HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-There is a section in the Public Works Department, could I have the name of that section from the Director of Public Works for the enlightenment of Councillors?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I think the answer is that it is not the Public Works Department who is the authority. The Public Works Department prepares a list of street lighting which they get from their own sources, mainly for traffic reasons; from the police, for security and other reasons; and from the Urban Council and Urban Services Department, for security or amenities. These are put together and they then go to the Public Works Sub-committee which vets them. They are in fact approved by the authority of the Public Works Sub-committee of Finance Committee.
(2) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:
(a) Is the Chairman aware that the playground equipment in Chai Wan is utterly inadequate for a population of some 60,000 people and some of the playgrounds have not any equipment whatsoever?
(b) Could the Chairman say out of what vote do the provisioning of playgrounds including equipment come and whether the vote is adequate for the urban areas as a whole and Chai Wan in particular?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE PARKS, RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:
(a) I am not aware, Sir, that there is a single children's playground constructed by this Council in Chai Wan which is not provided with equipment. There are 7 playgrounds in the area and equipment has been installed in all of them. In fact, there are 82 items of play equipment there.
No equipment other than benches is of course installed in pleasure grounds designed as sitting out areas. There are five of these areas in Chai Wan. Other areas designed for specific games such as mini-soccer, basketball, and volleyball only include equipment necessary for these activities. Ten such active play areas are available for the people of Chai Wan. They are:
1 mini-soccer pitch.
6 basketball courts.
3 volleyball courts.
The Select Committee's plans for the development of additional recreational facilities in Chai Wan, including the provision of children's play equipment, are an acknowledgement that the area's needs have not yet been fully met.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
355
edgement that the area's needs have not yet been fully In any case, the level of the existing provision in Chai Wan compares well with many urban areas. The task of resolving many competing claims on our limited financial resources is accepted by my Select Committee. We are always asking for more money to satisfy all requirements. But, until we are given all we need, I think the Select Committee has done remarkably well even though my colleagues and I will never be satisfied with our progress and will always want to do more and better.
(b) The provision of playgrounds and play equipment is financed from two sources. Funds are provided under Head 61 of the Estimates for the Public Works Non-recurrent Programme which includes the construction and equipment of all major recreation facilities with costs exceeding $150,000.00. Head 79 of the Estimates, which provides funds for the Urban Council and Urban Services Department, includes an item of expenditure for urban amenities, parks and playgrounds. This item, which is often referred to as the "Block Vote", stands in the current financial year at $2 million. Its expenditure lies within the discretion of this Council and is a specific responsibility of the Parks, Recreation and Amenities Select Committee. It is designed to finance and equip play areas costing less than $150,000.00. Equipment for the smaller play areas is financed from this Vote and is normally ordered in bulk. $300,000.00 has been spent or committed on equipment during this financial year. Council may wish to know that we have overcommitted this Block Vote by $933,000 so far and we are likely to go on doing so. For this reason, my Select Committee has asked the Government for $5 million for the financial year beginning 1st April, 1968. My colleagues and I trust that the Government will not cut down the figure.
Therefore, it is my opinion that funds voted to provide facilities for recreation have not been adequate to meet the many needs of the urban population. We should otherwise not be asking for more and be so much engrossed in future planning. But I would like to maintain that progress in this field in recent years has been at an impressive level, and that the rate of increase in the provision of facilities has been accelerating. I would indeed go further and say that the completion of the current Public Works Programme, together with the expenditure of funds which have been sought by this Council for the
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-There is a section in the Public Works Department, could I have the name of that section from the Director of Public Works for the enlightenment of Councillors?
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I think the answer is that it is not the Public Works Department who is the authority. The Public Works Department prepares a list of street lighting which they get from their own sources, mainly for traffic reasons; from the police, for security and other reasons; and from the Urban Council and Urban Services Depart- ment, for security or amenities. These are put together and they then go to the Public Works Sub-committee which vets them. They are in fact approved by the authority of the Public Works Sub-committee of Finance Committee.
(2) MR. B. A. BERNACCHI asked the following question:
(a) Is the Chairman aware that the playground equipment in Chai Wan is utterly inadequate for a population of some 60,000 people and some of the playgrounds have not any equipment whatsoever'?
(b) Could the Chairman say out of what vote do the provi- sioning of playgrounds including equipment come and whether the vote is adequate for the urban areas as a whole and Chai Wan in particular?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE PARKS, RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows: ----
(a) I am not aware, Sir, that there is a single children's play- ground constructed by this Council in Chai Wan which is not provided with equipment. There are 7 playgrounds in the area and equipment has been installed in all of them. In fact, there are 82 items of play equipment there.
No equipment other than benches is of course installed in pleasure grounds designed as sitting out areas. There are five of these areas in Chai Wan. Other areas designed for specific games such as mini-soccer, basketball, and volleyball only include equipment necessary for these activities. Ten such active play areas are available for the people of Chai Wan. They are:
1 mini-soccer pitch.
6 basketball courts.
3 volleyball courts.
The Select Committee's plans for the development of additional recreational facilities in Chai Wan, including the provision of children's play equipment, are an acknowl-
met.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
355
edgement that the area's needs have not yet been fully In any case, the level of the existing provision in Chai Wan compares well with many urban areas. The task of resolving many competing claims on our limited financial resources is accepted by my Select Committee. We are always asking for more money to satisfy all requirements. But, until we are given all we need, I think the Select Committee has done remarkably well even though my colleagues and I will never be satisfied with our progress and will always want to do more and better. (b) The provision of playgrounds and play equipment is financed from two sources. Funds are provided under Head 61 of the Estimates for the Public Works Non- recurrent Programme which includes the construction and equipment of all major recreation facilities with costs exceeding $150,000.00. Head 79 of the Estimates, which provides funds for the Urban Council and Urban Services Department, includes an item of expenditure for urban amenities, parks and playgrounds. This item, which is often referred to as the "Block Vote", stands in the current financial year at $2 million. Its expenditure lies within the discretion of this Council and is a specific responsibility of the Parks, Recreation and Amenities Select Committee. It is designed to finance and equip play areas costing less than $150,000.00. Equipment for the smaller play areas is financed from this Vote and is normally ordered in bulk. $300,000.00 has been spent or committed on equipment during this financial year. Council may wish to know that we have overcommitted this Block Vote by $933,000 so far and we are likely to go on doing so. For this reason, my Select Committee has asked the Government for $5 million for the financial year beginning 1st April, 1968. My colleagues and I trust that the Government will not cut down the figure.
Therefore, it is my opinion that funds voted to provide facilities for recreation have not been adequate to meet the many needs of the urban population. We should otherwise not be asking for more and be so much engross- ed in future planning. But I would like to maintain that progress in this field in recent years has been at an impressive level, and that the rate of increase in the provi sion of facilities has been accelerating. I would indeed go further and say that the completion of the current Public Works Programme, together with the expenditure of funds which have been sought by this Council for the
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