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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Probably the most significant development was that our five-year capital works programme reached top gear during the 1987-88 financial year, and among the projects completed were the multi-purpose, multi-storey complexes in Ngau Chi Wan and Lockhart Road, Wan Chai, both providing a wide range of civic facilities such as a market, a cooked-food centre, an indoor games hall and a library. Additionally, the Ngau Chi Wan Complex incorporates a civic centre, including a 440-seat theatre.
In response to increasing demand, especially from schools, important sports and recreation projects to come into use included three new venues, the Kowloon Bay Recreation Ground, the To Kwa Wan Recreation Ground and the Sham Shui Po Sports Ground, the latter officially opened just last Saturday. Also on the sporting front a second Indoor Games Hall was opened in Boundary Street plus the Lei Yue Mun Park, the first phase of which is just coming on stream for public enjoyment.
This is only the tip of the ice-berg' for during the year construction was in hand on more major projects to be opened during the coming year. The coming year will see the opening of at least six more ultra-modern Urban Council complexes, comprising the Quarry Bay Complex, the Kowloon City Complex, the Po On Road Complex in Sham Shui Po, with its indoor games hall already being opened for public use, the Shui Wo Street Complex in Kwun Tong, the Fa Yuen Street Complex in Mong Kok and the Western Complex. An enormous improvement in facilities will be provided in those six districts when these complexes are opened.
On the cultural front, I am happy to report that good progress continues to be made on the Hong Kong Cultural Centre which has already taken the form of two giant 'wings' on its prime harbourside site in Tsim Sha Tsui. This superb purpose-built Cultural Complex will have on one side a concert hall with a capacity of over 2,000, while on the other, will be a Grand Theatre seating 1,600 people, together with a smaller theatre. It will be a superb addition to our cultural scene.
Also forming part of the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Complex development is the new Museum of Art, the piling work on which will be completed next month, to be followed immediately by construction of the superstructure, sited right behind the Space Museum and facing the harbour, is expected to open in the second half of 1990.
Another significant cultural project is the Museum of Science and Technology, which is also scheduled to open in 1990. The museum will incorporate the latest in 'hands-on' exhibits where the public can actually work the exhibits to get the actual feel of modern science and technology.
With all those developments in the pipeline it is no surprise that the Council's estimated expenditure in the coming financial year will exceed $2.5 billion, representing an increase of almost 14 per cent over this financial year.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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Of this record budget an estimated $323 million will be spent in 1988-89 on still more capital works projects to meet the growing needs and aspirations of the community at large. The work on the Kowloon Park which is generously funded by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club is well in hand and this magnificent facility will be available to the residents of Hong Kong early next year.
So much for the good tidings... But, as can only be expected in a city of such magnitude, we have had our problems, too. The recent choi sum food poisoning outbreak was a worry to the Council even though the main responsibility lay with the Municipal Services Branch and the Agriculture and Fisheries Department.
For our part, I am glad that the USD did its best to follow up the first few cases and then helped to track down the cause of the outbreak.
Turning to relationships with our counterpart in the New Territories, I am delighted to report that our co-operation with the Regional Council reached a high plane during the year, and joint functions such 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-organized most successfully.
On another important front, the Council also further cemented its ties with the 10 District Boards by 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. However, District Boards tend to wish us to provide parallel facilities in every district, which often, in the compact urban area of Hong Kong, would be a waste of public funds. When we resist this kind of pressure, the DBS criticize us, and this seems to be aided and abetted by the CNTA, who one would have wished would have acted more prudently. It seems also that the Council's stewardship of the public purse is not fully appreciated at the highest levels of Government.
In the year ahead, the Council looks forward to a positive progress on other important matters:
- Privatization of abattoirs which continue to be a strain on our financial resources.
- Agreement between Government Departments concerned on the means necessary to implement the Council's White Paper on Hawkers.
- The setting up of the Urban Council Appeals Board to deal with the thorny problem of appeals in a more effective and humane manner.
Finally, I sincerely hope for realization by Government that this Council carries out its statutory functions in a responsible and cost-effective manner.
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