For discussion
PWSC(98-99)22
on 7 October 1998

ITEM FOR PUBLIC WORKS SUBCOMMITTEE
OF FINANCE COMMITTEE

Members are invited to recommend to Finance Committee the upgrading of 224ES, 225ES, 226ES, 227ES, 228ES, 229ES and 231ES to Category A at an estimated total cost of $933.3 million in money-of-the-day prices for the construction of seven secondary schools, one in Yau Ma Tei, one in Tsing Yi, two in Sha Tin, one in Kwun Tong, one in Siu Sai Wan and one in Tai Kok Tsui.

PROBLEM

There are not enough secondary schools to meet the increase in demand for new school places and to eliminate floating classes at secondary schools by the school year 2000/01.

PROPOSAL

2. The Director of Architectural Services (D Arch S), with the support of the Secretary for Education and Manpower, proposes to upgrade the following projects to Category A at an estimated total cost of $933.3 million in money-of-the-day (MOD) prices -

PROJECT SCOPE AND NATURE

3. The seven secondary schools will adopt the latest design and schedule of accommodation for standard secondary schools to be completed from year 2000 onwards (Year 2000 design). Each school will have -

1. 30 classrooms;

2. 16 special rooms, including a computer room, a computer-assisted learning room and a language room;

3. three remedial teaching rooms;

4. a guidance activity/interview room;

5. two interview rooms;

6. staff rooms and a staff common room;

7. a student activity centre;

8. a conference room;

9. a library;

10. an assembly hall;

11. a multi-purpose area; and

12. ancillary accommodation including a lift and relevant facilities for the handicapped.

JUSTIFICATION

4. D of E forecasts that to meet new demand and to eliminate floating classes, 725 additional secondary classes will be required in the territory by the school year 2000/01. This requirement for additional secondary classes will grow to 953 by the school year 2001/02. 19 secondary school projects planned for completion by or before the school year 2000/01 have been upgraded to Category A. The seven school projects proposed in this paper together with the 19 schools already upgraded to Category A will provide 752 classes. We plan to meet the projected shortfalls in future through further school construction projects.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

5. We estimate the capital cost of 224ES, 225ES, 226ES, 227ES, 228ES, 229ES and 231ES to be $142.8 million, $117 million, $155.4 million, $124.6 million, $122.2 million, $128 million and $143.3 million respectively in MOD prices (see paragraphs 6 and 7 below), made up as follows -

The construction floor area for each of the seven schools is 12 115 square metres. The respective construction unit costs of the projects are shown at the Enclosure. D Arch S considers the estimated construction costs reasonable. A comparison of the standard cost of a secondary school with the project estimates for these projects is also at the Enclosure.

6. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure for 224ES, 225ES, 226ES and 227ES as follows -

7. Subject to approval, we will phase the expenditure for 228ES, 229ES and 231ES as follows -

8. We derived the MOD estimates on the basis of Government's forecast of trend labour and construction prices for the period 1998 to 2002. We will tender the works under fixed price lump-sum contracts because we can clearly define the scope of works in advance, leaving little room for uncertainty.

9. We estimate the additional annually recurrent expenditure for each school to be $36.6 million.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

10. We consulted the Community Building Committee of the Yau Tsim Mong Provisional District Board on 224ES and 231ES in August 1998; the Community Affairs Committee of the Kwai Tsing Provisional District Board on 225ES in August 1998; the Education and Welfare Committee of the Sha Tin Provisional District Board on 226ES and 227ES in September 1998; the Social Services Committee of the Kwun Tung Provisional District Board on 228ES in July 1998 and the Community Building Committee of the Eastern Provisional District Board on 229ES in July 1998. Members supported the projects.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

11. The consultants engaged by D Arch S completed the Preliminary Environmental Reviews (PERs) on 224ES in February 1998, 225ES and 226ES in March 1998, 227ES in April 1998 and 228ES, 229ES and 231ES in May 1998. The Director of Environment Protection vetted the PERs and concluded that no Environmental Impact Assessment was necessary for any of the seven projects. We will implement the following environmental mitigation measures to keep the road traffic noise impact on the proposed schools within the limits stipulated in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines -

We have included the cost of these mitigation measures in the project estimates.

12. We will control noise, dust and site run-off nuisances during construction in accordance with established standards and guidelines through the implementation of mitigation measures under the relevant contracts.

LAND ACQUISITION

13. None of the seven projects require land acquisition.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

14. We upgraded 224ES, 225ES, 226ES, 227ES, 228ES, 229ES and 231ES to Category B in September 1998.

15. D Arch S has completed site investigations for the seven projects. We are finalising the working drawings and tender documents for these projects using in-house staff resources. We plan to start the construction works for these projects in January 1999 for completion in August 2000.

Education and Manpower Bureau
September 1998

(KK330)

Enclosure to PWSC(98-99)22

* Assumptions for standard cost

1. The estimation is based on the assumption that the school site is uncomplicated and without abnormal environmental restrictions. No allowance is reserved for specific environmental restrictions such as the provision of insulated windows, air-conditioning and solid boundary walls to mitigate noise impacts on the school.

2. No site formation works/geotechnical works are required as they are normally carried out by other government departments under a separate engineering vote before handing-over of the project site to the Architectural Services Department for school construction.

3. Piling cost is based on 138 numbers of steel H-piles at an average depth of 30 metres, on the assumption that percussive piling is permissible. It also includes costs for pile caps, strap beams and testing. No allowance is reserved for the effect of negative skin friction due to fill on reclaimed land.

4. Cost for drainage and external works is for a standard secondary school built on an average level site of 6 950 square metres without complicated geotechnical conditions, utility diversions, etc. (i.e. a greenfield site).

5. No consultancy services are required.

6. Furniture and equipment costs are excluded as they are usually borne by the sponsoring body of an aided school.

7. The standard cost for comparison purpose is subject to review regularly. We will review, and revise if necessary, the standard cost which should be adopted for future projects.

Notes

A. For 228ES, the school platform is located below an existing slope which will be allocated to the Education Department. As a consequence of the school development, the Geotechnical Engineering Office of the Civil Engineering Department requires additional slope stabilisation measures to be carried out at an estimated cost of $4.6 million. These measures, comprise mainly of a grid of soil nails, are required to meet the current standard for slope safety and must be in place prior to the occupation of the school.

B. Piling costs for the proposed schools are adjusted to suit individual site conditions and are based on the use of the following -

C. The building costs for all the seven schools are higher because of the provision of insulated windows as a noise mitigation measure.

D. The building services costs for all the seven schools are higher because of the provision of air-conditioning as a noise mitigation measure.

F. As the new schools will be operated as aided schools, individual sponsoring bodies will bear the costs of furniture and equipment, estimated at $9.2 million for each school.

(KK330)