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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): This question refers to the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village, which is situated in the Regional Council area, and asks whether the Urban Council would consider building its own holiday village on suitable Urban Council sites or in former barracks in the urban area.
Prior to April 1985 the Recreation and Culture Department of Government was responsible for arranging for residents of the urban area to attend organized day and residential camps at the Lady MacLehose Holiday Village and in 1984/85 3,600 urban residents took part in these activities at the Village.
As Members will know, the Recreation and Culture department disbanded in April 1985 when the Urban Council took over responsibility for recreation and sports services for urban residents. Since then the Urban Council has continued to arrange for urban residents to stay at the Lady MacLehose Village. For example, 3,600 people from the urban area stayed at the Village under the auspices of the Urban Council in 1985/86, and there are plans for 3,500 and 3,800 persons from the urban area to use this facility in 1986/87 and 1987/88 respectively. Individuals who do not wish to take part in these organized activities are able to apply to the Village for individual bookings but these are generally oversubscribed and subject to ballot.
In addition, the Urban Council arranges for substantial numbers of urban residents to camp at other facilities in the Regional Council area including the Sai Kung Outdoor Recreation Centre, the Tai Mei Tuk Water Sports Centre and the Chong Hing Water Sports Centre.
We are grateful to the Regional Council for making these facilities available to meet the demand from urban residents. But, as indicated to the Recreation Select Committee and the Sports and Activities Sub-Committee in January 1986, as part of a review of outdoor pursuit activities sponsored by the Urban Council, a search has been instituted for suitable sites with a view, subject to policy approval from the Council, to establishing a Water Sports Centre and a camping facility in the urban area.
In practice these facilities would need to be located on Hong Kong Island. The Lyemun Barracks area has been considered but it may not be entirely suitable for a camping facility of the type that is provided in the Lady MacLehose Village. We are also searching for suitable sites for a Water Sports Centre on Hong Kong Island but so far with no great success.
Although two possible land sites have been identified, further investigation has shown that the sea in their vicinity has strong currents and is not suited to a Water Sport Centre for beginners. But the searches continue. Meanwhile, the Urban Council will continue to sponsor organized activities, making use of the Lady MacLehose Village and other camping facilities kindly made available by the Regional Council with whom, incidentally, we have experienced no booking problems.
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MR. FAN KAM-PING (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, through you I would like to ask the Chairman of Recreation Select Committee whether he can disclose at least a little bit why Lyemun Barracks is not suitable for the construction of a camping facility?
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, the main reason is that in the vicinity there are one or two rather large public housing estates to be constructed by the Housing Authority and environmentally it would not be as satisfactory as Lady MacLehose Holiday Village but it will still be considered.
3. MR. TONG KAM-BIU asked the following question (in Cantonese):--In some of the parks and sitting out areas in the urban areas, the warning notice 'Poisonous rat-bait is being laid in this vicinity' is often posted.
(a) Has the Council provided adequate preventive measures and effective solutions to deal with the rat problem in the parks?
(b) What is the Council's criteria in determining that rats have become a pest in a park?
DR. RONALD D. B. LEUNG, Chairman of THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—The question is in two parts. The first part asks whether adequate preventive measures and effective solutions have been provided to deal with the rat problem in our parks; and the second part inquires about the present criteria in determining that rats have become a pest in park.
The answer to the first part is that generally, rat attractions are reduced to the minimum in parks through good building designs, maintenance, and environmental hygiene control measures. Places especially susceptible to rats such as the aviaries and the animal cages are under constant surveillance. Disinfestations by using rat poisons have so far effectively prevented rats from becoming established in our parks.
With regard to the second part, any report of rat sighting or signs of their presence are taken as a need for further investigation and all confirmed infestations are appropriately dealt with by the Pest Control staff of the Department.
MR. TONG KIM-BIU (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, Dr. LEUNG seemed to have not answered my question. I agree that for the larger parks under auspices of the Urban Council, the aviaries and the animal cages are managed very satisfactorily but what I referred to is some of the small sitting-out areas i.e. in the Sham Shui Po district and in particular Tai Hang Tung area, the warning notice is often posted proving that there are rats there. Under flyover of Cascoigne Road where I passed-by once, I found that rats were seen passing frequently. When it gets