Macau Yearbook 2013 - Macao Yearbook

Overview of the Macao Special Administrative Region in 2012Five Streets – Rua da Emenda, Rua do Lu Cao, Rua de Brás da Rosa, Rua de Tomé Pires and Ruado Rebanho – was implemented in phases. Part-time pedestrian zones were set up to eliminatepotential safety hazards and maintain order in the hawker areas, creating a safe and comfortableliving and business environment for residents and retailers.In the realm of environmental protection, the Government introduced a number of new policiesand initiatives in 2012 to ensure healthy development of the living environment in Macao. Forinstance, through continuous improvement the leakage rate of water pipelines dropped to about8.8 percent reaching the goal set in the Macao Water Conservation Plan.Several environmental protection policies such as the by-law on Standard Limits of ExhaustEmissions for Imported New Vehicles were introduced, and efforts were made to educate the publicto make efficient use of resources and to encourage society to use renewable energy.In February, the solar photovoltaic system pilot project at Edíficio Hou Kong commencedoperation. At the same time, the natural gas pipeline network, which helped to safeguard the energysupply necessary to meet the demands of Macao residents, officially came into use.Improving coordination and response capability to cope withemergenciesThe Sin Fong Garden incident in October demonstrated the Government’s efforts in enhancing itsemergency response mechanism as well as its determination to put people first in tackling problems.On 10 October 2012, cracks were found in the main columns of the 30-storey residential buildingSin Fong Garden, prompting an evacuation of 140 households. The Government was highlyconcerned about the incident and Chief Executive Chui Sai On kick-started an inter-departmentalresponse mechanism following an on-site inspection in person of the scene.The Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau immediately requested the adjacent constructionsite to cease operation, and required the contractor to take provisional measures to reinforce thebuilding’s structure. After confirming that the building was not in imminent risk of collapse, theresidents of Sin Fong Garden were allowed to enter the building in batches to fetch basic necessitiesfrom their homes. Emergency subsidies were later disbursed by the Social Welfare Bureau tothe affected residents for their immediate needs. At the same time, the Lands, Public Works andTransport Bureau continued to monitor and examine the building, and commenced long-termstructural strengthening works to ensure the safety of the residents of the neighborhood.In handling the incident, the Government stressed that public safety was the first priority and greatimportance was attached to seamless cooperation in the inter-departmental response mechanism.Following this incident, the Emergency Response Committee headed by the Chief Executive wasestablished. It is charged with coordinating, instructing and monitoring public entities in handlingall kinds of emergencies in a bid to raise the Government’s response capability.79