the bottles near the interchange, he asked how the relevant departments would handle the problem. (Ms KWAN Sau-ling left the meeting at 4:35 p.m.) 74. Mr Eric CHEUNG responded that for making prosecution against the suspected act of pouring urine into planters, it had to confirm that the liquid poured was urine. However, officers might have difficulties to do so in the course of the actual enforcement action. He said that he would seek legal advice regarding the issue and then make a reply. Nevertheless, apart from cleaning the said location every week, the FEHD also dispatched officers to conduct inspection there, and would immediately prosecute those who urinated indiscriminately. The FEHD would continue to post notices and liaise with the staff of the bus terminal. 75. Mr Eric TAM responded that the Tai Kok Tsui (Island Harbourview) Public Transport Interchange was a terminal for some buses of the Kowloon Motor Bus Co. (KMB) and the Citybus as well as for some green minibuses. The KMB had a regulator office with lavatory facilities therein at the Interchange for the use of the KMB staff, while the drivers of other operators mainly used the lavatory facilities at the nearby shopping centre. The TD had not received any application from other operators for setting up lavatory facilities at the Interchange so far. If such applications were lodged by operators, the department would examine the layout plans, take follow-up actions and make coordination, but would not require the operators to lodge such applications individually or cooperatively. As for mobile toilets, since it was not under the jurisdiction of the TD, he could not make any response on it. When planning new interchanges, the TD would include public toilets therein for the convenience of the public if situations allowed. Currently, there were a total of 11 public transport interchanges in the district, four of which had permanent toilets and two had mobile toilets. These toilets were under the management of the KMB for the use of the KMB staff. Besides, public lavatory facilities managed by the FEHD could be found in five public transport interchanges or the nearby shopping centres. He added that in the previous three years, the TD received one complaint concerning the hygienic condition of an interchange in YTM District, and that interchange was the Tai Kok Tsui (Island Harbourview) Public Transport Interchange. 76. The Hon James TO hoped that the TD would liaise with the KMB, asking it to allow the staff of other public service operators using the lavatory facilities under its management. Besides, he requested the relevant department(s) to clarify whether pouring urine into planters was illegal in writing after the meeting.

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77. Mr Eric TAM agreed to liaise with the KMB and would reflect the views of Councillors to the KMB. 78. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the FEHD and the TD for joining the discussion of this item. 79. Moreover, the Chairman suggested that in the current term, if he could not chair any meetings temporarily, the meetings would be chaired by the Vice-chairman. There was no objection.

Item 10: Concerns over Backlane Safety Triggered by Suspected Trolley Arson at Fa Yuen Street (YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 13/2016)

80. The Chairman said that the written response of the FEHD (Annex 8) had been sent to Members for perusal before the meeting. He then welcomed the following representatives to the meeting:

(a) Mr Paul WONG, Task Force Sub-Unit Commander (Mong Kok District) 2 and Mr TSANG Man-shing, Sergeant, Police Community Relations Office (Mong Kok District) of the HKPF;

(b) Mr Eric CHEUNG, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Mong

Kok) and Mr WONG Kam-wah, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Yau Tsim) of the FEHD; and

(c) Mr CHENG Woon-kit, Divisional Commander (Kowloon South), Mr LO

Cheung-wai, Station Commander, Yau Ma Tei Fire Station and Mr YEUNG Sui-sang, Senior Station Officer of the FSD.

81. Mr LAM Kin-man briefly introduced the contents of the paper, and pointed out that the unmonitored private areas such as some back lanes and side lanes of the buildings around the Ladies Market were full of metal trolleys. The trolleys blocked the escape points and would give rise to serious consequences if a fire broke out. (Mr WONG Kin-san joined the meeting at 4:45 p.m.) 82. Mr CHENG Woon-kit said that the FSD officers often inspected the back lanes of the buildings around Tung Choi Street (Ladies Market), the back lane of Yan On Building as well as those of the buildings around the junctions of Nelson Street, Shantung Street, Soy Street and Dundas Street with Tung Choi Street, which were 19 locations in total. During the inspections, a few metal trolleys were found at three of the locations, including Pak Cheung Building, Tat Ming Building and Hung Kwong Building. However, none of the metal trolleys blocked the escape points of the buildings and thus were not in breach of any fire regulation. Nevertheless, the FSD had referred the situation to relevant department(s) for follow-up actions. 83. Mr Eric CHEUNG responded that the FEHD had discussed with the Chairman of the Tung Choi Street Merchants and Hawkers Association and would closely monitor the

