(香港，2022年12月21日) 政府向立法會提交中部水域人工島初步計劃，香港工程師學會 (下稱「學會」) 歡迎有關建議。交椅洲人工島，憑着其策略性位置，將會成為香港第三個核心商業區，並提供大量住宅及商業土地，有助建立土地儲備，滿足香港未來需要。交椅洲人工島既是未來的增長引擎，亦是改善市民居住環境、提升生活條件的其中一個主要發展項目。
政府的建議包括初步填海範圍、土地用途、策略性運輸基建及可能融資選項。學會留意到政府因應近期土地價格及建造成本，調高項目粗略成本估算至5800億。學會希望指出，在項目開始前因應經濟狀況、設計改動、建造成本等而調整造價，是慣常的做法，有助項目在核准的開支內完成，由於工程年期較長，距離整個項目正式動工仍有一段時間，島上設計詳情未完全落實，成本估算可能仍有變動，學會相信政府會適時再作公布，並按近年大型基建的趨勢而作出適切的成本管理以交付高質量的工程。學會認為，經調整後的賣地收益仍高於建造成本，項目帶來社會、經濟、民生、運輸效益大於投資，值得盡早落實。
未來十年，政府陸續推出多項大型基建，學會期望政府提出切實可行的時間表，分階段推展項目，避免因競逐原材料、機器或人手而導致成本過度上漲，其中填海部份宜盡早展開。
另外，學會留意到有團體關心相關的填海工程技術及工程質量，學會相信，香港工程師憑藉多年來各項大型項目的發展、策劃及建造經驗，相關問題經詳細勘探及設計後並不難處理。
學會注意到政府將邀請相關專業學會組成平台，就各個主要規劃概念及部份重要規劃議題提出建議，學會樂意就此提供專業意見，亦樂見各界人士就著事實基礎，全面、充份地討論計劃，共同為香港未來發展出謀獻策。
如欲垂詢，請與香港工程師學會傳訊統籌部聯絡。
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(Hong Kong, 21 December 2022) The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (hereafter “the HKIE”) welcomes the Administration’s preliminary proposals to the Legislative Council on Artificial Islands in the Central Waters. With their strategic locations, the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands will become Hong Kong’s third central business district, providing large quantities of residential and commercial lands. By thus facilitating the building-up of land reserve, the project will satisfy the city’s future needs. The Islands serve not only as key impetus to future development, but also as one of the major development projects that improve citizens’ living environment and raise their standard of living.
The Administration’s proposals include the preliminary scope of reclamation, land use, strategic transport infrastructure network and financing options. The HKIE noted that the Administration has raised the project’s rough estimated cost to HK$580 billion with reference to recent land premiums and construction costs. It wishes to point out that it is the customary practice, before the commencement of any project, to adjust the project cost in accordance with the economic situation, design changes, and construction cost (among other things) in order to help pre-empt budget overrun. Given the lengthy construction period and the considerable distance in time from the present to the official commencement of the entire project, the Islands’ design details have yet to be finalised and there may consequently be room for adjustments to the estimated cost. The HKIE trusts that the Administration will make relevant announcements in due course, and will manage the cost appropriately (i.e., according to the trend shown by recent mega-infrastructure projects) so as to yield a high-quality project. Furthermore, it opines that the project is worth being implemented as soon as possible, since the adjusted projected revenue from selling the land is still greater than the construction cost and the societal, economic, welfare and logistical utilities brought about by the project are of greater value than the investment.
Since in the coming decade the Government will be launching numerous mega-infrastructure projects, the HKIE expects the Government to propose practical timetables and push forward the projects at a reasonable pace, so that no substantial escalation in cost will be incurred on account of the need to vie for raw materials, machinery, and manpower. The part in the project that involves reclamation should commence at the earliest opportunity.
Moreover, the HKIE noted some organisations’ concern over the techniques that will be employed in the reclamation projects and the quality of the projects themselves. The HKIE believes that, with all their experience (in development, planning, and construction) acquired through various large-scale projects over many years, our city’s engineers will not find it difficult to cope with the problems at issue after detailed prospecting and designing.
The HKIE noted that the Administration will be inviting the pertinent professional bodies to form a platform and give recommendations about the chief planning conceptions and some of the important issues as they relate to the planning. The HKIE is much obliged to offer its professional opinions; it will also delight in seeing people from various sectors discuss the proposals thoroughly and sufficiently on a factual basis, joining hands to devise robust strategies for Hong Kong’s future development.
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