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THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1993
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DR CONRAD LAM: MR GOVERNOR, MR PRESIDENT, THROUGH YOU WOULD LIKE TO REFLECT A POINT TO THE GOVERNOR. IT'S FROM WONG ΤΑΙ SIN DISTRICT BOARD AND WONG ΤΑΙ SIN RESIDENTS. IT IS IN RELATION ΤΟ THE ENVIRONMENT. THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN TO WONG TAI SIN DISTRICT. I AM SURE HE IS AWARE OF TWO VERY FAMOUS AREAS OR SPOTS. ONE IS THE WONG TAI SIN TEMPLE WHERE YOU HAVE ALL YOUR WISHES GRANTED, AND THE SECOND ONE IS THE RATHER NOTORIOUS KAI TAK NULLAH. THIS AFTERNOON THE WONG TAI SIN DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS CAME TO SEE US IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THEY TELL US ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF THE KAI TAK NULLAH. ACTUALLY EVER SINCE THE SETTING-UP OF THE WONG TAL SIN DISTRICT BOARD, THE QUESTION OF THE KAI TAK NULLAH HAS BEEN DISCUSSED TIME AND AGAIN AT THE ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE AND RELEVANT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS DO AGREE THAT THERE IS A VERY STRONG STENCH AFFECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND ALSO AFFECTING THE WATER QUALITY OF KOWLOON BAY. THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION ACTUALLY IS IN RELATION ΤΟ FINANCE, EVEN THOUGH MANY OFFICIALS DO AGREE THAT IN ORDER TO DECK THAT DECKING THIS NULLAH WILL BE ABLE TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND TAKE AWAY SOME OF THE STENCH AND IMPROVE TRAFFIC CONDITIONS, AND YET SINCE THEY CANNOT MAKE THE DECISION, IN OTHER WORDS, THEY CANNOT GET THE MONEY TO DECK NULLAH. TECHNICALLY WE HAVE BEEN TOLD IT IS POSSIBLE. SO WE THAT YOU, MR GOVERNOR, WILL TAKE THIS UP WITH YOUR OFFICIALS AND AT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY INVOLVED AND TO SEE WHETHER, BALANCED AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT, IT IS A SUM WORTH SPENDING.
THIS
HOPE
LOOK
THE
GOVERNOR : FIRST OF ALL, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS QUITE RIGHT TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE SMELL CAUSED BY THAT NULLAH. ALL TOO OFTEN, AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WILL KNOW, IT'S THE FIRST THING WHICH GREETS VISITORS TO HONG KONG AND I DON'T THINK IT GIVES THEM AN IDEAL WELCOME то THE FRAGRANT HARBOUR. SO THE SOONER WE CAN TAKE ACTION TO DEAL WITH THAT NOISOME, NOXIOUS SMELL THE BETTER. I'M SURE EVERYBODY INVOLVED, NOT ONLY IN REPRESENTING RESIDENTS BUT IN REPRESENTING TOURIST INDUSTRY, WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. WE HAVE, I THINK THE HONOURABLE MEMBER KNOWS, INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY THE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRICT BOARDS FOR LOCAL WORKS. IN PARTICULAR FOR LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL WORKS. WE HAVE PRETTY WELL DOUBLED THOSE FUNDS FOR THIS YEAR, BUT OBVIOUSLY, IN THE CASE OF THE KAI TAK NULLAH, THE COSTS OF DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM ARE VERY CONSIDERABLE INDEED. I WOULD LIKE то CHECK, IF I MAY, HOW THAT NULLAH WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE EARLY STAGES OF THE HIGH PRIORITY PROGRAMME ON SEWAGE AND WASTE WATER, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THE IMPACT OF THAT PROGRAMME IN KOWLOON SHOULD HELP TO AFFECT THE NULLAH IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY BENIGN WAY. WRONG ABOUT THAT, I WILL COME BACK TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBER. WILL ALSO LOOK AT THE QUESTION OF COVERING THE NULLAH WHICH THE HONOURABLE MEMBER SAID, HELP TO DEAL WITH THE SMELL. OVERALL IMPORTANT THING IS TO SEPARATE SEWAGE AND WASTE WATER AND TO ENSURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE TOO MANY NOXIOUS FLUIDS IN THE OPEN AIR, CREATING A SMELL AND CREATING AN ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD.
IF I AM AND I MAY, AS BUT THE
MR HENRY TANG GOVERNOR, AS WE ALL KNOW, DIESEL VEHICLE EMISSION IS A MAJOR CAUSE OF AIR POLLUTION HERE IN HONG KONG. WOULD YOU TELL US WOULD THE GOVERNMENT IMPOSE MORE STRINGENT EMISSION STANDARDS DIESEL VEHICLE EMISSION SOON?
ON
/GOVERNOR
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