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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The Museums Select Committee is, of course, aware of, and abhors, the smuggling of antiques and cultural relics into Hong Kong and I would like to place on record our appreciation of our museum staff who have on a number of occasions, assisted with the assessment of such items, leading to the subsequent return of the items to their place of origin.
4. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):-We were promised that all necessary drainage and other works would be finished before the bathing season starts in 1989 so that water quality in Repulse Bay and neighbouring beaches would improve and so prevent closing of some of our most popular beaches because of polluted waters. Is this promise being kept?
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):―This question concerns the undertaking given by Government to carry out drainage work and pollution abatement measures in Repulse Bay and neighbouring areas. The question asks whether all necessary work will be finished before the 1989 bathing season, as promised, to ensure that water quality in these areas is improved and thus preventing closure of popular beaches.
In October 1988 Government announced that approval had been given to a package of short term remedial measures designed to reduce pollution on the south side of Hong Kong Island. $16.1 million has been approved as the budget for the work. This package, consisting mainly of work to intercept and divert existing polluted storm water drains, is scheduled for completion by 1 April 1989.
Implementation began in Stanley and Repulse Bay in August and December 1988 respectively. Work will shortly begin in Middle Bay, Chung Hum Kok and Shek O. This work, coupled with improvements to beach facilities, is expected to prevent any further deterioration in water quality at the beaches on Hong Kong Island. If the work is completed on schedule, none of the popular beaches will have to be closed during the 1989 swimming season to allow this work to proceed.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I have here a GIS press release from Thursday, December 1st, quoting the Regional Secretary for Hong Kong and Kowloon, Mr. David LAN, who said, among other things, that he understood that ‘As short term improvement to water quality at Repulse Bay and Stanley Main Beaches, the polluted flows in stream courses and drains would be intercepted and diverted away from the beach. The projects would cost a total of $7.1 million. Parts of them were scheduled for completion before the bathing season of 1989.' That completely contradicts what my colleague has just said. Perhaps he could explain the contradiction.
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, not quite. The $7.1 million is in fact for two beaches and the $17 million I have mentioned is for all beaches on the south side of Hong Kong Island. What the GIS referred to was the diversion of foul water drains that could be carried out before the rainy season. We have high hope that this work could be carried out and finished before the end of April next year.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I am sorry but this quite clearly refers only to Repulse Bay and Stanley Main Be
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all beaches on the south side of Hong Kong Island. What the GIS referred to was the diversion of foul water drains that could be carried out before the rainy season. We have high hope that this work could be carried out and finished before the end of April next year.
MR. WALTER M. SULKE (in English):-Mr. Chairman, I am sorry but this quite clearly refers only to Repulse Bay and Stanley Main Beaches and it says that parts of them were scheduled for completion before the bathing season which means they will not be finished before the bathing season and we will still have pollution on the beach. May I ask in view of the fact that we will spend a lot of money resanding that beach, whether we cannot do something to get Central Government to do this work in time so that we do not have a possible beach closure in Repulse Bay?
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in English):-Mr. Chairman, certainly, especially the replenishment of sand at Repulse Bay costs between $12 to 16 Million. If Government could not complete the work in time, they could have to reimburse the council the sum of money it spent.
MOTIONS
1. THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, moved the following motion:-
"That the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 1989-90 and the list of works which the Council proposes to undertake during the next financial year be approved for transmission to the Governor in accordance with Section 39 of the Urban Council Ordinance.'
He said (in English):-I move the adoption of today's Motion on the Urban Council's budget, which is otherwise known as the 'Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure', with the accompanying list of capital works for the 1989–90 financial year which will commence on 1 April 1989.
In recent years, most cities in the Western world have suffered crippling difficulties in balancing their budgets because of escalation inflation, and the need to meet the rising aspirations of their urban dwellers. The Urban Council, therefore, is in a happy position of having a balanced budget with a projected surplus of $148 million for the current financial year. This small surplus which represents only some two weeks' expenditure has been gained through strict control on staffing levels, the adoption of tighter financial controls as well as improved management and operational efficiency. In addition, every project and financial proposal has been painstakingly examined within the Department and within the Council and much fine tuning had been done before the final approval. However, I must put in a word of caution here as the effects of any civil service pay review have not been taken into account in calculating this projected surplus and it may be less than I anticipate.