Environmental impact assessments to be sped up: govt
Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Monday said environmental impact assessments (EIA) won't be compromised by proposals to streamline the process.  The plans include creating a new centralised database with data from EIA reports, updating technical assessment guidelines and simplifying procedures for obtaining environmental permits, while projects spanning fewer than 50 hectares won't need an assessment report at all. Tse told a Legco panel that he expects a shorter assessment process to boost housing supply.  "We expect that after the improvement measures are put in place, the environmental impact assessment process can be halved in terms of time it takes, that is 18 months for ordinary projects and 24 months for major complex projects. But we will keep the public inspection period as it is, and it will also not compromise the quality of environmental assessment reports," he said.  But speaking at the same panel meeting, legislator Tony Tse who represents the architectural, surveying, planning and landscape sector, questioned whether those targets can be met.  "Whether we could really shorten the period by half, I think we have to wait and see. Because it really depends on the particular projects... as well as the officers handling such applications," he said.  The lawmaker added that he hopes officials can strike a balance between speeding up development and minimising the impact on the environment.  Amendments to the Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance will be tabled to Legco in the second quarter of next year.