XN000022-1981-06-10 — Page 5

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 1981

FULL-SCALE RACING CIRCUIT NOT JUSTIFIED

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THERE WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY NOT BE ENOUGH INTEREST IN HONG KONG TO SUPPORT A FULL-SCALE MOTOR RACING CIRCUIT, THE HON DEREX JONES, SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON F.K. HU AS TO WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO PROVIDE PERMANENT FACILITIES FOR MOTOR-CAR AND MOTOR-CYCLE RACING, MR JONES SAID THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH A CIRCUIT HAD BEEN CONSIDERED ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, MOST RECENTLY IN 1979.

+ IT WOULD NEED A LARGE PIECE OF LAND WITH AT LEAST TWO MILES OF TOP QUALITY ROAD, GRANDSTANDS, PITS AND OTHER FACILITIES AND WOULD THUS BE VERY EXPENSIVE IN BOTH LAND AND MONEY.

+TO BE JUSTIFIED, IT WOULD REQUIRE A LARGE NUMBER OF EVENTS, WITH MANY SPECTATORS, TO BE HELD EACH YEAR AND THERE WOULD ALMOSŤ CERTAINLY NOT BE THE LEVEL OF INTEREST IN HONG KONG TO SUPPORT SUCH A VENTURE AND MAKE IT VIABLE, HE SAID.

MR JONES SAID, HOWEVER, THAT ON A LESSER SCALE, DISCUSSIONS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN HELD WITH THE AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIATION AND THE MOTOR SPORTS CLUB OF HONG KONG ON THE POSSIBILITY OF A RECREATIONAL LEASE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES TO ENABLE THESE BODIES TO DEVELOP FACILITIES SUCH AS RALLY CROSS AND MOTORCROSS. AND THE POSSIBILITY OF FINDING AN AREA TO ACCOMMODATE THE HONG KONG KART CLUB IS ALSO BEING CONSIDERED.

+ IF THESE PROPOSALS ARE SUCCESSFUL AND COME TO FRUITION

THE LOWER COST MOTOR SPORTS THEY WILL PROMOTE ARE LIKELY TO BE MORE SUITED TO HONG KONG CONDITIONS IN THAT THEY MAKE MORE INTENSIVE USE OF LAND AND, IF PROPERLY AND SAFELY RUN, ARE LIKELY TO ATTRACT MORE PARTICIPANTS, HE SAID.

CLOSE WATCH KEPT ON RED TIDE

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WARNINGS ARE ISSUED TO ALL PARTIES CONCERNED AND SAMPLES ARE TAKEN FOR LABORATORY TESTING IN ANY REPORTED OUTBREAK OF RED TIDE, THE DIRECTOR OF AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES, THE HON J.M. RIDDELL-SWAN SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING TODAY.

REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON ANDREW SO, HE SAID A MILD TOXIN HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN ONLY ONE LOCAL RED TIDE SPECIES AND NO CASE OF HUMAN DEATH OR ILLNESS ATTRIBUTABLE TO CONSUMPTION OF FISH OR SEA FOODS AFFECTED BY RED TIDES OR OTHER ALGAL BLOOMS HAS BEEN REPORTED HERE.

FISH DEATHS RESULTING FROM BLOOMS OF ALGAE INCLUDING RED TIDES ARE USUALLY DUE TO OXYGEN DEPLETION BUT SOME SPECIES OF THE ORGANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR RED TIDES MAY PRODUCE TOXINS AND IT

IS POSSIBLE FOR FISH AND SHELL-FISH TO BE AFFECTED BY THESE TOXINS.

TO MINIMISE