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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1989
URBCO COMMITTED TO BUILDING A BETTER HONG KONG
THE URBAN COUNCIL AND ITS EXECUTIVE
ARM, THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT ARE COMMITTED TO BUILDING A BETTER CITY OF HONG KONG THROUGH THE PROVISION OF FIRST-CLASS MUNICIPAL SERVICES AND FACILITIES FOR ITS FOUR MILLION URBAN RESIDENTS, THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, MR JAMES SO, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF KOWLOON · WEST, MR
SO SAID THIS WAS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT AT A CRUCIAL TIME WHEN THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF THE TERRITORY DEPENDED ON THE HARD WORK AND COMMITMENT OF ITS PEOPLE.
"ONE OF THE PRIME OBJECTIVES OF THE URBAN COUNCIL IS TO IMPROVE THE LIFESTYLE OF THE URBAN DWELLERS BY PROVIDING MODERN FACILITIES AND VENUES ON ALL FRONTS UNDER ITS CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAMME, MR SO SAID.
"THESE FACILITIES RANGE FROM THE VERY BASIC SUCH COLLECTION POINTS, MARKETS AND COOKED-FOOD CENTRES TO THING OF LIFE LIKE PARKS AND GARDENS, SWIMMING POOLS, VENUES, MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES AND EVEN A 200," HE ADDED.
AS REFUSE THE FINER PERFORMING
IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, THE COUNCIL SPENTS $1.33 BILLION ON MORE THAN 100 PROJECTS INCLUDING THE MAGNIFICENT HONG KONG CULTURAL CENTRE, THE FIRST URBAN HOLIDAY VILLAGE IN LEI YUE MUN PARK, CHOI HUNG ROAD PLAYGROUND AND THE FA YUEN STREET COMPLEX.
"OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THE COUNCIL WILL SPEND ANOTHER $3 BILLION ON 300 CAPITAL WORKS PROJECTS AND SOME OF THE MORE PROMINENT ONES ARE THE HONG KONG PARK AT THE FORMER VICTORIA BARRACKS IN
ROAD CENTRAL, THE FIRST EVER UC LEISURE POOL IN HAMMER HILL
AND THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN TSIM SHA TSUI," MR SO NOTED.
WHILE PLANNING THESE FACILITIES, MR SO POINTED OUT, THE COUNCIL ADOPTED A FLEXIBLE APPROACH TO MAXIMISE USAGE OF THE LIMITED LAND RESOURCES.
"A UNIQUE EXAMPLE IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF MULTI-PURPOSE MARKET COMPLEXES WHERE WE HAVE MARKET, COOKED-FOOD CENTRE, REFUSE COLLECTION POINT, INDOOR GAMES HALL, LIBRARY AND EVEN A CIVIC CENTRE, ALL UNDER ONE ROOF," HE SAID.
MR SO SAID THAT TO TACKLE AT SOURCE THE PROBLEM OF ACUTE LAND SHORTAGE, THE COUNCIL WAS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THE URBAN RENEWAL
MORE PROGRAMME BY THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO SEEK
LAND FOR OPEN SPACE, MODERN TOILET FACILITIES, OFF-STREET REFUSE COLLECTION POINTS AND MARKETS.
"THE COUNCIL PROVIDES FUNDS FOR ALMOST ALL ITS PROJECTS BUT ALSO WELCOMES SPONSORSHIP FROM PRIVATE ORGANISATIONS AND TWO FINE EXAMPLES ARE THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB'S CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS THE REDEVELOPMENT OF KOWLOON PARK AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HONG KONG PARK," HE POINTED OUT.
/ADDITIONALLY, OTHER