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situation. The department would remind the stall operators to store their commodities properly, and had issued notices to warn them not to obstruct the back lanes. The FEHD would take enforcement action when necessary. 84. Mr Paul WONG said that the Investigation Team had taken over the said arson case. The HKPF conducted a Levington operation in mid-March in the district and arrested 78 men and 56 women for involving in offences related to vice, gambling and dangerous drugs. Among the arrested persons, some were people of South Asian origins and suspected to have breached the conditions of stay. Regarding overstayers participating in illegal activities in Tung Choi Street, the HKPF would cooperate with other departments to take enforcement actions. 85. Mr LAM Kin-man expressed that according to newspapers, people of South Asian origins were said to have involved in the arson. It was because many merchants at the Ladies Market hired South Asians as delivery workers, and some people bore grudges and set fire. He was pleased to learn that the HKPF had taken action, and hoped that the offenders would be arrested. Besides, he asked whether metal trolleys were still placed at the back lane of Yan On Building after the inspections of the FSD or the FEHD. 86. Mr CHENG Woon-kit replied that the FSD had inspected the back lane of Yan On Building at different periods of time (including daytime and early morning) after the fire, and did not find any metal trolley there. 87. Mr Eric CHEUNG also said that no metal trolley was found there by the FEHD. The department would conduct inspection again in the early morning. 88. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the HKPF, the FEHD and the FSD for joining the discussion of this item.

Item 11: Infestation of Bed Bugs, Rodents and Cockroaches in Hoi Fu Court (YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 14/2016)

89. The Chairman said that the written responses of the FEHD and the Housing Department (HD) (Annexes 9 and 10) had been sent to Members for perusal before the meeting. He then welcomed Mr Eric CHEUNG, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Mong Kok) of the FEHD, and Miss CHENG Kwok-lan, Housing Manager/Kowloon West and Hong Kong 3 of the HD to the meeting. 90. Mr Andy YU briefly introduced the contents of the paper. He added that the problem of rodents also existed in the Cherry Street Park, and hoped that the departments would take follow-up actions. 91. Miss CHENG Kwok-lan briefly introduced the written response of the HD, and said that the department would follow up the problem actively to find out the sources of bed bugs and rodents. 92. Mr Eric CHEUNG responded that if members of public found their homes being infested with bed bugs or cockroaches, the FEHD would dispatch officers to get a better understanding of the situation and provide the residents with information on pest control. After receiving rodent complaints, the department would trace the sources of the rodents and

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review whether there was any insufficiency in its anti-rodent work in streets. The FEHD would also communicate with the HD and the management offices of the buildings and ask them to distribute leaflets to residents. 93. Mr Andy YU reflected that the service of pest control companies was expensive and was unaffordable to public-housing residents. He asked the HD if it would offer free first-time disinfestation service for the residents and take the opportunity to disseminate educational messages to them. 94. Miss CHENG Kwok-lan replied that owing to resource constraints, the department could not offer free first-time disinfestation service for each household. However, the department would consider the cases of the elderly and households with economic difficulties on a case-by-case basis. 95. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the FEHD and the HD for joining the discussion of this item.

Item 1: Concerns over Intrusion of Rodent into Residential Flats and Request for Enhancement of Support to Owners Corporations for Pest Control (YTMFEHPWC Paper No. 4/2016)

96. The Chairman said that the written response of the FEHD (Annex 11) had been sent to Members for perusal before the meeting. He then welcomed the following representatives to the meeting:

(a) Mrs Laura ARON, District Officer (Yau Tsim Mong), Mr Norman LAU, Liaison Officer-in-charge (Building Management 1) and Ms Kitty FUNG, Liaison Officer-in-charge (Building Management 4); and

(b) Mr Eric CHEUNG, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Mong

Kok) and Mr WONG Kam-wah, District Environmental Hygiene Superintendent (Yau Tsim) of the FEHD.

97. Mr WONG Kin-san briefly introduced the contents of the paper. He said that even if the relevant departments taught residents how to catch rodents, the effectiveness was low. He hoped that government departments would increase resources to tackle the rodent problem. 98. Mr LAM Kin-man expressed that there was not any improvement in the rodent problem in the district all along, and queried about the effectiveness of the anti-rodent measures of the FEHD. He said that the Government did not offer assistance to buildings with owners corporations and this practice was not preferable. He hoped that the Government would strengthen its link with owners corporations to solve the rodent problem. 99. Mr LAU Pak-kei said that many street shops of the buildings in Tai Kok Tsui were restaurants and attracted rodents. The rodents then entered domestic flats via pipes or rear staircases. It would not be easy for residents to catch the rodents by themselves. He hoped that the department(s) would assist residents to catch rodents directly. He also pointed out in particular that as there were major maintenance works and many restaurants on the ground

