The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council Panel on Housing visited the Blissful Place of the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) in Hung Hom today (June 2) to learn about the latest work plans of the Senior Citizen Residences Scheme (the Scheme), and the residential, recreation, medical and care services provided for the elderly by the Blissful Place.

     Members first received a briefing by the Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of HKHS, Mr James Chan, on the Scheme and its third project Blissful Place. Members learnt that the Blissful Place also provides a residential care home for the elderly and rehabilitation service to achieve the ageing in place through the provision of support services to the residents and the community. They also understood the occupation arrangement of the project concerned.

     Members then toured the facilities of the Blissful Place including a sky garden and a clubhouse. Members also toured the show flats featured with various new age-friendly design such as low door curb, non-slip tiles and handrails inside toilet, movable kitchen cabinet to facilitate cooking by wheelchair users, as well as thematic colours design on each residential floor for easy identification by the elderly.

     Members participating in the visit were the Panel Chairman, Ir Dr Lo Wai-kwok; Deputy Chairman, Mr Leung Man-kwong; and Panel Member, Mr Michael Tien.

        

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (June 2) released the latest grading of water quality for 39 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay, see Note 2).
 
     Twenty-six beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1), 13 as Fair (Grade 2) and one as Poor (Grade 3).
 
Grade 1 beaches are:          

Grade 2 beaches are:

 
Grade 3 beach is:

     Compared with the grading released last week, Big Wave Bay Beach, Butterfly Beach, Golden Beach, Kadoorie Beach, Kwun Yam Beach, and Stanley Main Beach have been upgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 1, and Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach and Ting Kau Beach from Grade 3 to Grade 2.
 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.
 
     While the ratings represent the general water quality at the beaches, an EPD spokesman reminded members of the public that water quality could be temporarily affected during and after periods of heavy rain. Bathers should avoid swimming at beaches for up to three days after a storm or heavy rainfall.
 
     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.
 
Note 1: Lifeguard services are provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at 22 gazetted beaches, marked with an asterisk (*) above, from May 1.
 
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Friday, June 2, 2023 is 103.2 (down 0.6 against yesterday's index).

     Police today (June 2) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Tseung Kwan O.

     Lam Po-shing, aged 68, went missing after he left his residence on Po Hong Road yesterday (June 1) morning. His family reported to Police on the same day.

     He is about 1.7 metres tall, 70 kilograms in weight and of fat build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a pair of glasses, a light blue short-sleeved shirt, khaki shorts and dark-colored sandals.

      Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon East on 3661 0331 or 9886 0060 or email to rmpu-ke-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

  

     The Government gazetted today (June 2) the proposed road works to provide necessary infrastructure to the second phase of Yuen Long South Development.

     Details of the proposal are set out in the Annex. The plans and scheme of the works are available for public inspection at the following government offices during office hours:

Central and Western Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
G/F, Harbour Building,
38 Pier Road, Central, Hong Kong

Yuen Long Home Affairs Enquiry Centre,
G/F, Yuen Long District Office Building,
269 Castle Peak Road, Yuen Long, New Territories
 
District Lands Office, Yuen Long,
9/F, Yuen Long Government Offices,
2 Kiu Lok Square, Yuen Long, New Territories

     The gazette notice, scheme, plans, resumption plan and location plan are available at
www.tlb.gov.hk/eng/publications/transport/gazette/gazette.html.      
 
     Any person who wishes to object to the works or the use, or both, is required to address to the Secretary for Transport and Logistics an objection in writing, which can be submitted via one of the following means:
 

• By post or by hand to the Transport and Logistics Bureau's Drop-in Box No. 6 located at the entrance on 2/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong. The box is available for use between 8am and 7pm from Monday to Friday (except public holidays);
• By fax to 2868 4643; or
• By email to gazettetlb@tlb.gov.hk.

     A notice of objection should describe the objector's interest and the manner in which he or she alleges that he or she will be affected by the works or the use. Objectors are requested to provide contact details to facilitate communication. A notice of objection should be delivered to the Secretary for Transport and Logistics not later than the August 1, 2023.