Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ19: Building public markets
Following is a question by the Dr Hon Fernando Cheung and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, in the Legislative Council today
(February 15):
Question:
At the meeting of the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene of this
Council held on the 24th of last month, the Secretary for Food and Health (SFH)
indicated that the Government had initially identified suitable sites in the
Tung Chung New Town Extension Area and Hung Shui Kiu New Development Area (NDA)
for building public markets. Some community groups have pointed out that quite a
number of sites are available in Tung Chung and Tin Shui Wai for building public
markets, and as the population in Hung Shui Kiu NDA will exceed 200 000, coupled
with the fact that the existing population in Tin Shui Wai has already reached
300 000, building the aforesaid public market at Hung Shui Kiu NDA alone cannot
satisfy the demand of Yuen Long residents for shopping at public markets. In
this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it is feasible to build public markets at the following locations
(if it is not feasible, of the reasons for that):
Tung Chung:
(i) Tat Tung Road Garden adjacent to the Tung Chung Skyrail Terminal,
(ii) bus servicing site of Citybus Limited at Chung Wai Street,
(iii) Hau Wong Temple football pitch,
(iv) open area at the roundabout adjacent to Tak Yat House, Yat Tung Estate
(near the nullah),
(v) Yat Tung Estate Carpark No. 3,
Tin Shui Wai:
(vi) the existing site of Tin Sau Bazaar and part of the Tin Sau Road Park,
(vii) Tin Sau Road Community Garden,
(viii) The Hong Kong Girl Guides Association Tin Shui Wai Pansy Ho Activity
Centre adjacent to Tin Chak Estate,
(ix) additional floors above the proposed swimming pool facilities in Area 107,
Tin Shui Wai,
(x) depot of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited adjacent to Tin Tsz
Estate,
(xi) Central Park Towers public carpark,
(xii) multi-purpose pitch of the Hong Kong Rugby Union in Area 108, and
(xiii) vehicle depot of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD);
(2) as SFH indicated at the aforesaid meeting that the authorities had tried to
look for suitable sites in Tin Shui Wai to build public markets but to no avail,
and had therefore chosen Hung Shui Kiu NDA for building a public market, of the
exact locations of the sites that had been considered by the authorities and the
reasons why such sites had been found unsuitable for building public markets;
(3) given that the markets in several new towns (such as Ma On Shan and Tseung
Kwan O) and large housing estates (such as On Tat Estate and On Tai Estate at
Anderson Road, as well as Yan Tin Estate in Tuen Mun) are operated by Link Real
Estate Investment Trust, the Hong Kong Housing Authority or private developers,
whether the authorities will undertake to identify sites in those new towns and
housing estates for building FEHD-managed public markets so as to increase the
competition among markets, with a view to alleviating the problem of soaring
commodity prices; if they will not, of the authorities' measures for assisting
residents in buying food and daily commodities at affordable prices; and
(4) whether the authorities will consider including afresh the population-based
planning standard for public markets into the Hong Kong Planning Standards and
Guidelines for future reference in planning new towns; if they will not, of the
authorities' measures for meeting residents' demand for shopping at public
markets?
Reply:
President,
As announced in the Policy Address in January 2017, the Government will build
sizable public markets in new development areas (NDAs) and has initially
identified suitable sites in the Tung Chung New Town Extension Area and Hung
Shui Kiu NDA. The Government will continue to identify suitable sites in other
NDAs. We hope that the two new strategically located public markets can be
developed into large-scale markets in their respective regions. In other words,
the markets are intended to serve not only Tung Chung New Town Extension Area
and Hung Shui Kiu NDA but also the whole Tung Chung and Tin Shui Wai areas.
My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
(1) to (3) In considering the provision of a new public market, the Government
will take into account various factors, including the population in the area,
demographic mix, community needs, the availability of public and private market
facilities and the number of fresh provision retail outlets in the vicinity,
etc. Moreover, we have to duly assess the demand and cost effectiveness in order
to ensure that public resources are put to proper use.
For Tung Chung New Town, there are at present two wet markets in Yat Tung Estate
and Fu Tung Estate respectively, and other fresh provision retail outlets. The
Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) will further provide two new wet markets within
public housing developments which are under construction in Areas 56 and 39 of
Tung Chung respectively, which are scheduled for completion by 2017 and 2018
respectively.
Currently, there are five wet markets in Tin Shui Wai, which are located in Tin
Shing Court, Tin Shui Estate, Tin Chak Estate, Chung Fu Shopping Centre and Tin
Yan Estate under the HA. Other fresh provision retail outlets are also available
in the area. Besides, at Hung Shui Kiu, which is just adjacent to Tin Shui Wai,
there is currently a Hung Shui Kiu Temporary Market managed by the Food and
Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and a market in Hung Fuk Estate under
the HA. The HA will also provide a shopping centre and a market in Ping Yan
Court, i.e. a subsidised sale flats project under construction in the area. The
project is scheduled to complete in 2018. According to the announced Hung Shui
Kiu NDA Revised Recommended Outline Development Plan, the construction of three
markets in the NDA is proposed, including two wet markets located within public
housing developments and one sizable public market on a Government site at a
convenient and easily accessible location.
