HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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(3) What facilities are available at first-aid posts at the beaches for swimmers who have been affected by red tides and feel unwell?
(4) Apart from hoisting red flags at beaches, is there any other channel through which the Department announces the appearance of red tides at beaches?
MR. RONNIE WONG MAN-CHIU, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):—This question concerns the red tides at bathing beaches managed by the Urban Services Department.
A total of 10 reports on sighting of red tides have been received between 21 April 1992 and 28 April 1992. The red tides were found at Shek O, Repulse Bay, Big Wave Bay, Stanley Main, Turtle Cove and Chung Hom Kok Beaches. Water samples were collected and sent to the Agriculture and Fisheries Department for analysis. The water samples were found dominated by a non-toxic causative species, Noctiluca scintillans, which accounted for their characteristic appearance as red tides.
As regards the removal of refuse and pollutants at beaches, refuse on the beach and along the shoreline is removed by our beach cleansing staff daily and sea borne refuse is removed by our lifeguards by using 'Seacat' from the sea. During peak summer season, special cleansing teams are deployed to clean up the refuse within our beach boundary in the early morning and at the evening. Furthermore, refuse booms have been installed in four popular beaches namely Repulse Bay, Deep Water Bay, Stanley Main and South Bay Beaches and the refuse booms have been found successful in trapping the sea borne refuse without affecting the swimming area.
The beach water quality is being constantly monitored by the Environmental Protection Department which promulgates the ranking of such for each bathing beach bi-weekly in the press for the information of the public. Beaches in the Southern District are now within water control zones set under the Water Pollution Control Ordinance. This helps control illegal discharge of waste water directly into the sea. Apart from this, improvements in water quality are already visible in the Council's bathing beaches since the completion of the 'first aid' engineering works (mainly to intercept and divert polluted dry weather flows in Stormwater drains) in 1989. Works on the Hong Kong Island South Sewerage master plan involving the installation of new sewerage and treatment facilities are underway and are expected to complete in mid 1994. When these schemes are completed, the beach water quality in the entire southern areas of Hong Kong Island will be adequately safeguarded.
Regarding the provision of equipment to contain the red tides from spreading into the periphery of bathing beaches, so far there is no effective equipment which can keep the red tides from spreading.
The first-aid facilities which are available in the first-aid posts at beaches to treat swimmers being affected by red tides are by Savlon or S.V.R. Spirit. Eye lotion can be applied if their eyes are infected. For serious cases, the swimmer will be sent to the nearby hospital by ambulance for further treatment. As red tides composed of mainly non-toxic species, no swimmer in our bathing beach has been reported to be affected by red tides.
Apart from hoisting of red flags, signs and notices will be erected at conspicuous locations at the affected beach to swimmers. Announcements will be made through the loudhailers or Public Address System periodically. Swimmers will also be advised not to enter into the water by our lifeguards. The Public Information Unit of the Department will be informed of the red tides to alert the public on the closure of the affected beaches through the mass media. The Agriculture and Fisheries Department will also be informed and water samples will be sent to them for analysis.
This Department will continue to monitor the situation and endeavour every effort to maintain a clean and safe bathing beach for the enjoyment of the public.
CHAIRMAN (in English): Is there any supplementary questions? If not, then this concludes the agenda items of today. I may take this opportunity to make an announcement. It was suggested to the Secretariat that at our next open meeting on 9 June, we shall try to improve on the contents and format of our meeting as suggested by Mr. Ronald Poon. So, we are going to introduce the topic debate. The topic will be on the illegal extension of licensed restaurants, food premises on the pavements. I hope members will do a little bit of homework and contribute towards this subject. As you know, the matter was well reported by the newspapers and the electronic media. The Department, together with the Police, had joint operations which were quite successful in discouraging this sort of activities. So I hope members will express their observations on these actions and campaigns and contribute to the debate. If this is successful, in our future open meetings on Tuesday afternoons, we can change to this format, in addition to the existing format of only asking questions and answering questions. Thank you.
MR. RONALD POON CHO-YIU (in English):—Mr. Chairman, can we other than the main topic, discuss any other things or raise any other questions on policy matters related to the Council?
CHAIRMAN (in English):—I think on the spot impromptu to questions and answers would not be appropriate. It is not fair to the one who answers, because it may involve a great deal of background information. I would say 'Yes' if the questions were submitted a few days beforehand so that the one who is going to answer, be it the Councillors or the Departmental staff, would have a fair chance and enough time to delve into the matter, get all the background information, and prepare a sensible answer.
THE HON. LI WAH-MING (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, can you also allow us to have the discussions to be held at the next SCWC, so that members would have
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