The Administration understands the concerns raised by the North District councillors and residents regarding the proposed Sheung Shui poultry slaughtering plant, the Health, Welfare & Food Bureau says.

But the bureau reiterated that bringing poultry slaughtering activities together in a slaughtering plant would help achieve the policy objective of separating live poultry from humans as a means of reducing the risk of avian influenza.

The Government took into account various factors when identifying a site for the poultry slaughtering plant. The proposed site is close to the boundary with the Mainland and local poultry farms, which would shorten the route for transporting live chickens.

Also, basic infrastructure such as water and electricity supply and a sewage system is readily available (the proposed site is adjacent to the sewage treatment works in Shek Wu Hui).

The availability of  these facilities means the slaughtering plant can soon be operational, the bureau said.

As it is initially estimated that there will not be too many vehicles going to the plant, it is believed that the plant will not pose a significant impact on the traffic flow. Nevertheless, the Government will conduct a traffic impact assessment study regarding the proposed project.

It will also conduct a statutory environmental impact assessment study and ask the operator of the slaughtering plant to adopt design and measures that will lessen the impact on the environment and reduce the possibility of annoyance for nearby residents.

To minimsie the nuisance caused to the residents, the proposed slaughtering plant is expected to adopt an enclosed design and to install appropriate facilities for sewage treatment and discharge, air sterilisation and deodorisation, as well as noise insulation and silencing.

The bureau noted the district councillors and residents were worried about the risk of an avian influenza outbreak.

In fact, compared with the slaughtering methods currently used in wet markets, grouping poultry slaughtering activities in a slaughtering plant could reduce the risk of an avian influenza outbreak.

Moreover, samples will be taken from chickens for testing at farms and the boundary before the chickens are sent to the slaughtering plant as a means to ensure the health and safety of the chickens.

Since the chickens to be slaughtered will not be stocked for a long time at the plant, the chance of them spreading the virus would be greatly lowered. Therefore, there was no need for the public to worry in this respect.

The Government will continue to maintain close contact with the North District Council and the relevant rural committee on the proposal in a bid to gauge views from various parties during the planning process.