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The first part asks whether the Department will consider providing more shady areas and rest gardens with passive facilities when planning future parks or playgrounds; and whether such facilities might be segregated from play areas so as to minimize possible injury to the elderly caused by football and other active games.
In planning parks and playgrounds, the Department takes great care to maintain a balance between active and passive facilities, and between sunny and shady areas. This is a long established policy and practice.
Passive facilities for the elderly comprise such things as rest gardens, sitting-out areas, scented gardens, and Tai Chi areas. These areas have seats with back-rests, chess-tables, water features, hand-rails for traditional stretching exercises, and bird-cage hangers where appropriate. Shade structures are provided in the forms of pavilions, covered walkways, arbours and pergolas.
As a rule, passive areas are segregated from the active ones. The Department uses a number of ways of doing this, such as fences, mounds, planting areas, and walkways. This practice has worked well and will continue.
The second part of the question is whether the Council will consider making good and full use of its indoor games halls by providing small areas with some fitness equipment specifically suitable for elderly people.
The Council provides a variety of programmes for the elderly, such as Tai Chi, yoga, gateball, and fitness programmes. The fitness programmes are very popular and take place in our district fitness centres which are based in the indoor games halls. They include use of fitness equipment which the instructors specifically adjust for use by elderly people under their supervision. Thus it is not considered necessary to provide separate facilities for elderly people.
As a general observation, Members will be pleased to note that the modern fitness equipment in our indoor games halls can be adjusted to meet the needs of almost any user. People using our fitness equipment do so under one of our introductory programmes. They are closely supervised by qualified instructors, who ensure that the equipment is properly adjusted to be suitable and safe for each individual trainee. As a matter of policy, and in the interest of safety, only accredited athletes who have already attended our introductory courses may use our fitness equipment without proper supervision.
MISS CHRISTINA T. C. TING (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, thank you. Mr. CHAN has answered both parts of my question. Regarding parks, it is said that a lot has been done, but our population in fact is ageing and the elderly do need a lot of facilities. For instance, they play chess under the flyovers and also at the entrance to MTR stations. You told me that there are bird-cage hangers, etc. I can't see all these facilities in Victoria Park, so I wonder if such facilities can be increased, for instance, chess tables. Could the elderly be given priority in the provision of facilities in Victoria Park? Regarding indoor games halls, it is said that it is not necessary to provide specifically for the elderly. We do know that these indoor games halls are more often frequented by young people than elderly people. However, could we consider setting aside some facilities for the elderly since they do not go out to work anymore and they can't stay at home all the time. So, is it possible to provide, for instance, massage chairs and also other programmes that do not require a lot of strenuous efforts?
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in Cantonese):—I will answer in two parts again. I do agree that our population is ageing because our medical services are good and elderly people are very healthy. They want to continue to be healthy and that is why they use a lot of our facilities. Regarding the segregated facilities, we do have a policy to improve our facilities in older venues but the newly built ones will have segregated facilities. As for bird-cage hangers, I am sure these will be provided in our new venues. Regarding facilities for both the young and the old in indoor games halls, the elderly people can participate in some exercises which do not require strenuous efforts whereas the youth can do some vigorous and strenuous ones. I do agree that the facilities provided for the elderly are not adequate. This can be evidenced by the inadequacy of the facilities in Hung Hom. Mr. PAO Ping-wing and I had to attend the meeting concerning the relocation of To Kwa Wan Fitness Centre. A lot of users have expressed strong views on the issue. We have taken note of the fact that there are rooms for improvements. We can't say that the policy is wrong but it is true that there is a greater demand from the elderly people. We are most willing to listen to views expressed by Councillors from different districts and I am sure the departmental staff will listen very carefully to your views. As I said earlier, the Department had sent five departmental officers to attend the meeting. It is good to have an exchange of ideas and obtain feedbacks to improve our facilities. The Select Committee is most willing to obtain more information to improve the facilities to the residents.
MR. TONG KAM-BIU (in Cantonese): In paragraph 2, Mr. CHAN says that we have a long established policy regarding shady areas. Is there a need to revise the long established policy? As far as I know, we have been criticized for lack of shady areas in our parks, which is not enough to the elderly when it is a sunny or rainy day. I have heard a lot of criticisms and complaints in this respect and I wonder if the Select Committee has any plans to improve the situation. Is the long established policy going to be reviewed? I have received complaints that the seats are rather remote and the elderly have to walk a long way to find a shelter from rains. I do agree that more shady areas need to be provided for the elderly.
MR. PETER C. K. CHAN (in Cantonese):—Yes, the facilities in some of the older parks may not be ideal. For instance, there will be a refurbishment in the King George V Park in Yau Ma Tei District. We hope to bring in more modern facilities there. So, Mr. TONG, if there are certain parks or playgrounds which require more shady areas, could you possibly let the Select Committee or the Department know so that the suggestion can be considered when improvement works are carried out. If you expect the Select Committee to do something, it is essential that more information from residents be made available. I do agree that the facilities in some older venues need to be improved.
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