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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
In the field of sports and recreation, improved designs and materials have been introduced in new facilities. The first artificial turf hockey ground in Hong Kong is being constructed at King's Park whilst an artificial turf full-size football pitch at Boundary Street is ready for action. A new method of constructing natural grass pitches is being tried on two soccer pitches in Happy Valley Sports Ground with the kind assistance of the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. It is hoped that this new method will produce a natural turf that can withstand the very heavy usage of these facilities and eliminate the dust bowl aspect at Happy Valley.
Amenity areas in many parts of Hong Kong and Kowloon are being given careful landscaping and planting by our staff. These can be seen at major roads and thoroughfares as well as in the space beneath flyovers. The next time you happen to pass Cotton Tree Drive, Gascoigne Road or Princess Margaret Road, spare a moment to enjoy the natural beauty of the plants and trees within the midst of the hard concrete setting of our urban areas. Geotechnical problems covering the stability of slopes on a number of sites intended mainly for development of passive recreation areas continue to impose a heavy commitment on us in terms of treatment to slopes and subsequent maintenance. In some cases, we have had to reduce the scope of development in order to reduce the costs of slope works. In other cases, due to technical difficulties as well as substantial costs of slope works, we have had to give up development despite the heavy public demands for recreation.
The return of sites used by the Mass Transit Railway for works areas during its construction is indeed most timely. Examples of these include Chater Garden Stage II and Admiralty Garden in Hong Kong, as well as parts of Kowloon Park and Morse Park in Kowloon. We will make a special effort in the coming year to develop these areas.
Close liaison and good co-operation are maintained with the Architectural Office and the Crown Lands and Survey Office, and I would like to acknowledge their valuable contribution to my Committee. Other branches of the Public Works Department have continued to assist us and I look forward to their support in the future. Last but not least, I would like to thank the staff of the Planning and Development Division of the Urban Services Department who provide the essential services to implement our decisions.
Turning to public housing; in December the Housing Authority opened its 100th rental housing estate since the housing programme began 26 years ago. This is On Ting, at Tuen Mun, and is the 5th to be opened in that fast developing New Town.
Housing production is now running at 35,000 flats a year for which 53 construction and associated contracts will have been awarded this financial year at an estimated total cost of over $3 billion. Next year we have 58 contracts in the pipeline so far with an estimated value of $4 billion.
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Seven Home Ownership Scheme estates have been opened, including one built under the Private Sector Participation Scheme, and 11 more are presently under construction.
The Authority attempts to safeguard the rights of families on the Waiting List vis-a-vis the very heavy requirements for other special categories such as clearances, disasters, redevelopment and so forth. In the last financial year nearly 11,000 families from the Waiting List were housed - the biggest slice from the housing pie to be given to this category for some years and a trend the Authority will continue in the future whenever practicable.
Housing for the elderly received a boost this year through a special quota of 300 flats for individual groups of three related or unrelated eligible people over the age of 60.
This quota will be continued as will the setting up of hostels for the elderly on all new estates.
Then, the vexed question of recreation facilities on housing estates. Although space on public housing estates is limited, all new estates do provide a reasonable mix of active and passive areas. In the planning of open space, priority is given to quiet areas for the older residents and playgrounds for young children, although facilities for certain minor sports, i.e. basket and volley ball, badminton and table tennis are provided for teenagers and young adults. However, those who wish to participate in more active sporting events requiring more space will have to wait for the construction of major district sporting facilities, many under planning by this Council in the Urban areas. But it seems the New Territories is lagging far behind the minimum standards set by this Council, and whoever is responsible might like to apply to you, Mr. Chairman, for some advice on the subject.
In the field of environmental protection, considerable advances have been made over this past year. Members may be aware that the Waste Disposal Ordinance was enacted in February 1980 and the Water Pollution Control Ordinance in July 1980. The final draft of the Air Pollution Control Bill has been agreed to and will go to ExCo shortly, and the Noise Control Bill is now in the process of being drafted. These pieces of legislation have generated a fair amount of work for EPCOM and its subject committees on Land & Water, Noise and Air Pollution, on which the Council has represented.
In 1980, EPCOM discussed a wide range of subjects, apart from the environmental legislation to which I referred earlier. These included the World Conservation Strategy, Landscaping aspects of the new Towns Development Programme and the Broadwood Road Re-development, and the pollution caused by smoking vehicles and cigarette smoking. EPCOM continued to monitor the progress of the Hongkong Electric Co. Ltd. Lamma Power Station project, particularly with regard to its landscaping implications.
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