When deciding the location site of a new public market, the Government will
consider key factors such as the geographical location, existing and planned
uses, usable area and ancillary transport facilities provided nearby, in order
to ensure that, upon completion, the market will be of a substantial scale and
viability and that public finances and land resources can be optimised.
After considering the relevant factors of various aspects mentioned above and
the actual conditions of the two NDAs, the Government has initially identified
suitable sites in the east of Tung Chung New Town East Extension Area as well as
in the southwest of Hung Shui Kiu NDA to build sizable public markets. Located
in the vicinity of a public transport interchange, the site in the Tung Chung
New Town East Extension Area is also close to the proposed Tung Chung East MTR
Station, thus facilitating its link with the existing Tung Chung MTR Station and
the proposed Tung Chung West MTR Station. On the other hand, the site in Hung
Shui Kiu NDA is located in the vicinity of the proposed Hung Shui Kiu Railway
Station, the proposed environmentally friendly transport services facilities and
a public transport interchange, thus facilitating its link with Hung Shui Kiu
NDA and various areas in Tin Shui Wai. Well-connected by public transport and
close to train stations and public transport interchanges, both of the two new
market sites mentioned above are accessible to more members of the public. As
such, not only the needs of the residents in the two NDAs, but also the needs of
the populations in the Tung Chung and Tin Shui Wai areas will be catered for
altogether.
In short, according to the existing, ongoing and proposed projects taken into
account, the market facilities in the two NDAs will be able to cater for the
needs of local residents and those living in nearby regions. In view of the
above criteria, the site in the east of Tung Chung New Town East Extension Area
and the one in the southwest of Hung Shui Kiu NDA are considered more ideal
locations for building new public markets when compared with the sites mentioned
in the question. They are also more suitable for building new public markets
that are positioned to serve the regions.
(4) The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) conducted a policy review on public markets
in 2007-2008, which concluded that the future provision of new public markets
should be considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure efficient use of public
resources. Apart from the population of the area in question, other relevant
factors that should be considered include the demographic mix, community needs,
the presence of markets facilities nearby, the number of fresh provision retail
outlets available in the vicinity, and public sentiment towards the preservation
of hawker areas in the particular locality. The Government consulted the Panel
on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene of the Legislative Council and all
District Councils on the review findings in 2008. As a result of the policy
review conducted by the FHB, those parts concerning public markets in Chapter 6
of the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) (which deals with
retail facilities) were amended in April 2009 and have remained in force since
then. The revised HKPSG is based on a more holistic consideration of above
relevant factors, rather than just the size of the population, in the planning
of public markets. When preparing or reviewing town plans, the Planning
Department will consult the relevant policy bureaux and departments, so as to
ascertain whether there is a need to reserve land for public markets. We will,
in the light of social developments and the actual situation on the ground,
assess the need to review the planning guidelines for public markets as and when
appropriate.
Our focus is on facilitating convenient access for the public to retail outlets
in their vicinity for meeting their daily needs on fresh food. Currently, there
exists a variety of channels for the public to purchase fresh food. Apart from
public markets, many members of the public when purchasing fresh food may choose
to patronise markets, supermarkets and various types of retail outlets operated
by other public and private entities. Customer preference for different shopping
venues in purchasing fresh food may evolve in tandem with changes in
socio-economic circumstances, lifestyles, purchasing power and various other
factors.
Providing a new public market requires the use of Government land and entails
public financial commitment. Therefore, in considering whether a public market
should be built, we have to duly assess the need for the market and
cost-effectiveness in order to ensure that public resources are put to proper
use. In fact, in the face of fierce competition, changing circumstances in
individual communities and changes in the purchasing habits of members of the
public, some public markets are facing relatively high vacancy rates and low
customer flows. Also, the Audit Commission has in previous reports pointed out
that, given the high cost of constructing a new public market, the relevant
principles should be strictly adhered to.
In considering whether new public markets should be provided in individual
areas, we would continue to take into account the above-mentioned planning
standards and guidelines, the actual situation of individual areas and the views
of stakeholders, and carefully consider respective related factors, to ensure
that public resources are put to proper use.
Among the views requesting the provision of new public markets, we notice that
many of them assume that the goods sold in public markets managed by the FEHD
are cheaper than those sold in markets managed by other organisations and
supermarkets. However, this assumption has not been supported by facts. Insofar
as the prices of the goods sold in public markets are concerned, tenants of
public markets are free to determine and adjust the prices of their goods having
regard to market forces (for example, operating costs, supply and demand, prices
of similar goods sold nearby). The Government does not control the prices of the
goods sold in public markets. Nor is the Government in a position to guarantee
that the goods sold in public markets would be cheaper than those in other
shops.
Ends/Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Issued at HKT 21:07
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