PROVISIONAL URBAN COUNCIL
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These streets have not been resumed by the Government not because of owners' rejection but because of various legal problems. We are therefore aware that for the above historical or prevailing reasons, or legal and other problems, both the flat owners and tenants are willing to hand over the ownership of these private streets to the Government so that they may enjoy the same municipal services provided by the Department to public streets.
For those streets which have not been handed over to the Government because of commercial benefits or property development, I consider that the Department and the Council should introduce measures to demand compulsorily the owners, who are normally big financial groups, to provide the same services to the occupants and tenants on the streets concerned. If they fail to do so, they should be prosecuted.
In any event, the owners or tenants living on private streets are required to pay rates. For this very reason, I am of the view that consideration should be given to providing them with the relevant services. There are two justifications.
(1) Users of private streets are rate-payers. They have fulfilled the obligation of paying rates and should therefore enjoy the right to be provided with municipal services financed by the rates they have paid. (2) The Clean Hong Kong Campaign as well as the measures aimed at maintaining street cleanliness and improving environmental hygiene should cover all the streets in Hong Kong. No streets should be left out or neglected and let them suffer from poor environmental hygiene. An example is Nathan Street in North Point. No municipal street-sweeping service had been provided to the street for the last 20 years until this year, when a major clean-up exercise was carried out, during which a so-called 'refuse collection vehicle' was finally cleaned up. The vehicle had been abandoned there without being cleaned up. Refuse had been dumped onto it and grew in size, turning it into a 'refuse collection vehicle' which was in reality what the name showed.
I have cited the above examples to illustrate one point. At a time when the Clean Hong Kong Campaign and the SAR Government's "Healthy Living into the 21st Century' campaign are being conducted, these blind spots are being overlooked. In such circumstances, can the Clean Hong Kong Campaign be regarded as successful? When these streets are left out and are not being cared for, can the 'Healthy Living into the 21st Century' be regarded as having achieved its objective?
In view of the above, I hope Members will support the motion, so that the Department may prepare the papers as soon as possible for the Council to carry out a comprehensive review of the various problems concerning private streets, such as environmental hygiene and cleansing services. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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