District-led Actions Scheme (Yau Tsim Mong District)
Together we fight the virus –
Yau Tsim Mong District Office has enhanced cleansing of buildings
In order to assist buildings with confirmed cases of COVID-19 or buildings subject to compulsory testing notices, the Home Affairs Department (“HAD”) has arranged for cleansing contractors to conduct one-off cleansing at common parts of affected buildings since 25 January 2021. The targets of the scheme are “three-nil” buildings, buildings (albeit with management bodies) which are poorly managed, and buildings with poor environmental hygiene condition.
As at 31 March 2021, the Yau Tsim Mong District Office (“YTMDO”) has already cleansed the common parts of 292 buildings with confirmed cases.
This scheme is intended to be tied in with the HAD’s Yau Tsim Mong District-led Actions Scheme – Cleansing of Common Parts of Buildings in Yau Tsim Mong District, and the cleansing exercise by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (“FEHD”) for premises with confirmed cases. As special measures to fight the virus, the HAD will continue to work with the FEHD in enhancing pest control and cleansing of streets and alleys in the vicinity of affected buildings.
Yau Tsim Mong District-led Actions Scheme
Background
According to the Chief Executive’s 2016 Policy Address, the Government suggested implementing the District-led Actions Scheme (“DAS”) in 18 districts to further take forward the concept of “addressing district issues at the local level and capitalising on local opportunities”. District Management Committees, after consulting District Councils, shall decide on specific details of the scheme.
The YTMDO continued to implement two projects under the DAS in 2021-22, namely, the “Fire Safety Direction Support Service Scheme” and the “Cleansing of Common Parts of Buildings”.
(1) Fire Safety Direction Support Service Scheme
The YTMDO implemented a “Fire Safety Direction Support Service Pilot Scheme” from July 2018 to September 2019, which was later extended for 6 months to March 2020. In April 2020, the “Fire Safety Direction Support Service Scheme” (“the Scheme”) was formally launched to provide fire safety support services to about 200 target buildings in the district. The implementation of the Scheme is tentatively scheduled to the end of 2022 (subject to the outcome of the tender).
The Scheme is intended to provide support services to buildings aged 30 years or more in the district, and to assist property owners in dealing with Fire Safety Directions (“FSDs”) and appointing a Registered Inspector or an Authorised Person to carry out building inspection and/or fire safety works, so as to enhance fire safety facilities and equipment at the common parts of buildings. At the same time, the Scheme will assist property owners of target buildings in applying for the Fire Safety Improvement Works Subsidy Scheme of the Urban Renewal Authority.
During the implementation of the Scheme, the YTMDO has conducted about 200 household visits to the target buildings in order to understand the preferences of property owners towards the compliance of FSDs, and to recruit residents as Resident Liaison Ambassadors. Personnel members of the Scheme will follow up on those property owners who are eager to implement fire safety works.
As for education and publicity, apart from conducting household visits and distributing leaflets and souvenirs, the YTMDO has also organised various activities, including a workshop and guide tour on “How to Know More about Fire Safety Works”, an experience-sharing session on “Problems Encountered during the Implementation of Fire Safety Improvement Works”, a seminar on “How to Effectively Carry Out Fire Safety Improvement Works”, and a seminar on “Fire Prevention and Safety of Buildings”. All of these activities are aimed at increasing the understanding of participants on the compliance of FSDs, and similar activities will continue to be organised.
(2) Cleansing of Common Parts of Buildings
“Cleansing of Common Parts of Buildings” (“the Project”) was implemented in 2016-17 and 2017-18, and was re-activated in 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the YTMDO continued to implement the Project in 2021-22 starting from May onwards for 6 months to carry out one-off cleansing operations at the common parts of 100-120 (tentatively) “three-nil” buildings or buildings with defunct management bodies in the district. The cleansing service covers building entrances, stairways, rooftops and other common areas, and through which, the YTMDO aims to raise the owners’ awareness of environmental hygiene of their buildings, and let them know that they should shoulder the responsibility of their own premises, so as to reduce the health hazard caused by environmental hygiene problems, such as rodent and mosquito infestation.
The YTMDO’s household visits after the cleansing service were suspended due to the epidemic. However, its staff members will insert questionnaires, enrolment forms of Resident Liaison Ambassadors (RLAs) and educational information on building management and cleanliness into residents’ letterboxes in order to collect residents’ views on forming/re-activating residents’ organisations, and encourage them to actively participate in building management, register as Resident Liaison Ambassadors or form/re-activate residents’ organisations, so as to enhance the quality of building management in the long run. The YTMDO will provide information on building management to RLAs in due course and will invite them to participate in various seminars and courses on building management so as to raise their awareness on building management.
In addition, the YTMDO also coordinates with the FEHD to strengthen anti-mosquito and anti-rodent work at nearby back alleys and streets. Coupled with education and publicity, the Project also serves to prevent the spread of dengue fever and the breeding of rodents.
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