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MR. TONG (in Cantonese):—Even Dr. HUANG has said that the situation is improving and that people are also liable to prosecution, but could the Urban Council take a more positive step, such as taking stricter enforcement action, raising penalty or patrolling the Crown land sites more frequently? In 1984-85, we have been given $2 million to do the job, and if we do a good job, then we can educate the general public and at the same time we can also save some money. Would the Urban Council consider the matter along this line?
Dr. Huang (in Cantonese):-The Crown land sites are rather numerous in urban areas and there is a lot of local dumping going on and usually done in the middle of the night. In other words, unless we have a 24-hour a day patrol it would be impossible for us to stop people dumping illegally in the middle of the night. Of course, if we get the agreement of the Lands Department to pay all costs, then we can put a 24-hour patrol on all sites but I suspect that we will have a lot of difficulties.
MR. SZEKELY (in English):—Do we, in fact, know whether the $2 million is sufficient to cover our present expenses?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-I cannot really give you the details here. But I think that $2 million is the amount asked for by the Urban Services Department and agreed by the Lands Department, I suppose that it should be sufficient. But if we were to have a 24-hour patrol in all Crown lands sites, it would be quite impossible.
MISS YEUNG (in Cantonese):-Can we fence off the sites? Then we do not have to patrol these sites for 24 hours.
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-We have tried that method but it is very easy for them to cut a hole in the mesh.
MISS YEUNG (in Cantonese):-Perhaps the foremen and the workers can give us a report and then we can therefore mend the fence and can also prosecute people who cut the fence deliberately, can this be done?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-Well, usually when they start dumping, the foremen are already off duty, so unless we have a night shift, it would be impossible for us to find out. (laughter)
MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I think the Crown land sites are located within the different districts, could we therefore co-operate and work together with the Districts Boards? So that, they can help us to monitor the situation and to prevent illegal dumping in their respective Crown land sites. Also could we work with the District Boards now if the Crown land sites had been left vacant for a long long time, and could we possibly give it to the District Boards for temporary use? So that they will not be used as dumping sites.
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):----Mr. Chairman, the first point is whether we can work more closely with the District Boards and this is done. In fact, we do have Urban Services Officers who are working very closely with District Boards. Of course, we can liaise with the District Boards whenever we want to.
The second point is whether the vacant Crown land sites can be given to District Boards for temporary use such as a sitting out area etc. I feel that it is Urban Council policy that if the site is to be developed within the next five years, we do not waste our money to develop the site into a sitting out area for instance, because it is not cost effective. Now, as to whether we can hand the sites over to District Boards. I think we will have to review our policy in the future because then there is also the maintenance costs for instance that will have to consider; this, of course, can be considered but I do not think I can give you a yes or no answer immediately.
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