Published on Saturday July 25 1998

Noise nuisance inquiry

The Ombudsman has been urged to examine if it was a case of maladministration for the Civil Aviation Department to establish the flight path approaches to the new airport before consulting affected residents.

Democrats Albert Chan Wai-yip and Andrew Cheng Kar-foo said since the opening of Chek Lap Kok, millions of residents in Sha Tin, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan and Ma Wan had suffered from noise nuisance. They said they would consider putting forward an amendment on subsidiary legislation regarding the Civil Aviation Noise Control Ordinance to reimpose the midnight-to-dawn aircraft landing and take-off curfew that applied to Kai Tak.

They said the noise level in Fo Tan's Greenwood Terrace was as high as 80.6 decibels, much higher than the 50 decibels suggested by the Director of Civil Aviation Richard Siegel.

Published on Thursday July 23 1998

Safety factors keep flight paths unchanged

Flight paths which sparked noise complaints will not be altered because of airspace constraints and safety considerations.

Secretary for Economic Services Stephen Ip Shu-kwan said yesterday it was "not possible to design a flight path that is in compliance with international aviation safety requirements on the one hand and completely clear of all residential developments on the other".

"The Civil Aviation Department had taken account of many factors, like topographical, environment and obstacles, runway orientation . . . and aircraft performance during the planning of flight paths in 1994," he said.

Since the new airport opened there have been numerous complaints from residents of Tung Chung, Tsing Yi, Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan and Sha Tin about aircraft noise.

The Sunday Morning Post revealed last weekend that aircraft using the second runway when it is completed in December will fly over many more residential areas.

The flight path over New Territories East is almost parallel to the existing route, but about a kilometre north.

The Post also found that no residents living under the flight paths had been informed in advance that their previously peaceful regions would be affected by Chek Lap Kok.

"These places are exposed to various community noise sources," Mr Ip said.

"For some remote residential areas within these districts, located well away from major noise sources, the general background noise level may be comparatively low.

"Hence, noise generated from passing aircraft may become more audible."

He explained the new airport was designed in accordance with the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines which provided that there should be no "noise-sensitive receivers", such as schools or residential developments, within a certain predicted noise range, the Noise Exposure Forecast (NEF) 25 contour.

"It has been confirmed that the aforementioned districts are outside the NEF 25 contour, which is in compliance with international environmental standards," Mr Ip said.

"For this reason, the Government has no intention to restrict the taking off and landing of aircraft during late hours at nights and early hours in the morning."

However, Mr Ip said that though the flight paths would not be changed, some aircraft could use the western route when landing to avoid flying over districts such as Sha Tin, subject to prevailing wind directions.

Published on Sunday July 19 1998

Jet noise victims in dark

Thousands more residents will suffer noise nuisance from a second route into Chek Lap Kok - but they are being kept in the dark that their homes lie directly under the flight path.

The Sunday Morning Post found that none of 25 residents questioned at Fo Tan and Sham Tseng, where expensive apartment blocks have blossomed in recent years, knew they were directly under the second runway's flight path.

They were surprised and concerned at the news.

The second runway, about one kilometre north of the first, will open by December and increase flights from about 31 an hour to a maximum of 60.

Planes, planned to eventually run 24 hours a day, will pass between 1,000 and 4,000 feet above the affected areas. The decibel level could reach 75, if the experience of residents under the existing flight path is repeated.

Residents attacked the Government and the Civil Aviation Department for failing to inform them about the implications of the second runway.

They said their property prices would be hit.

Retired Fo Tan resident Lee Ming-fai, 69, said: "We don't expect any warning, knowing the Government doesn't respect its citizens at all. The value of this property will never be the same again."

Student Francis Tze Ka-hin, 21, of Castle Peak Road, said: "If it gets noisy, I don't know what to do but to move out of here."

A Civil Aviation Department (CAD) official last night admitted no residents had been directly advised about the flight paths to and from the second runway and said no information campaign was planned.

Various options for the flight paths for Chek Lap Kok were on maps as far back as 1991, but it is not known how long ago they were finally set.

The spokesman said the department had already discussed the issue of flight paths with the Legislative Council and the Airport Consultative Committee and would meet the Environmental Protection Department.

The Aircraft Noise Concern Committee, convened by Democrat Albert Chan Wai-yip, said it would take up the cause.

"If the CAD would just follow our proposal for alternative routes, the problem would be eliminated," Mr Chan said. "More people are going to be affected and the problem is certainly going to become more serious."

He said he was outraged that the CAD had failed to notify anyone who would be living under the new or existing routes.

His group would petition the Ombudsman to investigate.

Mr Chan also has called for an emergency meeting of the District Board at Tsuen Wan, the biggest population most seriously affected by the second runway's paths.

He said he believed people living under the flight path for the runway already in operation also had not been informed in advance.

His group plans to conduct a territory-wide petition on aircraft noise pollution.

Assistant manager of Fo Tan's Centaline Property Agency Ray Au Wai-kee said the value of Fiscus Garden, Jubilee Garden and Royal Ascot was "probably dropping" because of the planes already flying overhead. "The value will fall even more if the new flight path goes directly over the residential buildings."

The Civil Aviation Department spokesman said the background noise level in the New Territories was around 45 decibels and an aircraft overhead would temporarily increase it to 60 to 65 decibels.

"That's about the same as noise levels in the urban areas," he said.

"There is a limit to how much we can alter the flight path given the geography and the terrain in Hong Kong.

"If any residents' representatives want to discuss the issue with us, we are always open.

"We have nothing to hide."

Published on Wednesday July 15 1998

Alternative flight paths proposed to cut noise

Alternative flight paths planned in 1991 are the answer to the noise problem, a lobby group says.

However, the Civil Aviation Department says there is "little scope" for change.

Aircraft Noise Concern Committee convenor and Democratic Party member Albert Chan Wai-yip yesterday said the Government should compensate noise-affected residents in the New Territories if flight paths were not changed.

The group petitioned Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, asking him to order the department to change routes.

Mr Chan said a 1991 environmental impact report on airport management revealed alternative take-off and landing paths which would not affect the one million residents now subjected to aircraft noise.

"We urge the administration to instruct the Civil Aviation Department to use this proposal," he said.

"The noise level in certain areas is clearly higher than predicted - up to 80 decibels in Ma Wan, Sha Tin, Tsing Yi and Kwai Chung."

The group wants the Government to resettle Lantau villagers living in the "noise contour" and compensate those outside it who are still affected if the flight paths are not changed.

However, there was little chance the paths would be changed, said Civil Aviation Department chief planning manager Simon Li Tin-chui.

"We can't say we won't look at all the alternatives, but the path is bound by mountains on one side," he said, adding that the proposal would merely shift noise to Ma On Shan.