The FOBC is submitting its comments on the draft Environmental Management Construction Site Regulations 2007 to the government.

The FOBC notes with pleasure that the government has finally accepted the various recommendations it has been making on the subject since 2001. In fact, the draft recommendations include many of the suggestions made last year by the Building Industry Consultative Committee (BICC) Technical Committee on Construction Work in Tourist Designated Areas that was chaired by the FOBC president.

The main objection of the FOBC to the draft Regulations concern the applicability of the proposed Regulations, initially only to large construction work and only to designated, mostly tourist oriented, areas. The FOBC is of the view that small construction work relatively contribute as much as, if not more than, large work to the general environmental degradation and neighbour nuisance. The FOBC therefore is recommending that these regulations should be applied to all construction work irrespective of size.