the Board has elected to the Council. In 1987-88 the Council controls a budget of $1,000 million, and oversees the work of nearly 9,000 staff in the Regional Services Department.
The need for two councils
54.
Before the creation of the Regional Council, the view was expressed that, instead of creating a second statutory municipal authority, the powers of the Urban Council should be expanded to cover the New Territories. The Govern- ment took the view, however, that a single large council would be unwieldy, and not necessarily more efficient and economical in its operations than two smaller councils.
55. Since the establishment of the Regional Council, some have continued to argue that the two Councils should be amalgamated in order to streamline administrative procedures and to economize on resources. However, the general view appears to be that the decision to establish a second municipal council was correct, having regard to the different geographical and social characteristics of the New Territories. Large areas of the region are still rural in character, with much unplanned temporary housing and industrial development which present problems in the provision of basic sanitation and cleansing services. (Those parts of the region which are urbanized, namely the new towns, have generally been developed with the necessary modern infrastructure of public services and a full range of community facilities.)
56. On the other hand, the areas for which the Urban Council is responsible
are,
for the most part, fully developed and densely populated. They include many older urban areas where there is a need to improve the living environment of residents and to implement improved standards of provision for facilities such as markets, libraries, cultural centres and sporting and recreation facilities. It would clearly be difficult for a single municipal council to develop and implement policies which could be applied throughout areas with such diverse needs and characteristics.
Recent views on possible change
The Regional Council
57. It is too early to evaluate fully the impact of the Regional Council, but experience to date suggests that it manages efficiently and economically the provision of municipal services in the New Territories. The arrangements under which District Board members are elected to sit on the Council and the setting up of District Committees have provided an opportunity for the views of local district representatives to be taken into account in the planning and provision of services and facilities. There is thus no strong indication of a need for change in the composition, structure or operating arrangements of the Regional Council.
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