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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Urban Council 1979 Accomplishments
At last year's Annual Convention Debate, I laid on the table a copy of The United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child. During 1979, the Urban Council, in cooperation with the voluntary agencies, sponsored numerous activities in support of the Year of the Child in the sports, recreation, and cultural fields. A list of such activities is laid on the table.
Last month, the Council opened the Bowrington Road Market Complex in Wan Chai with its modern facilities for selling fish, meat, vegetables, etc. This Market Complex has an attractive and hygienic Cooked Food Centre on the second floor, where economically priced meals are prepared for consumption by customers from all walks of life. Also, the rooftop of the Complex is being used as a Roof Garden and Children's playground. There are other Market Complexes in the pipeline, and we hope that these Complexes will provide District residents with an even wider variety of services and recreation.
Outstanding among the Urban Council's achievements are the annually held Asian Arts Festival and the International Film Festival. We hope that in the not too distant future, there will be participation by China as a cultural giant in Asia.
Through the medium of these two Festivals, the Urban Council plays a significant role in stimulating the appreciation of and active participation by Hong Kong residents in cultural activities. These Festivals build goodwill and understanding among the peoples of Asia. In particular, the Asian Arts Festival cements Asian cultural ties and may well be the fore-runner of greater things to come within Asia and the Pacific Basin.
Last year, the Urban Council successfully sponsored for the first time a Chinese Literary Week, as part of its overall plan to foster Chinese culture. We hope to enlarge on this effort in 1980.
1980/1981 Projects
With a budget of $770.6 million for the 1980/1981 financial year, the Urban Council's principal objective is to improve the living environment of the 4 million people residing in the urban areas.
Improvement of public health and hygiene stands at the top of the Urban Council's responsibilities. Through Council Select Committees, there will be no let-up in enforcing the policies laid down to keep our streets clean and free from rubbish and to strengthen public cooperation in the 1980 'Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign'.
In the coming financial year, the Council will give more deliberate effort to improve the living environment at the district level. Now that Kwun Tong District has a Management Committee set up by the Central Government, the Urban Council will fully cooperate by pressing ahead with the completion
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
during the next 3-5 years of the 35 large and small projects for this District of over three-quarter million people.
U.N. International Year for Disabled Persons
1981 has been designated as the United Nations International Year for Disabled Persons. As we did for the U.N. Year of the Child, I hope that the Council will sponsor, with the support of interested voluntary agencies, an extensive range of recreation, sports, and cultural activities for Hong Kong's disabled community.
Since it takes time to plan such activities, I suggest that planning starts early, as quite a number of countries have already commenced planning in this respect since July 1979.
Recreation
In recreation, sports, and culture, the Council will forge ahead to provide our 4 million urban residents with a wider range and higher standards of facilities and services.
There is still a great shortage of open space for active recreation in the urban areas. At the recent painting exhibition of young people held to commemorate the Year of the Child, it was noted that of the more than 2,000 entries received, well over 80% depicted scenes having to do with outdoor activity.
Now that Victoria Barracks is open to the public, I suggest that the Council encourage greater use of this sizeable area during holidays and on weekends. It is doubtful whether many residents know that Victoria Barracks is open to the general public.
Sports
The Queen Elizabeth Stadium will formally open in the middle of this year, and the Urban Council will usher in a new phase in the development of sports by providing central offices for sports associations at a nominal charge.
The Council intends to positively support these Associations by way of additional grants for top-quality training and coaching and for the continued sponsoring in Hong Kong of regional and international sports meetings and competitions.
Culture
The Urban Council Libraries provide on a district level a wide range of books for borrowing without charge. These libraries have other services such as study-rooms, mini-museums, lectures, video shows, children's hours, housewives' interest clubs, etc.
While we in Hong Kong would not want to make compulsory the learning and speaking of Mandarin, it should be possible for Mandarin language
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