Grading of beach water quality released
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (November 29) released the latest grading of water quality for 11 gazetted beaches that are open for swimming in November.
Eight beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), and three as Fair (Grade 2).
Grade 1 beaches are:
Clear Water Bay Second Beach |
Middle Bay Beach |
Deep Water Bay Beach |
Repulse Bay Beach |
Golden Beach |
Silver Mine Bay Beach |
Lido Beach |
Stanley Main Beach |
Grade 2 beaches are:
Big Wave Bay Beach |
Silverstrand Beach |
Casam Beach |
Compared with the grading released last week, there was no change in the grading for these beaches.
Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, an EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a tropical cyclone or heavy rainfall.
A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666. Members of the public can also obtain the latest daily water quality forecast information for all beaches that are open for swimming through the EPD's dedicated webpage on the beach water quality forecast (www.epd.gov.hk/en/BWQForecast).
Pilot areas of large-scale land disposal in Northern Metropolis
The Government today (November 29) announced details of the three pilot areas of large-scale land disposal in the Northern Metropolis.
To expedite development of the Northern Metropolis, the Government actively leverages market forces and adopts diverse development modes. Apart from adopting the Enhanced Conventional New Town Approach under which landowners are allowed to participate in the development of new development areas through in-situ land exchanges, the Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address to adopt, on a pilot basis, a large-scale land disposal approach, under which sizable land parcels with commercial value and earmarked for provision of public facilities will be selected and granted to successful bidders for collective development. This approach enhances the participation of enterprises in important development for Hong Kong, and can speed up the development of the land parcels, at the same time reduce the financial outlay of the Government.
The three pilot areas under large-scale land disposal are located in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area, the Fanling North New Development Area and the San Tin Technopole, of about 12.5 hectares, 15.9 hectares and 18.6 hectares respectively. Each pilot area covers private residential, industry and public facility sites. Developers are required to carry out site formation and engineering infrastructure works for all the sites, retain the residential sites for development, and hand other sites back to the Government for management after constructing some public facilities such as roads and open space. The requirements on industry sites vary across the pilot areas, including the developers retaining certain site to construct and operate an enterprise and technology park building, requiring developers to construct an industry building and then hand it back to the Government, and some only requiring the developers to carry out site formation. One of the focus areas of the expression of interest exercise to be launched next month is to invite the market to put forward innovative and feasible suggestions, and to propose how developers could make good use of the large-scale land disposal approach to enable their in-depth and substantial participation in developing industry sites to promote industry development in the Northern Metropolis.
A fact sheet of the three pilot areas has been uploaded onto the website of the Northern Metropolis (www.nm.gov.hk/en/northern-metropolis#s5). The Development Bureau had also introduced the pilot areas of large-scale land disposal to enterprises in today's Enterprise Participation in Northern Metropolis Development Event.
The Government will launch a three-month exercise in December this year to invite interested parties to submit expressions of interest for the three pilot areas of large-scale land disposal, in order to finalise the tender details and conditions later. The Government targets to commence the tendering work for the three pilot areas progressively from 2025 to 2026.
