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for the maintenance and possible use of such public grounds. I'm quite sure that with the employment of an Executive Officer (Recreation) these efforts will be intensified and the use of these grounds will be put to public purposes.
DR. BELL:- Mr. Chairman, could I ask some supplementaries on this question. First of all, is there much space, I mean actual area, that is available at Stanley for development?
MR. SALES: No, not easily available because whatever Crown Land that may be left is rather steep as far as I'm aware.
But every effort has been made to develop these areas. Perhaps Dr. BELL may recall that in the past few years new beaches were opened in that vicinity and these beaches—Deity and Hairpin, if I remember—are fairly difficult to get to. The only possibilities are to use the grounds which now belong to the Prison Officers' Club and I believe also another organization there, the name of which I don't recall, at the moment, and initial steps are being taken to make an approach for their proper use.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, my second supplementary, Mr. SALES mentions in his answer the population there may now be increased to 10,000, but I wonder is it a place to which many youngsters perhaps go at the weekends, similar to, for instance, parts of the Sai Kung peninsula in Kowloon? If that were so, the population on weekends might be nearer 30,000?
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I say that when I suggested the figure 10,000, I discounted the population in Stanley Prison and this figure only refers to the population in Stanley Village and outside, and the 30,000 people that perhaps use the Stanley Peninsula on weekends probably go there for the very attractive beaches that exist rather than for purposes connected with active playing of games.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking of the active playing of games but Mr. SALES did mention that there are a lot of steep areas which are terribly important to develop, perhaps not expensively developed, but could they be developed for young people who like to clamber up and down hillsides and that sort of thing? Is it possible that this development could take place without costing very much?
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I give Dr. BELL the assurance that we will look into that in the interest of hill-climbing. If there are no other supplementaries may I suggest that the supplementary questions asked by the two members of the Reform Club are not up to the usual high standard we have come to expect from Mr. HENRY HU. (Laughter).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
15
(6) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:-
The arrangement for refuse collection from Central Market is not hygienic. Refuse has to be raked out from the refuse chute onto a platform and then shovelled into the refuse collecting vehicle.
Have any steps been taken to effect improvement?
MR. R. H. LOBO, Acting Chairman of the Markets Select Committee, replied as follows:-
This question concerns refuse collection at Central Market. The Department has been aware for some time of the unsatisfactory nature of the refuse collection arrangements at Central Market. The refuse room at this market was originally designed for use with side-loading vehicles, but the vehicles now in use are rear-loading and the design of the room is therefore no longer satisfactory. In addition, the position is aggravated by the fact that this refuse room is the only suitable collection point which it has so far been found possible to obtain for use by the street cleansing gangs for Central District.
In October, 1967, the Department drew up a scheme of alterations to the refuse room and chute to make it suitable for use by the new bin-lifting refuse collection vehicles. This scheme involves demolition of the existing refuse chute and loading platform, the provision of a new refuse chute, the replacement of the present sliding grille gate by a roller shutter and modifications to provide direct access from the refuse room into the market itself. Following a detailed examination of the room by the Maintenance Surveyor it became apparent that for structural reasons the Department's proposals could not be implemented in entirety and modifications to the scheme have now been suggested.
It is hoped that final drawings and costs for the revised scheme will be available in the very near future. In the meantime, every effort is being made to ensure that the present unsatisfactory state of affairs produces as little offence as possible.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, may I ask a supplementary on that—is it Government's policy to continue to build refuse chutes in the Colony?
CHAIRMAN:- This is rather a new matter I fear Dr. BELL, but I will look into it.
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for the maintenance and possible use of such public grounds. I'm quite sure that with the employment of an Executive Officer (Recreation) these efforts will be intensified and the use of these grounds will be put to public purposes.
DR. BELL:-Mr. Chairman, could I ask some supplementaries on this question. First of all, is there much space, I mean actual area, that is available at Stanley for development?
MR. SALES: No, not easily available because whatever Crown Land that may be left is rather steep as far as I'm aware.
But every effort has been made to develop these areas. Perhaps Dr. BELL may recall that in the past few years new beaches were opened in that vicinity and these beaches--Deity and Hairpin, if I remember-are fairly difficult to get to. The only possibilities are to use the grounds which now belong to the Prison Officers' Club and I believe also another organization there, the name of which I don't recall, at the moment, and initial steps are being taken to make an approach for their proper
use.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, my second supplementary, Mr. SALES mentions in his answer the population there may now be increased to 10,000, but I wonder is it a place to which many youngsters perhaps go at the weekends, similar to, for instance, parts of the Sai Kung peninsula in Kowloon? If that were so, the population on weekends might be nearer 30,000?
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, may I say that when I suggested the figure 10,000, I discounted the population in Stanley Prison and this figure only refers to the population in Stanley Village and outside, and the 30,000 people that perhaps use the Stanley Peninsula on weekends probably go there for the very attractive beaches that exist rather than for purposes connected with active playing of games.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking of the active playing of games but Mr. SALES did mention that there are a lot of steep areas which are terribly important to develop, perhaps not expensively developed, but could they be developed for young people who like to clamber up and down hillsides and that sort of thing? Is it possible that this development could take place without costing very much?
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, I give Dr. BELL the assurance that we will look into that in the interest of hill-climbing. If there are no other supplementaries may I suggest that the supplementary questions asked by the two members of the Reform Club are not up to the usual high standard we have come to expect from Mr. HENRY HU. (Laughter).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
15
(6) MR. SOLOMon Rafeek asked the following question:-
The arrangement for refuse collection from Central Market is not hygienic. Refuse has to be raked out from the refuse chute onto a platform and then shovelled into the refuse collecting vehicle.
Have any steps been taken to effect improvement?
MR. R. H. LOBO, Acting Chairman of the Markets Select Com- mittee, replied as follows:-
This question concerns refuse collection at Central Market. The Department has been aware for sometime of the unsatis- factory nature of the refuse collection arrangements at Central Market. The refuse room at this market was originally designed for use with side-loading vehicles, but the vehicles now in use are rear-loading and the design of the room is therefore no longer satisfactory. In addi- tion, the position is aggravated by the fact that this refuse room is the only suitable collection point which it has so far been found possible to obtain for use by the street cleansing gangs for Central District.
In October, 1967, the Department drew up a scheme of alter- ations to the refuse room and chute to make it suitable for use by the new bin-lifting refuse collection vehicles. This scheme involves demolition of the existing refuse chute and loading platform, the provision of a new refuse chute, the replacement of the present sliding grille gate by a roller shutter and modifications to provide direct access from the refuse room into the market itself. Following a detailed examination of the room by the Main- tenance Surveyor it became apparent that for structural reasons the Department's proposals could not be imple- mented in entirety and modifications to the scheme have now been suggested.
It is hoped that final drawings and costs for the revised scheme will be available in the very near future. In the meantime, every effort is being made to ensure that the present unsatisfactory state of affairs produces as little offence as possible.
DR. BELL: Mr. Chairman, may I ask a supplementary on that-
is it Government's policy to continue to build refuse chutes in the Colony?
CHAIRMAN:-This is rather a new matter I fear Dr. BELL, but I will look into it.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.