17
Recreation
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THE programme to provide recreational facilities has been gathering momentum in recent years as the existing facilities become strained from over-use. Every effort is made to develop even the smallest plot of spare land into a recreational area to benefit the public. As a result, amenities vary from small playgrounds and gardens serving an immediate locality, to large parks incorporating a wide range of facilities. The 37-acre park at Kowloon Tsai is a good example of the latter. First opened in June 1964, it has gradually been developed by stages until today it comprises a swimming pool complex, large garden areas for strolling, a children's playground, a miniature golf-course, a running track, four grass soccer pitches, a roller-skating rink, two car parks and four tennis courts. Other facilities at Kowloon Tsai Park include a pavilion, a refreshment kiosk, toilets and changing rooms, while further improvements in the future will provide basketball, volleyball and badminton courts.
Projects completed during the year include playgrounds at the Shek Kip Mei service reservoir (8.6 acres) and the Ho Man Tin East service reservoir (7.4 acres); along with many small playgrounds, several inside government low-cost housing and resettlement estates.
The Urban Council has many ambitious projects in the planning stage. These include Hong Kong's first velodrome and sports training centre at Causeway Bay to provide both indoor and outdoor athletic training facilities. Other projects will provide the Kowloon Indoor Stadium at Hung Hom, and a large football stadium at Ho Man Tin with a seating capacity for 35,000 spectators.
Apart from continuing its policy of promoting sports by leasing land at nominal rents to non-profit-making recreation clubs, the government has established a Sports Subvention Allocation Committee which distributes funds to recognised organisations to enable them to organise sports events in Hong Kong or to participate in overseas competitions. At the same time the government is also considering ways and means of providing more positive direction in the co-ordination of sport and physical recreation.
The Urban Council, working through the Urban Services Department, builds and administers recreational facilities in the urban areas. In the New Territories, this responsibility rests with the Director of Urban Services working closely with the Dis- trict Commissioner. During the year, 14.29 acres of public open space were provided throughout the New Territories. These include the 6.2-acre Fanling Recreation Ground, which will later be extended to incorporate a swimming pool complex.
In June, the government announced that it had approved, in principle, a $33 million plan to develop other recreational facilities. The main features of the plan are