XN000022-1984-12-23 — Page 5

-

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1984

+

THE TWO CREMATORIA CURRENTLY MANAGED BY THE COUNCIL CONSIST OF 12 CREMATORS, EIGHT AT THE CAPE COLLINSON CREMATOR IUM ON HONG KONG ISLAND AND FOUR AT THE DIAMOND HILL CREMATORIUM IN KOWLOON. THEY HANDLED A TOTAL OF

.:56 CREMATORIUM DURING 1983/84.

TO COPE WITH THE INCREASING DEMAND FOR CREMATIONS, TNO ADDITIONAL CREMATORS ARE NOW BEING INSTALLED AT THE DIAMOND ALL SHEMATORIUM AND SHOULD GO INTO USE EARLY NEXT YEAR.

AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASE IN CREMATIONS, THE DEMAND FOF NICHES FOR THE STORAGE OF INDIVIDUAL CREMATED REMAINS IS ALSO ON THE RISE.

MOST OF THE 1 900 NICHES AT THE DIAMOND HILL EXTENSION COLUMBAR TUM, WHICH WAS PUT INTO SERVICE LAST MAY, HAVE ALPEADY BEEN OCCUPIED.

+DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE COUNCIL'S NICHES STOCK AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR WAS INCREASED TO 33 198, ONLY 200 OF THEM ARE NOW LEFT VACANT, SAID MR SZETO.

+ IN VIEW OF THIS, THE COUNCIL HAS APPROVED THE BUILDING OF A MULTI-STOREY COLUMBARIUM AT DIAMOND HILL, WORK ON WHICH IS DUE TO START IN JANUARY NEXT YEAR.

+UPON COMPLETION AT THE END OF 1986, IT WILL PROVIDE ANOTHER 36 000 NICHES THERE.

+FURTHERMORE, A MULTI-STOREY COLUMBARIUM WITH

14 000 NICHES WILL ALSO BE CONSTRUCTED AT CAPE COLLINSON IN MID-1985 FOR COMPLETION AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS THE ONE IN DIAMOND HILL.+

THE COUNCIL'S COLUMBARIA PROVIDE TWO TYPES OF NICHES A STANDARD NICHE TO STORE TWO URNS AND A FAMILY NICHE TO ACCOMMODATE FOUR URNS.

THE CURRENT CHARGES FOR A STANDARD NICHE AND A FAMILY NICH ARE $1 300 AND $5 200 RESPECTIVELY.

EXPLAINING WHY THERE IS ALWAYS A GREAT DEMAND FOR NICHES AT THE COUNCIL'S COLUMBARIA, MR SZETO SAID: NOT ONLY ARE THEY WELL MANAGED AND ARRANGED IN AN ORDERLY FORM, ADDITIONALLY ALL SITES FOR THE COUNCIL'S COLUMBARIA ARE CHOSEN BY 'FUNG SHUI MASTERS.+

-

THE URBAN COUNCIL SUBSIDISES 50 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL NDITURE FOR THE PROVISION OF VARIOUS CREMATION SERVICES THE URBAN AREA, AND IN 1983/84 MORE THAN 12 MILLION AND

T BY THE COUNCIL ON THESE SERVICES.