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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and gentlemen, it's just 4 o'clock and I would like to call this meeting to order. I know Council will want me to congratulate Mr. Kenneth T. C. Lo on the honour bestowed on him by Her Majesty the Queen. It is very richly deserved. I wish him life-long success and happiness in the enjoyment of this and other honours to come. (Applause).
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 20th May, 1975 were confirmed.
(Mr. Alex S. C. WU arrived at this point.)
STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Nearly two decades ago the Council started working hard to get more open spaces for leisure and recreation. At that time, there were very few public facilities. Indeed, there were only 9 children's playgrounds then; there are now 236. In addition, there are no fewer than 538 courts, tracks, pitches and other facilities for active recreation as well as 34 swimming pools of various sizes in 7 different localities apart from 12 beaches on the Island. All such recreational amenities are found in just more than 1,000 acres of public open spaces in our city districts. I lay on the table a list in detail showing the position as it is today.
In these intervening years, the Council made strong and persistent representations to the Government for the allocation of more land, money and manpower to develop the parks, playgrounds, swimming pools and the sports facilities the community now enjoys. Since the Council became responsible for raising and spending its own money two years ago, this programme is being gradually stepped up. In fact, the backlog of projects is being cleared progressively and plans long in existence will be implemented. It may be expected that in due time the people will have many more such district and neighbourhood opportunities, if all goes well.
But, Hong Kong is densely populated. A great many people still live in intolerably overcrowded conditions. In both public and private housing, there is generally no land for leisure-time pursuits. In the recently built housing estates, the position is better, but it is still far from satisfactory. Unfortunately, most schools have little or no play facilities; certainly, few in the urban areas have them. Moreover, the mass of our population has no access to private recreational leases. Consequently, the Council decided from the start that in Hong Kong, because of scarce land and high values, only the public authorities could provide rest gardens and active recreation areas on any significant scale for the people to use in common. It would be unrealistic to expect that private enterprise could do so with advantage. Even with its then meagre resources the Council still went ahead to build public pleasure grounds in all urban districts wherever land was reserved for the purpose so that the people would be able to enjoy a more pleasant life in their own neighbourhoods. In consequence, all our effort has been concentrated on this basic programme. In this way the interest of the mass of our people would be served first.
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Nevertheless, the Council has not forgotten the need for sophisticated sports installations. Regrettably, a community of our standard of development and with the size of our population has none of even passable quality for the staging of major competitions and to hold other activities of interest to the public. Plans have long been made for them. But, if the Government did not have the will to build them in more prosperous days, what chance is there that they will do so now? Still, hope springs eternal in the human breast; so, we have not put our ambitions aside altogether but live in hope that in more propitious times our Government will remember that the people must also play, not only work all day. When the heavy building programme of district games halls, swimming pool complexes and more neighbourhood amenities is completed, this Council must set its sights again on the long-promised indoor stadium, the much-needed major football stadium, and a host of other sports requirements for community use.
Nearly twenty years have also passed since the question of public use of Service lands was raised. It has since been taken up from time to time. In fact, some such land has been relinquished for public recreation and is already being put to good use. A recent declaration by the Commander, British Forces, that some well-located urban land would be released in the near future calls for renewed action on the Council's part, not that we have ever allowed our claims to lapse. It is said that there will be 8 acres by Chatham Road, another 8 in Argyle Street and part of the 24 acres now a camp-site in Sham Shui Po. In fact, as the records show, the Council has long asked for such areas to be developed for community recreation. May we hope that the Government will not lose the great opportunity now coming up to make amends for the past and give the hard-working people of Hong Kong
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