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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 1994
IN VIEW OF THE DEMAND FROM SOME DISTRICT BOARD AND LEGCO MEMBERS TO ERECT SIGNBOARDS AND BANNERS IN PUBLIC PLACES, FOR EXAMPLE ON STREET RAILINGS, TO PUBLICISE THEIR ACTIVITIES, SERVICES AND OFFICES, A REVIEW WAS CARRIED OUT IN MID 1992 TO SEE IF THIS DEMAND COULD BE MET AND TO CONSIDER THE REGULATORY ASPECTS AND RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS AS WELL AS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF ANY NEW ARRANGEMENTS .
A PILOT SCHEME WAS BEGUN IN WAN CHAI IN JUNE LAST YEAR FOR A TRIAL PERIOD OF TWO MONTHS USING A NEW SET OF GUIDELINES, UNDER WHICH APPLICATIONS FOR THE DISPLAY OF SIGNBOARDS AND BANNERS WOULD BR APPROVED PROVIDED THAT NO COMMERCIAL ADVERTISING OR MATERIAL OF AN INVIDIOUS NATURE WAS INVOLVED.
MR EASON SAID IT WAS INTENDED THAT IF THE SCHEME WAS SUCCESSFUL, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONSIDER INTRODUCING IT ON A TERRITORY-WIDE BASIS SUBJECT, AMONG OTHER THINGS, TO RESOURCES BEING AVAILABLE.
TWO ADDITIONAL STAFF WERE SPECIALLY DEPLOYED IN THE DISTRICT LANDS OFFICE/HONG KONG WEST TO IMPLEMENT THE SCHEME.
ON COMPLETION OF THE PILOT SCHEME IN AUGUST LAST YEAR, THE TWO STAFF WERE REMOVED BUT DLO/HKW CONTINUED TO HANDLE APPLICATIONS RELATING TO THE WAN CHAI DISTRICT BASED ON THE NEW GUIDELINES BUT WITHOUT THE FOLLOW-THROUGH ENFORCEMENT ACTION WHICH WAS PART OF THE PILOT SCHEME.
MR EASON SAID IT HAD NOT BEEN POSSIBLE TO EXTEND THE PILOT SCHEME TO OTHER DISTRICTS BECAUSE OF RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS AND OTHER COMPETING PRIORITIES.
HE NOTED THAT BILL OF RIGHTS IMPLICATIONS WOULD ARISE IF FAVOURABLE TREATMENT WERE GIVEN TO ANY GROUP, BE IT CHARITABLE OR PUBLIC INTEREST-BASED, AND SIMILAR TREATMENT WAS NOT GIVEN TO OTHER GROUPS IN RESPECT OF SIMILAR TYPES OF ACTIVITY.
"THIS IS NOT THE CASE UNDER THE EXISTING GUIDELINES, WHICH ARE APPLIED TO ALL GROUPS IN THE SAME WAY.
....
"THE SAME IS TRUE OF THE GUIDELINES CURRENTLY APPLIED IN CHAI,' HE SAID.
WAN
CONSIDERATION WAS BEING GIVEN TO EXTENDING THE GUIDELINES NOW BEING APPLIED IN WAN CHAI TO OTHER DISTRICT, MR EASON SAID, ADDING THAT CHANGES TO CURRENT LEGISLATION SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO ENSURE FAIRNESS.
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