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floor of Chung Kin Building and Chung Yuen Building in Tai Kok Tsui, the rodent problem was especially serious there. 100. Mr Craig JO said that some residents had reflected the situation of rodents climbing into domestic flats via windows. He understood that the rodent problem would recur even after anti-rodent efforts had been taken. Therefore, he hoped that the department(s) would tackle the problem at the source in order to eradicate it. He worried that the rodent problem would worsen in the coming summer season, and urged the FEHD to tackle the problem expeditiously. 101. The Vice-chairman said that the large number of restaurants, tenement buildings and subdivided flats in the district together with the great amount of refuse dumped in the street at night led to the problem of rodents. He asked the FEHD whether it had any new measures to improve the situation. He noticed that some ditch covers had used a new design to prevent rodents staying inside. He enquired whether the FEHD would cooperate with the Drainage Services Department to replace the other old ditch covers in the district. He also requested the FEHD to strengthen its refuse removal efforts. 102. Mr Derek HUNG said that the rodent problem also occurred at the footbridges and planters near Kowloon Station. He hoped that after eradicating the rodents, the department would post notices in the vicinity to appeal to members of public to keep places clean. 103. Mr CHUNG Kong-mo said that the hotbeds for breeding of rodents were mainly on road surfaces. If rodents entered the upper floors of buildings, it would be more difficult to tackle the problem. In the past, ratguards were installed in the pipes of some buildings. However, ratguards only allowed rodents to climb upwards but did not allow them to move downwards to leave, resulting in rodents breeding inside the buildings. He considered that ratguards should completely prevent the passing through of rodents, and that apart from government departments, owners corporations of buildings should also do more in this regard. 104. Mr Eric CHEUNG responded that after receiving complaints from the public, the FEHD would dispatch officers to handle the rodent problem. At the same time, the department would carry out publicity and promotional activities to educate the public how to prevent the rodent problem. Moreover, the department would kill rodents and remove refuse in streets. Recently, the number of restaurants had increased in Tai Kok Tsui, and the maintenance works of buildings might have destroyed rodents nests. Both factors led to the dispersion of rodents. He said that the FEHD would enhance its assistance to residents. 105. Mrs Laura ARON expressed that one of the proposals under the District-led Actions Scheme was the cleansing activities of the common parts of buildings, which aimed at encouraging flat owners to concern about their living environment, actively participate in being resident ambassadors and establish residents bodies for a more effective management of their buildings. Consultation on the proposal would be conducted at the District Council (DC) meeting on 31 March. If the proposal was adopted, the District Office (DO) would discuss with the FEHD on how to incorporate anti-rodent work into building cleansing activities. The DO welcomed Councillors submission of lists of buildings with serious rodent problem. 106. Mr WONG Kin-san understood the constraints on government departments. He hoped that government departments would step out of the established frame, address the

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needs of the public and actively solve the problem. He also hoped that the DO and the DC would give high priority to offering assistance to flat owners in tackling the rodent problem under the District-led Actions Scheme, or even dispatch officers to enter residential flats to conduct anti-rodent work for residents.

107. The Hon James TO wanted to know whether the FEHD currently had any biologicalmeasures to stop the breeding of rodents, so as to solve the rodent problem more effectively.

108. Mr WONG Kam-wah responded that the FEHD would strengthen its anti-rodentefforts in the back lanes of buildings with restaurants. Besides, the FEHD had taken actionto remove the refuse at the planters near Kowloon Station, but new refuse was dumped thereagain soon afterwards. The department would continue to monitor the situation, remove anyrefuse and carry out anti-mosquito and anti-rodent work.

(Mr Craig JO left the meeting at 5:23 p.m.)

109. Mr Eric CHEUNG responded that the FEHD killed rodents with poison at present,but there had not been any drug that could stop their breeding so far. Moreover, thedepartment also used cage traps to catch rodents.

110. The Chairman thanked the representatives of the DO and the FEHD for joining thediscussion of this item.

(Mr LAM Kin-man left the meeting at 5:27 p.m.)

Item 12: Any Other Business

111. Mrs Laura ARON reported that the Public Works Subcommittee of the LegislativeCouncil had commenced discussion on the Signature Project Scheme, but had not yet cometo the project of YTM District. The project of this district would be re-submitted to thePublic Works Subcommittee on 13 April for approval and the subsequent fund allocation fromthe Finance Committee. She suggested that the Signature Project Scheme Working Groupshould suspend operation until there was progress in the application for funding. There wasno objection.

112. There being no other business, the Chairman closed the meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thenext meeting would be held at 2:30 p.m. on 2 June 2016 (Thursday).

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Minutes of FEHPWC (1st) dd. 24.3.2016_eMinutes_of_FEHPWC_1st_dd_24.3.2016Minutes of FEHPWC (1st) dd. 24.3.2016 (with amendment)

DRAFT Minutes of FEHPWC (1st) dd. 24.3.2016 (for comments)APPENDIX 1 - Item 3 (Paper 6.2016) [FEHD] APPENDIX 2 - Item 3 (Paper 6.2016) [EPD] APPENDIX 3 - Item 4 (Paper 7.2016) [FEHD] APPENDIX 4 - Item 4 (Paper 7.2016) [EPD] APPENDIX 5 - Item 7 (Paper 10.2016) [FEHD] APPENDIX 6 - Item 8 (Paper 11.2016) [FEHD] (14.3.2016)APPENDIX 7 - Item 9 (Paper 12.2016) [FEHD] ()APPENDIX 8 - Item 10 (Paper 13.2016) [FEHD] APPENDIX 9 - Item 11 (Paper 14.2016) [FEHD] APPENDIX 10 - Item 11 (Paper 14.2016) [HD] APPENDIX 11 - Item 1 (Paper 4.2016) [FEHD]

Documents

Minutes of the 1st Food, Environmental Hygiene and … LEE Ka-mei, Patty Senior ... (Mong Kok District) 2 Hong Kong Police Force Mr SO Ming-tak, ... David . Senior Engineer/3 (Kowloon)