XN000022-1979-03-14 — Page 9

8

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 14, 1979

ADEQUATE CREMATION FACILITIES AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT THE 1980'S

*******

THE GOVERNMENT IS AWARE OF THE GROWING DEMAND FOR CREMATION FACILITIES AND THE POLICY IS TO ENCOURAGE IT TO CONSERVE LAND THAT WOULD OTHERWISE BE REQUIRED FOR BURIAL IN CEMETERIES.

THE SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THE HON. DEREK JONES SAID THIS IN REPLY TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. WONG LAM AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

MR. JONES SAID THERE WERE 9,889 CREMATIONS IN 1978.

THIS REPRESENTED A RATIO OF ABOUT 45 PER CENT CREMATIONS TO 55 PER CENT BURIALS.

+THE AIM IS TO ACHIEVE A RATIO OF 70 PER CENT CREMATIONS TO 30 PER CENT BURIALS IN 10 YEARS' TIME AND, ON THIS BASIS, BY THE LATE 1980'S THE PROJECTED ANNUAL DEMAND FOR CREMATIONS SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 24,000, HE SAID.

THE EXISTING CREMATORIA AT CAPE COLLINSON AND DIAMOND HILL HAVE A CAPACITY OF 9,200 CREMATIONS PER YEAR AND, SO FAR, THEY HAVE MANAGED TO COPE WITH THE EXISTING DEMAND OF JUST UNDER 10,000 CREMATIONS BY OPERATING EXTENDED HOURS.

+A NEW CREMATORIUM TO REPLACE THE EXISTING ONE AT DIAMOND HILL WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR, GIVING AN ADDITIONAL CAPACITY OF 2,700 CREMATIONS PER ANNUM.

+ANOTHER NEW CREMATORIUM, WITH A CAPACITY OF 4,000 CREMATIONS PER YEAR, IS ALSO BEING CONSTRUCTED AT TSUEN WAN AND WILL BE IN OPERATION BY THE THIRD QUARTER OF THIS YEAR, MR. JONES SAID.

PLANNING PROVISION HAS ALSO BEEN MADE FOR THE FURTHER EXPANSION OF THESE TWO CREMATORIA TO ALLOW FOR AN ADDITIONAL 4,000 CREMATIONS PER YEAR IF THIS IS REQUIRED.

+SO, BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, THERE SHOULD BE A TOTAL CAPACITY OF APPROXIMATELY 16,000 CREMATIONS PER YEAR, WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF EXPANDING THIS BY A FURTHER 4,000 AS AND WHEN REQUIRED.+

ON TOP OF THIS, HE SAID, THERE IS ALSO PROVISION IN THE PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMME FOR TWO MORE CREMATORIA TO BE BUILT AT SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN, EACH HAVING A CAPACITY OF 4.000 CREMATIONS PER YEAR AND EACH WITH PLANNING PROVISION FOR A FURTHER EXPANSION OF 2,000 PER YEAR AS AND WHEN NECESSARY.

BOTH THESE FACILITIES ARE EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN 1981, MR. JONES SAID.

/+3Y THE