1960 — Page 46

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

is complicated by certain major drainage works along Chatham Road which have proved necessary, but should be completed within about three months. In due course, one may expect that the following projects will have been completed to your satisfaction, but the bigger ones may well take all of two years or more:—

(i) reconstruction of the Kowloon City traffic islands

(ii) development of a Recreation Ground between

these islands and the Sung Wong Toi Garden

(iii) construction of a fountain in the Sung Wong Toi Garden

(iv) construction of a recreation ground between Ma Tau Wei Road, Lok Shan Road and Pau Chung Street (regarding which I have just answered a question)

(v) development of the roadside plots at the junction

of Ma Tau Wei Road with

(a) Kowloon City Road

(b) Sheung Heung Road (quite near the

Pau Chung Street recreation ground)

(c) San Shan Road (near the Remand Home)

(vi) improvements to the traffic islands at the junction of Ma Tau Wei, To Kwa Wan and Chatham Roads

(vii) rehabilitation of all plots, the rest garden and the playground in Chatham Road

(viii) construction of a fountain at the Star Ferry Concourse."

MR. SALES: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate in fact the detailed nature of your reply, and again may I suggest that it be published in extenso by the department.

MR. CHEONG-LEEN: On a point of clarification, Mr. Chairman. These itemized projects which you have listed are listed in order of priority?

CHAIRMAN: There is no priority order.

MR. SALES: May I hope that the Star Ferry Fountain item will be the last one. (Laughter).

MR. CHEONG-LEEN: I was not thinking of that so much as item No. 3, Mr. Chairman. That is the construction of the fountain in the Sung Wong Toi Garden.

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MR. A. DE O. SALES asked the following question:-

"When is it expected that the Kowloon Tsai Park will be ready and open to the public? Will the Chairman please give separate completion dates for the various sections?"

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-

"This question concerns the Kowloon Tsai Park. Sketch plans and estimates prepared by the private architects were submitted to the Public Works Department at the end of March and certain queries mainly about the scale of quarters raised by the Public Works Department are now under consideration. The architects have not yet been authorized to proceed with working drawings and I regret that it is not possible to make any forecast of possible completion dates. It would be unwise to give any such forecast before tenders are called."

MR. SALES: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Whose quarters were you referring to - what are the quarters?

CHAIRMAN: Staff quarters in the Park.

MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, may I congratulate you on your very detailed reply to all my questions. I appreciate your co-operation; I am sure Kowloon would too.

MR. H. CHEONG-LEEN asked the following question:

"As the activities of the Urban Council and Resettlement Department are of vital importance and interest to the community, will the Chairman agree to request Government to make available to the general public Chinese translations of the annual reports of both the Urban Council and the Resettlement Department?"

THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-

"This question concerns the translation into Chinese and the sale to the Public of the Annual Reports of the Urban Services Department and the Resettlement Department.

I think that it would be helpful if I first give some statistics of distribution.

Of the Urban Services Department Report 382 copies were printed and 61 copies were sent out of the Colony to the Colonial Office, United Kingdom representatives in other territories etc. Of the balance 231 copies were issued free for local distribution and 90 copies were put on sale in the Post Office in October, 1959. The reports cost $4.00 per copy and to-date only 54 copies have been sold.

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