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# HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

## ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN.

Ladies and gentlemen, before we start the business of this meeting, I am sure that Members will wish me to congratulate Mr. Wilson WANG and Mr. Daniel LAM on their appointment to the Legislative Council. (Applause).

## MINUTES.

The Minutes of the meetings of the Council held on 30th November, 1967 and 1st December, 1967 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 November, 1967.

## QUESTIONS.

(1) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:

(a) Why is there no street lighting in Chai Wan?

(b) Why, with one exception, are the playgrounds in Chai Wan Estate not lit up at night?

(c) In view of the number of children in Chai Wan Estate, could playground lighting be treated as a top priority, because the playgrounds are either closed or the swings locked up at dusk resulting in nearly the whole of the juvenile population of Chai Wan being on the equally unlit streets?

MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE PARKS, RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-

(a) I would like to say that street lighting is not a direct responsibility of this Council even though my Select Committee is consulted and also takes the initiative in making recommendations. I understand that lighting has already been installed in many of the major thoroughfares of Chai Wan and also that work is in hand to extend the system throughout the industrial zone and at the principal road intersection in the neighbourhood of the recently completed Stage III Resettlement Estate Development Area.

(b) I believe that there is a misunderstanding or perhaps my colleague has been misinformed as it is not true that only

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one public playground in Chai Wan is lit at night as suggested in the question. The three areas which were completed in 1965 during Stage I of the Chai Wan Resettlement Estate Development Programme were provided with lights in the following year. Each of these areas is now illuminated throughout the hours of street lighting. The installation of park lighting in the nine recreation areas, which were formally opened by Mr. BERNACCHI last April, has recently been authorized so they will also be lit soon enough. The Parks, Recreation and Amenities Select Committee has moreover recommended the inclusion in next year's Public Works Programme of an item for the floodlighting of two basketball courts in the Chai Wan Resettlement Estate area.

The completion of these various schemes will meet Mr. BERNACCHI's request for an improvement in the system of lighting in both the streets and the playgrounds of this ward. If not, I would be grateful for such additional suggestions as he might wish to make for the Select Committee's consideration.

MR. BERNACCHI:- Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Mr. SALES for the excellent reply. There are some supplementaries. The first supplementary is, would he define more clearly what he means by the three areas that were completed in 1965? There is one fairly big area, but where are the other two?

MR. SALES:- Mr. Chairman, may I have your permission to table this map (Mr. SALES produced a detailed map of the area) of the Chai Wan ward so that I might be able to answer the question more adequately. The three areas were developed and opened to the public in March 1965. Park lights were installed in 1963, they are here (Mr. SALES indicated the position of the lights on the map). One, containing rest garden, one shelter, 11 garden benches. Two, the area to which Mr. BERNACCHI has referred, and the third, containing two basketball courts, one volleyball court and 8 garden benches.

MR. BERNACCHI:- The next question is the installation of park lighting in the nine recreation areas that I formally opened last April "will be lit very soon". The question, how soon?

MR. SALES:- Mr. Chairman, first the street lighting is on. Secondly, the lighting of the playground areas will be installed, I am told, in the next three months. Approval has been given for the installation of such lighting and I might add that approval was given before the questions were filed.

MR. BERNACCHI:- The item of floodlighting of the two basketball courts. The inclusion in next year's Public Works Programme, does

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