TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1985
17
NEW ENTRY FEES FOR SWIMMING POOLS +NOT UNREASONABLE+
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THE NEW ENTRY FEES FOR SWIMMING POOLS INTRODUCED FROM LAST JUNE WERE CONSIDERED AS BEING +NOT UNREASONABLE, MR HOWARD YOUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE URBAN COUNCIL'S RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, SAID TODAY.
REPLYING TO QUESTIONS BY MR WALTER SULKE, HE TOLD THE COUNCIL'S MONTHLY MEETING THAT THE TOTAL COST OF OPERATING 10 POOLS WAS $51.93 MILLION IN 1983-84.
THE ESTIMATED COST IN 1985-86 WAS $76.39 MILLION, THE BIG INCREASE BEING DUE TO THE OPENING OF THREE NEW POOLS AT LAI CHI KOK, WAN CHAI AND SHAM SHUI PO, HE ADDED.
IT WAS +ASSUMING NO INCREASE IN ADMISSION CHARGES, ESTIMATED THAT THE OPERATING DEFICIT IN RELATION TO TOTAL COST 1.E. STEADILY INCREASING COSTS TO BE BORNE BY THE RATEPAYER, WOULD RISE FROM $43.2 MILLION IN 1983-84 TO $58.9 MILLION IN 1985-86,+ HE SAID.
+AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, IT WAS CONSIDERED NOT UNREASONABLE TO INTRODUCE INCREASED CHARGES. SO ON THE BASIS OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED AT THAT TIME, I WOULD NOT AGREE THAT THE COUNCIL'S DECISION WAS A MISTAKÉ.+
HAVING REGARD TO MR YOUNG SAID THAT AT THE SAME TIME ACTUAL DEMAND REFLECTED BY ATTENDANCES, THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT WAS REQUESTED TO REVIEW OPERATING COSTS AND OPENING HOURS TO DETERMINE WHERE ECONOMIES MIGHT BE MADE.
+THIS EXERCISE IS IN PROGRESS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SEPARATE PROPOSALS WILL BE SUBMITTED FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION BEFORE THE NEXT SWIMMING SEASON.
AS REGARDS A POSSIBLE REDUCTION OF CHARGES, MR YOUNG NOTED THAT THE PEAK SWIMMING SEASON WAS NOW OVER, AND SAID THIS ASPECT MUST THEREFORE NOW AWAIT CONSIDERATION IN THE CONTEXT OF NEXT YEAR'S REVIEW OF SWIMMING POOL ADMISSION FEES.
+THIS IS AN ANNUAL EXERCISE (WHICH DOES NOT NECESSARILY RESULT IN INCREASED CHARGES), AND DUE ACCOUNT WILL BE TAKEN OF THIS SUMMER'S ATTENDANCE LEVELS AND OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS.+
MR YOUNG SAID HE AGREED THAT IT WAS NOT THE COUNCIL'S AIM TO DISCOURAGE ATTENDANCE AT SWIMMING POOLS, PARTICULARLY BY CHILDREN.
HE SAID THE COUNCIL'S AIM IN PROVIDING SWIMMING FACILITIES IS TO MEET PUBLIC DEMAND AND ENCOURAGE USAGE BY FIXING CHARGES AT MODEST LEVELS.+