Page 59 of 150
102
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
Before taking the first item on to-day's Agenda, I am sure that Members would wish me to congratulate Mr. Li Fook-shu on his appointment to the Legislative Council. (Applause).
Members will also wish me to welcome Mr. CHEONG-LEEN and Mr. MARDEN back from their travels abroad.
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 5th June, 1962, were confirmed.
PAPER.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following paper:
Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of June 1962.
QUESTIONS.
MR. WILFRED S. B. WONG asked the following question:-
Will the Chairman inform this Council what steps are being taken to improve the beaches at Repulse Bay, Middle Bay, and South Bay?
Those beaches, especially Repulse Bay, are now in the worst condition since 1948. They have never recovered since Typhoon Mary. You were good enough to state in July 1961 that normal tidal action would help in the restoration of the beaches to their normal conditions. This, I am afraid, will take too long a time and many families have their holidays spoilt by having their feet cut.
I have been combing the three beaches since 1948 and I am convinced that apart from large scale replenishment of sand, many small rocks and stones can be removed. Will the Chairman promise some abnormal action to improve this urban amenity?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
When you ask what steps are being taken to improve these beaches, I assume that you are referring to the removal of stones. It is quite correct that "Typhoon Mary' in 1960 lifted enormous quantities of sand from Repulse Bay-- even now, the roots of the casuarina trees on the beach are partly exposed. But it would, I think, be an extremely costly business to replace this sand by artificial means.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
103
are partly exposed. But it would, I think, be an extremely costly business to replace this sand by artificial means. We had an interesting opinion on this question some years ago from Professor S. G. DAVIS of Hong Kong University, who expressed the view that the addition of sand to beaches could be a very temporary measure as one typhoon on-shore blow might easily remove in an hour or so the labour of several weeks.
As far as stones are concerned, large numbers have already been removed from the upper portions of Repulse Bay beach and have been stacked to form a terrace extending from the central nullah to the Lido. There are, however, still many stones exposed at low tide, particularly at the extreme eastern end of the beach. They are at their worst at the lowest tides, three times a month.
For some years we have employed labour to clear the beach of rocks, but tidal action tends to expose yet more rocks. I admit that this is a very difficult problem, the only real solution to which would be for nature to restore the carpet of sand which she has seen fit to remove. This has happened at other beaches. You may have seen it in the case of Big Wave Bay some years ago, where after a typhoon towards the end of the bathing season, very large quantities of rocks became exposed on the beach. However, the sand gradually returned during the winter and covered them. I think that only an expert could give the reason why this does not happen at Repulse Bay Beach. I wonder if it could be that in systematically removing the rocks, we are delaying or even preventing the return of sand.
The position at Middle Bay and South Bay is not quite as bad as at Repulse Bay, but I agree that the question of improving these particular beaches needs further examination and I propose therefore to put the whole matter before the Urban Amenities Select Committee for consideration as soon as possible.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Mr. Chairman, may I ask a supplementary question, through you, of Mr. WONG? Is there any particular reason why you did not mention Deep Water Bay, which is also in that area?
MR. WILFRED WONG: Mr. Chairman, I have also been combing Deep Water Bay but it is quite in order.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:- Arising out of the answer by Mr. WONG, Mr. Chairman, may I point out that yesterday when I visited Deep Water Bay, I noticed that there is a very serious obstruction in the
Page 59 of 150
Page 59 of 150
102
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.
Before taking the first item on to-day's Agenda, I am sure that Members would wish me to congratulate Mr. Li Fook-shu on his appointment to the Legislative Council. (Applause).
Members will also wish me to welcome Mr. CHEONG-LEEN and Mr. MARDEN back from their travels abroad.
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 5th June, 1962, were confirmed.
PAPER.
THE CHAIRMAN laid upon the table the following paper:
Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services
Department for the month of June 1962.
QUESTIONS.
MR. WILFRED S. B. WONG asked the following question:-
Will the Chairman inform this Council what steps are being taken to improve the beaches at Repulse Bay, Middle Bay, and South Bay?
Those beaches, especially Repulse Bay, are now in the worst condition since 1948. They have never recovered since Typhoon Mary. You were good enough to state in July 1961 that normal tidal action would help in the restora- tion of the beaches to their normal conditions. This, I am afraid, will take too long a time and many families have their holidays spoilt by having their feet cut.
I have been combing the three beaches since 1948 and I am convinced that apart from large scale replenishment of sand, many small rocks and stones can be removed. Will the Chairman promise some abnormal action to improve
this urban amenity?
THE CHAIRMAN replied as follows:-
When you ask what steps are being taken to improve these beaches, I assume that you are referring to the removal of stones. It is quite correct that "Typhoon Mary' in 1960 lifted enormous quantities of sand from Repulse Bay-- even now, the roots of the casuarina trees on the beach
means.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
103
are partly exposed. But it would, I think, be an extremely costly business to replace this sand by artificial We had an interesting opinion on this question some years ago from Professor S. G. DAVIS of Hong Kong University, who expressed the view that the addition of sand to beaches could be a very temporary measure as one typhoon on-shore blow might easily remove in an hour or so the labour of several weeks.
As far as stones are concerned, large numbers have already been removed from the upper portions of Repulse Bay beach and have been stacked to form a terrace extending from the central nullah to the Lido. There are, however, still many stones exposed at low tide, particularly at the extreme eastern end of the beach. They are at their worst at the lowest tides, three times a month.
For some years we have employed labour to clear the beach of rocks, but tidal action tends to expose yet more rocks. I admit that this is a very difficult problem, the only real solution to which would be for nature to restore the carpet of sand which she has seen fit to remove. This has happened at other beaches. You may have seen it in the case of Big Wave Bay some years ago, where after a typhoon towards the end of the bathing season, very large quantities of rocks became exposed on the beach. How- ever, the sand gradually returned during the winter and covered them. I think that only an expert could give the reason why this does not happen at Repulse Bay Beach. I wonder if it could be that in systematically removing the rocks, we are delaying or even preventing the return of sand.
The position at Middle Bay and South Bay is not quite as bad as at Repulse Bay, but I agree that the question of improving these particular beaches needs further examina- tion and I propose therefore to put the whole matter before the Urban Amenities Select Committee for con- sideration as soon as possible.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, may I ask a supplementary question, through you, of Mr. WONG? Is there any particular reason why you did not mention Deep Water Bay, which is also in that area? MR. WILFRED WONG: Mr. Chairman, I have also been combing Deep Water Bay but it is quite in order.
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Arising out of the answer by Mr. WONG, Mr. Chairman, may I point out that yesterday when I visited Deep Water Bay, I noticed that there is a very serious obstruction in the
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.