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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
2. MRS. E. ELLIOTT asked the following question (in English):-The residents of Nullah Road, Mong Kok, have strongly objected to the erection of an R.C.P. on Nullah Road, because of the danger of careless dumping causing smell, fire-risk, traffic congestion, flooding in monsoon weather, and other factors.Why has this busy thoroughfare been chosen for such a project?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): This question refers to a proposal to build a permanent refuse collection point in Nullah Road, Mong Kok.
The area of Mong Kok bounded by Prince Edward Road, Nullah Road, Argyle Street and Sai Yee Street is serviced by a temporary on-street refuse collection point situated at the northern end of Fa Yuen Street. The Urban Services Department collects about 850 baskets or 21 tonnes of refuse and 17 tonnes of junk from this point every day in a virtually continuous operation between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. This situation has long been the source of legitimate complaint from residents, shop-keepers and cooked food stall operators in the area and there is a clear need for the collection point to be reprovisioned. In view of the difficulty of carting refuse across the four major roads which I have referred to and the large number of private refuse collectors, estimated at about 600 who deliver refuse to the collection point every day, it is essential that reprovisioning should be within the area I have described. Unfortunately, it is almost entirely built up and there is little or no vacant space on which a permanent refuse collection point could be built.
After much difficulty, the department has identified two possible sites. The first of these is part of the rest garden between Nullah Road and Prince Edward Road, and the second is an area now used for car parking in the centre of Nullah Road itself.
Initially, the department suggested that part of the rest garden site should be converted into a collection point. However, there were objections from residents in the neighbourhood and the proposal would mean a substantial loss of amenity space in the vicinity which could not be replaced anywhere else. In addition, conditions imposed by the Transport Department and the Police would have made it difficult to operate a refuse collection point on this site. On the other hand, there would not be the same objection on traffic grounds to the Nullah Road site and there would be no loss of amenity space. However, there have been objections to the Nullah Road site from residents of nearby buildings.
There is no doubt that a proper permanent refuse collection point is needed in the area and the objections to the Nullah Road site do not seem to be well-founded. The new collection point will be of a modern design and it is proposed that smell from it should be reduced by the provision of carbon filters in the ventilating system. These have proved to be successful in other places. The fire risk is minimal, particularly since the building would be standing on its own in the centre of the street. The possibility of flooding is remote and the building will be constructed in such a way that it does not interfere with drainage. Finally, traffic congestion could be reduced by the elimination of the illegal parking which now blocks both sides of the road.
I realize that no one wants a refuse collection point near to their residence or their place of work. Nevertheless, refuse collection points have to be provided somewhere and this is part of the statutory duties of the Urban Council. Although residents in the Nullah Road area have objected to the proposed site, they themselves will benefit from the provision of a properly constructed facility and provided that it is properly managed, I believe that any nuisance that it may cause will be very limited.
Members will recall that the alternatives were considered by the Standing Committee of the Whole Council before a decision was taken to go ahead on the Nullah Road site. At that time, the Council was satisfied that there was no viable alternative which would meet the needs of the area as a whole and this is still the case.
MRS. ELLIOTT (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I realize that the situation at the moment is bad and something must be changed. But since the people in Prince Edward Road who had complained have been successful, it's natural the people in Nullah Road will feel that they also are going to complain because it's just the same rule for them as for those in Prince Edward Road. I'd like to ask the Chairman, therefore, if he would make some arrangements to go with the representatives of the Nullah Road area residents to look around and consider what they say, maybe they can suggest some places more viable. They said they've met the Chairman earlier and that he dismissed them without considering what they were suggesting. Therefore, I suggest that he should go with them and if they realize there is no other place, maybe they will accept it, maybe they have some better suggestions.
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, if Mrs. ELLIOTT had been to the place, I wonder if she would still raise that question. I have been there twice and I suppose that there could be no other possible sites other than the two mentioned. Actually, we started in July 1979 to find a suitable site and our former Chairman, many members and the last Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee have all been there. We do not propose Nullah Road just because the residents from Prince Edward Road objected to it. We consider that the site in Nullah Road would cause less traffic congestion than in major roads like Prince Edward Road, and Nullah Road is a road between two major roads with a lot of illegal parking. So, I personally think that we do not have to reconsider it. We have considered it thoroughly enough and after all these years, I think we do not have to find another place.
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