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THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 1975
UNRESTRICTED USE OF RESERVOIRS FOR RECREATION NOT POSSIBLE
SAYS SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS
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THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS THE HON. DENIS BRAY, SAID TODAY THAT IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO ALLOW UNRESTRICTED USE OF RESERVOIRS FOR SWIMMING AND BOATING.
→SWIMMING IS UNIVERSALLY FROWNED UPON BY WATER UNDERTAKINGS HERE AND ELSEWHERE NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF POLLUTION, BUT ALSO DECAUSE OF DANGER TO SWIMMERS DISAPPEARING DOWN THOSE YAWNING BELLMOUTH OVERFLOWS.+
SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR. BRAY AGREED THAT HONG KONG'S RESERVOIRS HAD AN UNTAPPED RECREATIONAL POTENTIAL, →BUT THIS POTENTIAL CANNOT BE EXPLOITED WITHOUT EXPENSE NOR IS ALL RECREATION BARRED NOW.→
HE SAID THE DEMAND FOR BOATING ON RESERVOIRS MUST BE VERY LIMITED BECAUSE HONG KONG'S BIG RESERVOIRS WERE SO. CLOSE TO THE SEA.
GIVING AN EXAMPLE, HE SAID THAT ONLY HALF OF PLOVER COVE WAS TAKEN INTO THE RESERVOIR AND THE OTHER HALF WAS AVAILABLE FOR BOATING AND THE SCHOOLS SAILING ASSOCIATION WAS BUILDING A CENTRE ON THE SEA WATER HALF. THEY ALREADY HAD ANOTHER SAILING CENTRE IN TYTAM BAY JUST BELOW TYTAM RESERVOIR.
HOWEVER, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS ADDED THAT THERE WERE PLANS TO CONVERT A VERY SMALL RESERVOIR AT WONG NEI CHONG GAP INTO A BOATING LAKE WHEN FUNDS COULD DE MADE AVAILABLE TO DIVERT THE WATERWAYS WHICH FEED IT.
ON THE QUESTION OF RADIO HONG KONG, MR. BRAY SAID THAT DIG EXPENDITURE WAS ON GOOD CHINESE TELEVISION.
HE SAID THE DIRECTOR OF BROADCASTING HAD ENOUGH MONEY TO KEEP →BELOW LION ROCK÷ GOING FOR SIX MONTHS AND IT WAS LIKELY THAT ADDITIONAL MONEY COULD BE OBTAINED TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAMME RUNNING FOR ANOTHER THREE MONTHS WHICH IS AS LONG AS THE PROGRAMME WILL STAND WITHOUT A REST.+
+NEEDLEPOINT AND VIEWPOINT AND ANGLES> WOULD ALSO CONTINUE ON THE CHINESE NETWORKS WHILE A DIFFERENT WAY OF FILLING THE ENGLISH +VIEWPOINTS TIME SLOT WOULD DE INTRODUCED.
MR. BRAY GAVE AN ASSURANCE THAT THE CUTS IN EXPENDITURE FOR RADIO HONG KONG WOULD NOT MEAN THAT WHEN IMPORTANT PUBLIC ISSUES ARISE WE SHALL BE WITHOUT MEANS TO AIR THEM.+
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