The Legislative Assembly (AL) posed several questions to Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raimundo do Rosário concerning the government-reclaimed land from the former “La Scala” development in Taipa ,close to Av. Wai Long, which has sparked discussion on relevant environmental issues.
The public has been skeptical about the plan to erect a public housing project consisting of 8,000 units, as the location is close to the airport and a waste incineration center, among other allegedly delicate facilities.
Rosário attended Friday’s AL plenary session, along with leaders of several public works departments, to answer the lawmakers’ doubts.
Lawmaker Leong Veng Chai urged the government to reveal its scientific and practical measurements to prevent or reduce pollution resulting from incineration and airport activities in the area.
Au Kam San additionally called on the government to conduct an environmental evaluation of the location, as well as noise and air quality tests.
He also wondered whether the government could present the reports compiled in 2009 for the La Scala project.
Rosário responded that the Infrastructure Development Office (GDI) will launch a public tender for an environmental evaluation regarding public housing at Av. Wai Long.
He noted that the evaluation will include noise, landfill, and sewage assessments, among others.
Leong then asked about the government’s plan if the land is revealed to be inappropriate for habitation, noting that the Chief Executive had already decided to commence construction on the plot.
The secretary claimed that if the evaluation results indicate that the project is improper, the authorities will cancel it.
Lawmaker Mak Soi Kun noted that the mountain near the planned project was previously a landfill for the disposal of untreated medical waste.
According to Mak, the buried refuse may be a time bomb for the housing project, and he urged the government to consider this carefully when conducting the environmental evaluation.
However, the Secretary claimed that the project will not be situated at the former landfill itself.
Lawmaker Ng Kuok Cheong asked whether the government is considering moving the waste incinerator to a different location, such as the artificial island built for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
Lawmaker Angela Leong, recalling her previous suggestion, said that the Wai Long plot is very suitable for the construction of youth apartments. Furthermore, she declared that building public housing is “not good for the public” and that the land was unsuitable for commercial purposes.
Sin Fong garden to be completely rebuilt
The Sin Fong Garden will be completely reconstructed according to the project’s original plan, as announced by Raimundo do Rosário, who also noted that the housing project is a special case which requires specific steps to be taken in its reconstruction. He further mentioned that rebuilding the edifice might result in less actual usable area because the MSAR is imposing more and more requirements regarding fire services. The secretary also noted that the amendment of the city’s fire regulations has already progressed into legislative procedures.
Public housing application process not illegal
Raimundo do Rosário claimed that he failed to see any violations or illegal behaviors regarding the Commission Against Corruption’s (CCAC) reports on Macau’s public housing application procedures.
Earlier, the Housing Bureau (IH) had canceled several economical housing contracts with buyers because of the applicants’ marital status.
The CCAC report states that IH, when considering applicants, should not include an applicant’s spouse as a member of the applying family if they married while the applicant was awaiting approval to buy an economical house.
IH President Arnaldo Ernesto dos Santos revealed that IH is issuing permissions to related families so that they might enroll in further background checks for housing projects, so as to confirm whether any members of these families already own properties.
He added that the bureau can issue 4,000 contract permissions each year. Moreover, 400 house buyers who had made appointments with IH to deliver documents to the bureau, which would have advanced the contracts, failed to deliver all required documents. Some 350 of the 400 did not deliver any documents whatsoever.
Lawmaker Kwan Tsui Heng questioned the authorities on how the government plans to improve elevator safety.
The Secretary for Transport and Public Works responded that the regulation of the city’s elevator maintenance has been added to the authorities’ legislative schedule. A draft of the regulation will be completed within the year.
Additions to administrative regulations of elevator maintenance will be included in the legislative plan as well, under the responsibility of the Land, Public Works, and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT).
In addition, Rosário added that the safety checks for elevators across the territory are not “as bad as it is imagined.”
Director of DSSOPT Li Canfeng noted that the planned elevator regulations will have provisions on penalties for violations and will also require mandatory elevator checks in private buildings.
The law will distinguish between the responsibilities of property owners and those of maintenance companies.
According to Li, over 8,000 elevators in Macau have obtained independent codes. As of this month, 2,500 certificates for safe elevator operation are still valid.
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