XN000022-1974-05-22 — Page 3

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VZDNESDAY, MAY 22, 1974

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IMPROVEMENT FOR BEACHES OUTLINED

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MUCH HAS BEEN DONE OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS BY THE URBAN

·SERVICES DEPARTMENT TO IMPROVE THE BEACHES, PARTICULARLY THE ONE AT REPULSE BAY, TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR BEACH GOERS.

THIS WAS STATED BY THE DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, THE HON. DAVID ALEXANDER, AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY IN REPLY. TO THE HON. WILFRED WONG WHO ASKED WHAT MEASURES COULD BE TAKEN TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS AT THE BEACHES.

MR. ALEXANDER NOTED THAT THE SITUATION REMAINED MUCH AS HE LAST STATED THE POSITION TO BE WHEN HE ANSWERED A SIMILAR QUESTION IN 1972.

+THIS IS SOMETHING A LITTLE BEYOND THE CONTROL OR

CAPABABILITIES OF THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT AS IT IS RELATED IN LARGE PART TO +FUNG SHUI+, THAT IS, WIND AND WATER OR, IN OTHER WORDS, TYPHOONS AND TIDES.+

·HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE AT PRESENT 37 GAZETTED BEACHES

12 IN THE URBAN AREA UNDER THE URBAN COUNCIL AND 25 IN THE NEW TERRITORIES UNDER THE URBAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. LOCATED AS THEY ARE IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF HONG KONG, THE PHYSICAL AND GEOLOGICAL CONDITION VARIES CONSIDERABLY.

+SOME HAVE A SANDY BOTTOM AND ARE RELATIVELY FREE FROM ROCKS, WHILE OTHERS ARE MORE STONY AND, IN ADDITION, MAY HAVE HILL- STREAMS OR NULLAHS ENTERING THE SEA AT OR NEAR THEM,+ MR. ALEXANDER EXPLAINED.

EXPERIENCE HAD SHOWN THAT THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE MOVEMENT OF SAND AND ROCKS AT BEACHES. TYPHOONS FREQUENTLY DROVE MORE ROCKS ON TO THEM AND THE ACCOMPANYING HEAVY RAINFALL BROUGHT STORMWATER ON TO THE BEACHES AND FORESHORES, STRIPPING THEM OF SAND. THE SAME CONDITIONS APPLIED TO A LESSER EXTENT DURING SEASONAL STRONG WINDS AND PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN.

HE SAID U.S.D. BEACH STAFF WERE REQUIRED AS PART OF THEIR DUTIES TO CLEAR AWAY STONES, LOOSE ROCKS AND DEBRIS.

DURING WINTER MONTHS, IT WAS THE USUAL PRACTICE FOR THEM 'TO CARRY OUT MINOR IMPROVEMENT WORKS SUCH AS CONSTRUCTING NEW TERRACES FROM ROCKS TAKEN FROM THE BEACHES AND PROVIDING SAFE ACCESS ROUTES, FREE FROM ROCKS, INTO THE WATER.

THE DIRECTOR STRESSED THAT HIS STAFF WOULD CONTINUE TO DO ALL IT COULD TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR BEACH-GOERS.

REFERRING TO REPULSE BAY, HE POINTED OUT THAT MUCH OF THE SEA BED THERE WAS COVERED WITH LARGE ROCKS, THE MAJORITY OF WHICH WERE BELOW THE LOW WATER MARK.

/+AS FOR ...............**