XN000022-1994-10-19 — Page 10

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1994

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IMPROVEMENT OF WATER QUALITY AT BEACHES

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FOLLOWING IS A QUESTION BY THE HON MISS EMILY LAU WAI-HING AND A WRITTEN REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE, MR JAMES SO, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):

QUESTION: OWING TO THE LONG DELAY IN IMPLEMENTING THE SEWAGE DISPOAL SCHEME, A NUMBER OF BEACHES HAVE BECOME BADLY POLLUTED AND ARE THUS UNSUITABLE FOR SWIMMING, AND THIS HAS RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF RECREATIONAL PLACES FOR THE PUBLIC ON PUBLIC HOLIDAYS. WILL THE GOVERNMENT INFORM THIS COUNCIL WHETHER CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN ΤΟ OPENING UP AND DEVELOPING OUTING SITES IN RURAL AREAS AS WELL AS OUTLYING ISLANDS, INCLUDING THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS TO THE BATHING BEACHES ALONG TAI LONG SAI WAN IN SAI KUNG, SO THAT MORE PEOPLE CAN ENJOY THESE BEAUTIFUL BEACHES AND BATHE IN CLEANER WATER?

REPLY:

MR PRESIDENT,

BEACHES

AT PRESENT, THE WATER QUALITY OF 13 OF THE 42 GAZETTED IS STILL GRADED POOR OR VERY POOR. THE HON MS EMILY LAU'S CONCERN ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADDITIONAL GAZETTED BEACHES IS THEREFORE WELL APPRECIATED.

THE WATER QUALITY AT GAZETTED BEACHES CAN HOWEVER BE IMPROVED BY THE PROVISION OF ADEQUATE SEWERAGE FOR DOMESTIC SEWAGE AND THE PROPER CONTROL OF LIVESTOCK WASTES DISCHARGES. TO THIS END, THE GOVERNMENT HAS A COMPREHENSIVE PRIORITIZED PLAN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEW SEWERAGE NEAR GAZETTED BEACHES TO ENSURE THAT SEWAGE IS COLLECTED, REMOVED AND PROPERLY DISPOSED OF. THE FIRST PART OF THIS PLAN COVERING THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF HONG KONG ISLAND. WOULD BE COMPLETED TOWARDS THE END OF THIS YEAR. AT THE END OF THE DECADE, THERE SHOULD BE ADEQUATE PROVISION OF SEWERAGE AT ALL THOSE GAZETTED BEACHES WHERE THE WATER QUALITY HAS BEEN GRADED POOR OR VERY POOR.

THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS WILL ALSO CONSIDER DEVELOPING NEW GAZETTED BEACHES IF SUITABLE VENUES WITH EASY ACCESSIBILITY, A SAFE SEA-BED AND WATER CURRENT, ADEQUATE INFRASTRUCTURAL SUPPORT AND WATER QUALITY CAN BE FOUND. IN THIS REGARD, A NEW BEACH AT TUEN GOLDEN BEACH, WOULD BE OPEN FOR PUBLIC USE AT THE NEXT SWIMMING SEASON.

GOOD MUN,

SEPARATELY, AN INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COMMITTEE WILL SOON BE FORMED LOOK INTO WATER SPORTS FACILITIES, INCLUDING THE EXISTING BEACHES AND THE NEED FOR AND POSSIBILITY OF DEVELOPING NEW ONES.

TO

/AS REGARDS

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