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# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
## ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):—Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.
## MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 1987, were confirmed.
## STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):---It is just over a year since Mrs. Elsie Tu and I were elected as Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Council and I would like to take this opportunity to review the Council's accomplishments over the past year.
Our five-year capital works programme moved into top gear during the year, and among the projects completed were the Ngau Chi Wan and the Lockhart Road Multi-purpose Complexes which include large libraries serving the surrounding areas.
Important sports or recreation projects which have come into use include the Hong Kong Squash Centre at Victoria Barracks, the Hiu Kwong Street Indoor Games Hall in Kwun Tong, Choi Sai Woo Park at Braemar Hill, the Wong Nai Chung Reservoir Park with its boating facilities and the popular open space at Harbour Road with its rockery and water features.
Steady progress was also made on several major projects, the most important being the Hong Kong Cultural Centre which has already taken the form of two giant 'wings' on its prime harbourside site in Tsim Sha Tsui. Work was going ahead on more multi-storey complexes on either side of the harbour.
During the year, the Urban Council was also involved in several historical events, the most important occasion being the visit of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh in October. The Royal Couple started their three-day official tour with a Civic Welcome at the City Hall.
But the territory's mood changed to sadness in December with the death of the Governor, Sir Edward YouDE, while on a visit to Beijing. To enable more people to pay their last respect to the late Governor, the Council opened to the public the City Hall and the Hong Kong Coliseum where thousands who could not attend the funeral ceremony gathered to watch a live telecast of the service in St. John's Cathedral.
Turning to the role of the Council, last May the late Governor, had met with Councillors and reaffirmed his views on the important work performed by the Council, stating firmly that the Urban and the Regional Councils would remain as the second tier of Hong Kong's three-tier political structure.
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During an official visit by an Urban Council delegation to China in November, Mr. Ji Pengfei, the Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office, complimented the Council on its important work in the fields of environmental work, food hygiene, recreation and culture, adding that he believed that cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and China would bring the people closer as the territory moved forward to 1997.
It was therefore a surprise to us all when an OMELCO Panel issued a report making far-reaching suggestions about the future of the Urban and Regional Councils. In a show of total unanimity, members of both Councils met together in mid-March to reject these ideas, reaffirming the view that the power and responsibilities of both should remain unchanged.
Having mentioned the Regional Council, I must add with some pleasure that co-operation between the two Councils reached a higher plane during the year, and such joint functions as the highly popular Hong Kong Flower Show at Sha Tin, the territory-wide Keep Hong Kong Clean Campaign and participation in Careers Week were co-organised successfully.
On another important front, the Council also further cemented its ties with the 10 District Boards involving them in many functions and carefully considering their views on Council-related responsibilities as well as consulting them on the Council's five-year capital works construction programme.
Now to turn to another topic...
Regrettably it is my duty this afternoon to bid farewell, on behalf of you all, to two staunch colleagues whose terms have come to an end-Dr. Kim CHAM and Mr. Lawrence FUNG, both of whom joined this Council on April 1, 1976 and so have each given us 11 years of dedicated service.
Dr. Kim CHAM tirelessly contributed to the Council's expanded workload. As a highly-successful businessman and a former academic figure, Kim fittingly became the Chairman of the Administration Select Committee in 1980, a responsibility he shouldered manfully until he left the Council at the end of last month.
Also, as a Legislative Councillor well versed in local administration, Kim was chosen to chair the Working Party on Further Development of Local Administration from the time it was set up in 1984, capably steering us through many pitfalls as we looked at the Council's role vis-a-vis further constitutional developments.
Mr. Lawrence FUNG has served on many committees over the past 11 years, taking a particularly close interest in cultural services and the oncoming Museum of Science and Technology. Since 1984, he has been Chairman of the Culture Select Committee and some key sub-committees, including the History, Science and Space Museums Planning Sub-Committee and the Civic Centres Planning Sub-Committee. The Council has been well served by his loyal commitment to and unflinching effort in improving its cultural services.
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