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needs of ramblers, picnickers, bird-watchers and so on, and the facilities and controls which should be provided for them in catchment areas. I believe that consideration by such a committee is the best way to provide a sound solution to the problem of opening up catchment areas for recreational use.
Turning now to the specific suggestions of fishing and boating on reservoirs, I expect that any keen fisherman already knows that, having first obtained a licence from the Water Authority, it is possible for anyone to fish on any of the Waterworks reservoirs. It is probably equally well known that one will not catch many fish. This is because most of our reservoirs are infertile—which is a good thing for water supply, but bad for the fish and for fishing. The same, however, will not be true of Plover Cove. During the first two or three years of operation, we shall be seeking to establish an acceptable family of fish in the reservoir; indeed, it has already been stocked with freshwater fish, and I do emphasize that it is freshwater fish we have got in there now and not saltwater fish. Once they have become established, we shall permit fishing, and I hope that the sport will be better than it is in our older reservoirs.
Boating or sailing is more of a problem. It is permitted in some countries but only under very rigid control. This is usually in the form of a private club, with limited membership. It is very doubtful if the risk of contamination of the water supply for the many should be taken for the pleasure of the few. Clearly, we could not have dozens of rowing boats hired by the hour on our reservoirs. But, in any case, there are practical problems in boating on the Hong Kong Island reservoirs for which it is difficult to see a solution. The reservoirs are deep, steep-sided, and their contents can vary from zero to full in a very short period of time. In future, the water level in these reservoirs is likely to be low even more often than in the past, because now that Plover Cove is available as reserve storage, greater use will be made of their gravity-supplied water.
However, there is one method by which it may be possible to make use of a reservoir for boating, and that is by abandoning it for potable water supply and keeping it, at all times, substantially full. At the present time, an inter-departmental committee on which the U.S.D. is represented is considering how Wong Nei Chong Gap reservoir might be used in this way, and I hope that this will lead to the sort of recreational outlet which Mr. Lo is looking for.
Mr. Solomon RAFEEK has got me confused. In his speech, he referred to "the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing". Yet, although I asked him two days after he made his speech for details of the "many unattended road works" in Hong Kong and Kowloon of which he spoke, he has not yet told me where they are. I can assure him, and his mythical tourist, that, though we at present have 108 contracts for major engineering works which affect the road system, not a single one has been abandoned. On all but three, progress is normal.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
There was much talk at the Public Meeting of this Council three weeks ago about the information gap and Government's failure to close it, and I suggest that when a Councillor makes a public statement about unattended roadworks and goes on to say that they give the impression that Government has no faith in the future of Hong Kong, he should be ready to provide details so that the Official Member concerned can answer the criticism and help to close the information gap.
So far as the reclamation in front of the Mandarin Hotel is concerned, Mr. RAFEEK's tourist should be able to see from his bedroom window quite a lot of engineering activity, since right in front of the Hotel we are not only constructing a large reinforced concrete box culvert but also a large diameter stormwater drain is being laid. Perhaps, because much of the activity is below ground in tidal waters, a cursory glance by a passer-by at street level might give the impression that nothing is being done. Until these drainage works have been completed—they are due for completion in March next year—dumping cannot be re-commenced.
Finding materials for reclamation on Hong Kong Island has been a problem since the recession in private development which followed the bank crisis of 1965. In Kowloon, thanks mainly to Government's massive housing and land development programmes, there is plenty of filling material, and in order to get on with the Wan Chai reclamation, we are transporting some 500,000 cubic yards of fill by barge from Kowloon Bay. In addition, we are forming sites in the Tin Hau Temple Road area simply in order to get more filling material to complete the essential parts of Wan Chai reclamation and the Waterfront Road. This positive action on Government's part to ensure that these works are prosecuted with vigour and brought to completion with all speed should convince Mr. RAFEEK that his fears are unfounded.
I can assure you, Sir, and all members of the Council, that there has been no cutback in the Public Works Programme as a result of the present emergency. There was some slowing down due to shortages of labour and materials during May and June, and again in August and September when explosives for blasting could not be delivered to any of our sites, but apart from these minor setbacks, work has proceeded normally, and expenditure on Public Works is running at something over $1 million a day.
