2.1.1
The quarry
operation of the Anderson Road Quarry (ARQ) Site, currently under a Quarry
Rehabilitation Contract, will be terminated in mid 2016. The rehabilitation of the ARQ Site will provide a new landform consisting of benches and slopes on rock face,
and a platform of approximate 40 ha for development.
2.1.2
Planning
Department (PlanD) of the HKSAR Government conducted
the Planning Study on Future Land Use at Anderson Road Quarry – Feasibility
Study (the Planning Study) which was commenced and completed in 2011 and 2013
respectively. The overall objective of this Planning Study is to examine the
future land use of the ARQ Site and to explore the development potential for
residential and other uses.
2.1.3
According
to the findings and recommendations of the Planning Study, apart from housing
development, the ARQ Site also provides a solution space for accommodating
district-wide G/IC provision and the potential use of the man-made slopes at
the backdrop amounting over 45 ha of area should also be explored, which may
include using rock cavern to accommodate suitable land uses to serve this area
or to release land resources in other areas, and using the rock face for
recreational purposes.
2.1.4
After
reviewing the current available geotechnical data and site situation, it is
feasible to construct some rock caverns at ARQ Site for future development. In
view of the shortage of land supply for housing development in the Territory,
placing of some suitable land uses e.g. G/IC facilities and/or commercial development
into rock caverns to serve the ARQ area could release some of the precious land
resources in other areas for residential development.
2.1.5
In
addition, the ARQ has been in operation for more than 50 years, cavern could be
used for retaining some of the features of the past quarry operation to reflect
the history and for educational or tourism functions.
2.2.1
The Project Proponent has
conducted a “Market Study and Financial
Analysis for Proposed Commercial Portion of ARQ Site Development” including
the proposed caverns for commercial development, which is still undergoing at
the time when this EIA Report is prepared.
As the aforesaid study could not be completed and decision on the type
of development, size, scale and extent of caverns could not be arrived to tie
in with this EIA Study, the 7 nos. of proposed caverns for commercial use are
confirmed to be omitted and their environmental impacts will not be
assessed. In addition, it is confirmed
that the commercial caverns will not be constructed and developed under the ARQ
project or in the foreseeable future.
2.2.2
As the result of the aforesaid
market study and financial analysis of commercial portion of the ARQ Site Development
will not affect the proposed cavern for quarry exhibition area/resource centre,
it will be continued to construct and operate this rock cavern within the
boundary of the ARQ Development. The locations of the proposed cavern for
quarry exhibition area/resource centre and the omitted caverns are shown in Figure
2.1.
2.2.3
The scope of the works of the
proposed cavern for quarry exhibition will comprise the following activities:
Ÿ Mobilization of construction plant and site clearnace at portal area
of the cavern;
Ÿ Removal of existing vegetation at portal area of the cavern;
Ÿ Slope excavation and stabilization works, e.g. rock dowel
installation at cavern portal;
Ÿ Rock excavation by drill and break method (estimated volume of
excavation is 14,820 m3 approximately) and temporary installation
for cavern;
Ÿ Permanent lining of approximate 0.9m thick and portal structure construction
for cavern; and
Ÿ Landscaping works.
2.2.4
With reference to the scope
described in EIA SB, the proposed
cavern under this Project is:
Ÿ at +200mPD as quarry exhibition area/resource centre and is located
at the northern rock slope of the ARQ development. Its dimension is about
25m(W) x 11m(H) and 35m(D) and the design details are given in Figure 2.2.
2.2.5
Owing to
the uncertainty of financial viability of the commercial cavern development, the
following cavern developments are excluded from this EIA and will not be
constructed and developed under the ARQ project:
Ÿ One cavern at +310mPD for commercial use (e.g. food and beverage).
Its dimensions are about 25m(W) x 5m(H) and 10m (D).
Ÿ Three caverns at +310mPD for commercial use (e.g. food and
beverage). Their dimensions are about 16m(W) x 4m(H) x 10m(D).
Ÿ Three caverns at +190mPD for commercial use (e.g. food and
beverage). Their dimensions varies between 22-25m(W) x 11m(H) x 25-35m(D).
2.3.1
The works of quarry exhibition
cavern will be included in Phase 2 of the main contract of site formation and
infrastructures (SF&I Contract) of the ARQ Site Development. The anticipated commencement date of the
SF&I Contract will be in 2016 Q3 while its Phase 2 construction works is
expected to be carried out in early 2018. The anticipated construction time for
the quarry exhibition cavern will be around 24 months and the anticipated
completion date will be 2020.
2.4.1
During the construction period
of rock cavern development, the concurrent works in the vicinity (500m from the
site of cavern construction) will include the followings:
|
Project Item
|
Works Components
|
Time Line
|
|
1
|
Site formation and infrastructure within the ARQ
site
|
End 2016 – end 2020
|
|
2
|
Flood attenuation facilities (drainage retention
tank and artificial lake, etc) within Quarry Park area
|
Early 2018 – end 2020
|
|
3
|
Salt and fresh water pumping stations at northern
portion of ARQ Site
|
Mid 2018 – end 2020
|
|
4
|
Service reservoirs at +250mPD platform of rock
slopes at the northern portion of ARQ Site
|
Mid 2018 – end 2020
|
|
5
|
Road improvement works at junction of Clear Water
Bay Road and On Sau Road
|
End 2016 - mid 2020
|
2.4.3
The anticipated construction
time for the quarry exhibition cavern will be around 24 months. It encompasses
with:
·
Around 3 months for mobilization and site
clearance
·
About 4 months for portal slopes stabilisation
works
·
About 10 months for cavern excavation and temporary
installation
·
About 5 months for permanent cavern (and adits) lining construction
·
About 2 months for soft landscaping works
2.4.4
The
anticipated completion date will be 2020. The tentative construction programme
for the quarry exhibition cavern is shown in Appendix 2.1.
2.5.1
The study areas for some
aspects of the assessment are as follows:
(i)
Air
quality impact assessment study area is 500 m from the boundary of the Project
site.
(ii)
Noise impact assessment study
area is 300 m from the boundary of the Project site.
(iii)
Water quality impact assessment
study area is 500 m from the boundary of the Project site.
(iv)
Waste management, sewerage and
sewage treatment assessment will focus on areas within the boundary of the
Project site.
(v)
Landscape and visual impact
assessment would include all areas within 500 m of the boundary of the Project
site, whereas the visual envelope would define the visual impact study area
boundary.