The greening master plans have brought noticeable results, and Hong Kong's environment will become more beautiful and pleasant, Chief Executive Donald Tsang says.

Mr Tsang visited the Civil Engineering & Development Department today. He first toured the Geotechnical Engineering Office Emergency Control Centre to see how it operates during severe weather.

Site visit: Chief Executive Donald Tsang admires greening works in Tsim Sha Tsui, and stops by the Geotechnical Engineering Office Emergency Control Centre and a landslip preventive work site in Kennedy Town.

Quality infrastructure

The Chief Executive then met department staff to learn more about the challenges they face at work. He commended them for providing high quality infrastructure in Hong Kong and reducing landslide risk to protect the public.

"With the professionalism and dedication of the Civil Engineering & Development Department staff, our achievements in civil-engineering construction works have gained recognition," he said.

The infrastructure works for Hong Kong Disneyland had won the Sixth Tien-Yow Jeme Civil Engineering Prize, which was the highest honour in the field of civil-engineering construction nationwide.

Mr Tsang visited Salisbury Road in Tsim Sha Tsui to see the implementation of the district's greening master plan. Under the "jade necklace" theme, major existing greened areas in the district have been linked together, with about 660 trees and 140,000 shrubs planted, costing about $12 million.

Greening plans

Works on the greening master plans, initially launched in the tourist area in Tsim Sha Tsui and the core business area in Central, were completed in March. The department is now developing greening master plans for Mong Kok, Yau Ma Tei, Sheung Wan, Wan Chai, and Causeway Bay.

Towards the end of this year, development of greening master plans in the remaining urban areas will start. As the greening master plan works have been well-received, the department will speed up the works and extend such projects to the New Territories.

"I am pleased to see the noticeable results in greening brought by the greening master plans. With the department's continued efforts in promoting greening in Hong Kong, I believe our environment will become more beautiful and pleasant," Mr Tsang said. 

Landslip prevention

Before ending his visit, Mr Tsang toured Sai Wan Estate in Kennedy Town to see a works site under the landslip preventive-measures programme. He noted that under the current programme, each year about 250 government slopes are upgraded and 300 private slopes subject to safety screening to cut landslide risk.

Costing about $30 million, the landslip preventive works at Sai Wan Estate involve the upgrading of a government slope that is about 100 metres high and 190 metres long behind the estate. About  2,000 shrubs and trees will be planted on the slope to enhance the built environment.