Mr. Chairman, the Public Works Department is represented by the Director of Engineering Development and the Director of Building Development on several of the Council's Select Committees. This is
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needs of ramblers, picnickers, bird-watchers and so on, and the facilities and controls which should be provided for them in catchment areas. believe that consideration by such a committee is the best way to provide a sound solution to the problem of opening up catchment areas for recreational use.
Turning now to the specific suggestions of fishing and boating on reservoirs, I expect that any keen fisherman already knows that having first obtained a licence from the Water Authority, it is possible for any- one to fish on any of the Waterworks reservoirs. It is probably equally well known that one will not catch many fish. This is because most of our reservoirs are infertile-which is good thing for water supply, but bad for the fish and for fishing. The same however will not be true of Plover Cove. During the first two or three years of operation we shall be seeking to establish an acceptable family of fish in the reservoir, indeed it has already been stocked with fresh water fish and I do emphasize that it is fresh water fish we have got in there now and not salt water fish. Once they have become established we shall permit fishing, and I hope that the sport will be better than it is in our older reservoirs.
Boating or sailing is more of a problem. It is permitted in some countries but only under very rigid control. This is usually in the form of a private club, with limited membership. It is very doubtful if the risk of contamination of the water supply for the many should be taken for the pleasure of the few. Clearly we could not have dozens of rowing boats hired by the hour on our reservoirs. But, in any case, there are practical problems in boating on the Hong Kong Island reser- voirs for which it is difficult to see a solution. The reservoirs are deep, steep sided and their contents can vary from zero to full in a very short period of time. In future the water level in these reservoirs is likely to be low even more often than in the past, because now that Plover Cove is available as reserve storage, greater use will be made of their gravity-supplied water.
However, there is one method by which it may be possible to make use of a reservoir for boating, and that is by abandoning it for potable water supply, and keeping it, at all times, substantially full. At the present time an inter-departmental committee on which the U.S.D. is represented is considering how Wong Nei Chong Gap reservoir might be used in this way, and I hope that this will lead to the sort of recrea- tional outlet which Mr. Lo is looking for.
Mr. Solomon RAFEEK has got me confused. In his speech he referred to "the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing". Yet although I asked him two days after he made his speech for details of the "many unattended road works" in Hong Kong and Kowloon of which he spoke he has not yet told me where they are. I can assure him, and his mythical tourist, that though we at present have 108 con-
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
385
tracts for major engineering works which affect the road system not a single one has been abandoned. On all but three progress is normal. There was much talk at the Public Meeting of this Council three weeks ago about the information gap and Government's failure to close it, and I suggest that when a Councillor makes a public statement about un- attended roadworks, and goes on to say that they give the impression that Government has no faith in the future of Hong Kong, he should be ready to provide details so that the Official Member concerned can answer the criticism and help to close the information gap.
So far as the reclamation in front of the Mandarin Hotel is con- cerned, Mr. RAFEEK's tourist should be able to see from his bedroom window quite a lot of engineering activity, since right in front of the Hotel we are not only constructing a large reinforced concrete box culvert but also a large diameter stormwater drain is being laid. Perhaps, because much of the activity is below ground in tidal waters, a cursory glance by a passer-by at street level might give the impression that nothing is being done. Until these drainage works have been com- pleted they are due for completion in March next year-dumping can- not be re-commenced.
Finding materials for reclamation on Hong Kong Island has been a problem since the recession in private development which followed the bank crisis of 1965. In Kowloon, thanks mainly to Government's massive housing and land development programmes, there is plenty of filling material, and in order to get on with the Wan Chai reclamation we are transporting some 500,000 cubic yards of fill by barge from Kowloon Bay. In addition, we are forming sites in the Tin Hau Temple Road area simply in order to get more filling material to complete the essential parts of Wan Chai reclamation and the Waterfront Road. This positive action on Government's part to ensure that these works are prosecuted with vigour and brought to completion with all speed should convince Mr. RAFEEK that his fears are unfounded.
I can assure you, Sir, and all members of the Council, that there has been no cut back in the Public Works Programme as a result of the present emergency. There was some slowing down due to shortages of labour and materials during May and June, and again in August and September when explosives for blasting could not be delivered to any of our sites, but apart from these minor setbacks work has proceeded normally and expenditure on Public Works is running at something over $1 million a day.
Mr. Chairman, the Public Works Department is represented by the Director of Engineering Development and the Director of Building Development on several of the Council's Select Committees. This is
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