Page 97 of 154
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
sion and sometimes agreement is never reached at all. However, as Chairman of the Hawkers Select Committee, I find my job a satisfactory one, if somewhat exasperating at times, and I would like to take this opportunity of thanking my Council colleagues, and the responsible members of U.S.D., Home Affairs, Police and Traffic Department who have attended our meetings for their efforts throughout 1975.
I also take this opportunity to thank all my Council colleagues in particular the Secretary of the Council and colleagues of U.S.D. for their unfailing support and guidance to me for the discharge of my duties during the past year as a Councillor and as a Vice-Chairman of the Council. With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have the pleasure in seconding the Motion.
MR. B. A. BERNACCHI (in English): Once again comes the time for our Annual Conventional debate. As Chairman of the Finance Select Committee, I am happy to report that our finances are at present in a sound state, and that we have embarked upon a building programme concerning all aspects of our work. This is at a time when the Central Government itself is cutting back on capital projects and thus we can call upon the assistance of more of the staff of the Public Works Department, and at the same time building contractors are still very reasonable in their tenders for capital projects. Of course we have our problems: hawkers in particular, and I can only say that during the coming year we must find a way to spend our money more wisely in respect to this difficult problem so that the hawkers, their customers, the shop-keepers and the general public of Hong Kong all get a fair deal and at not an extraordinary excessive cost to the Council in keeping the Hawker Liaison and Control forces.
I now want to concentrate on the subject of allocating land in Tsim Sha Tsui to the Urban Council's use and to build a Civic Centre. The idea of a Civic Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui on the space that will be vacated by the Railway was originated by this Council now several years ago. When subsequently the question of a permanent museum and art gallery building came under review, we eventually succeeded in getting the Central Government to agree that it will be one of the buildings in the Civic Centre and thereafter deliberately turned down a vacant building on Hong Kong Island that is now mainly occupied by the Transport Department. A few months ago the Urban Council agreed to relieve the Central Government of its obligation to bear the cost of building a planetarium for us as one of the buildings of the Civic Centre, by undertaking to build it with our own funds. The Cultural Complex Sub-Committee has been meeting frequently over the past 2 years about this planetarium on the understanding that the land would be made available to the Urban Council when we are ready to build. We are now ready to build. The construction work for the foundations is almost ready to go out for tender. We expected that the Government would formally make over to the Council at least the site of the planetarium last week or this week. Now we hear rumours that the Government has no intention at present to make over the land, that it will have to come through the Town Planning Board and that anyhow the area may be wanted for public transport purposes.
Public Transport purposes indeed! When the terminus of the Railway has been moved to Hung Hom already despite the fact that passengers have to carry their luggage for about an hour's walk because the Government has no ferry piers near to the station and at present does not look like erecting one either! About 25 years ago, the Abercrombe Report which was adopted, recommended Hung Hom as the centre and terminus of public transport, so that Tsim Sha Tsui would merely be another stopping place, no more. And to top it all, when we have had committees sitting for 2 or 3 years on the planetarium to the Government's knowledge, when we have the equipment already bought 18 months ago, we hear these rumours at the last minute that we may not be able to go ahead with the planetarium. If that happens it will be a positive disaster to the people of Hong Kong, for too little is being done for the amusement and education of Hong Kong citizens, but too much is being done in almost worship of the god, money. The planetarium is to be a composite building, where the citizens can be instructed and shown the stars above us, but the building also to be used at times for concerts and general cultural activities. It is terrible if we now find that all our work is virtually wasted because of Government red-tape.
This has happened before, I always remember when the Urban Council was still housed in the Post Office Building, the use of this present chamber (then under construction) came up for discussion. The then official Chairman, Mr. RICHARDS, giving a solemn undertaking on behalf of the Government that its use would only be temporary until the central reclamation was completed, when a whole Municipal Building would be erected to take both the Urban Council and the Urban Services Department. Where is this municipal building now? Answer: sold to commercial interests. What a paltry display of democratic Government in Hong Kong, when the Urban Council is the only body to be even partially elected, and I hope that it will not be treated in this way again. Too much does Hong Kong as an entity continue to be a semi-police state whose only real interest seems to
Page 99 of 154
161
160