HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
However, it will not be possible to keep up this forward movement unless the Colonial Secretariat soon provides the Urban Council with the urgently required resources of additional staff, equipment and hawker bazaar sites in order to implement the hawker policy of this Council.
For example, the Urban Council has applied for over a year for a cooked food stall site in the Kwun Tong area so as to provide industrial workers with low-priced meals cooked under hygienic conditions. Today, no site has yet been handed over to the Urban Council. This is a most frustrating state of affairs.
The Urban Services Department will require additional staff to implement the Hawker By-laws, and to improve the living environment in Hong Kong. It is hoped that the Colonial Secretariat is fully aware of the need for urgent action to provide the resources required by the Urban Council to deal adequately with hawker affairs.
QUESTIONS.
(1) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:-
Residents of the Lam Tin Resettlement Estate told me on the occasion of the formal opening of the 500th resettlement block that their playgrounds were not floodlit at night. In view of the fact that 50,000 people live in the estate, will it be possible to accommodate the wishes of the residents of this particular estate by arranging to have their playgrounds illuminated in the evening? And, extending this idea, will the Chairman also say how many playgrounds in all resettlement estates have not yet been floodlit? And when can they be expected to be?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
I am happy to inform Mr. RAFEEK that an item has been recommended for inclusion in Category B of next year's Public Works Programme for the floodlighting of Playgrounds Nos. 1 and 3 at Lam Tin estate, together with playgrounds at Sau Mau Ping, Ngau Tau Kok and Yau Tong estates.
The policy of installing floodlighting, where justified, as an integral part of new active recreation projects in the Public Works Programme dates back only to the end of 1968. Older playgrounds, and those financed from the Council's block vote, thus have to be floodlit retrospectively. This means that there is a considerable backlog of playgrounds which must be floodlit if deemed appropriate, so items are inserted annually into the Public Works Programme covering groups of playgrounds to be floodlit. The group I mentioned earlier, which includes Lam Tin estate, will be the fifth such group in the urban areas.
Page 200 of 241
376
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
377
At present 23 playgrounds are floodlit, 4 being in resettlement estates: 2 at Tsz Wan Shan, 1 at Shek Pai Wan, and 1 rooftop playground at Lam Tin estate. Work on 5 other playgrounds is almost complete and there are two other groups in Category A of the Public Works Programme, which between them comprise 12 playgrounds. Of these 12, 1 is at Chai Wan, 2 each at Tin Wan, Lam Tin, Ngau Tau Kok, and 1 each at Shek Kip Mei, Wang Tau Hom, Tung Tau, Sau Mau Ping and Yau Tong estates.
There are now 146 estate playgrounds in the urban area of various sizes and usages, and the number continues to increase steadily. 4 have floodlighting. Of the remaining 142 not all require floodlighting; with children's playgrounds, for instance, there is hardly the need for it. Priority for floodlighting must continue to go to active recreation playgrounds which are well-used and where there are no other floodlit grounds in the vicinity; of course, the needs of areas other than in resettlement estates must also be considered. My Committee is of course keenly aware of the importance of floodlighting as many areas as possible. There is no reason to believe that the momentum of the floodlighting programme will not be maintained or even increased. I thank Mr. RAFEEK for the opportunity to clarify in public the Council's programme for floodlighting our playgrounds.
MR. RAFEEK:- Mr. Chairman, may I thank Mr. SALES for his detailed reply to my question and as I have no supplementary questions, may I proceed to ask question No. 2.
(2) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:-
The success of Urban Council libraries suggests that an Urban Council film library should now be looked into. I have heard from many students that it would help them if films of a documentary nature could be shown in the library precincts to groups of 10 or 20 on request. They feel that the City Hall Library service should be extended to make appreciation of documentary films more widespread. Can this be considered?
Page 201 of 241
241
376
Page 199 of 241
376
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
...
Page 201 of 241
241
Page 199 of 241
376
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
However, it will not be possible to keep up this forward movement unless the Colonial Secretariat soon provides the Urban Council with the urgently required resources of additional staff, equipment and hawker bazaar sites in order to implement the hawker policy of this Council.
For example, the Urban Council has applied for over a year for a cooked food stall site in the Kwun Tong area so as to provide industrial workers with low-priced meals cooked under hygienic con- ditions. Today, no site has yet been handed over to the Urban Council. This is a most frustrating state of affairs.
The Urban Services Department will require additional staff to implement the Hawker By-laws, and to improve the living environment in Hong Kong. It is hoped that the Colonial Secretariat is fully aware of the need for urgent action to provide the resources required by the Urban Council to deal adequately with hawker affairs.
QUESTIONS.
(1) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:-
Residents of the Lam Tin Resettlement Estate told me on the occasion of the formal opening of the 500th resettle- ment block that their playgrounds were not floodlit at night. In view of the fact that 50,000 people live in the estate, will it be possible to accommodate the wishes of the residents of this particular estate by arranging to have their playgrounds illuminated in the evening? And, extending this idea, will the Chairman also say how many playgrounds in all resettlement estates have not yet been floodlit? And when can they be expected to be?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
I am happy to inform Mr. RAFEEK that an item has been recommended for inclusion in Category B of next year's Public Works Programme for the floodlighting of Play- grounds Nos. 1 and 3 at Lam Tin estate, together with playgrounds at Sau Mau Ping, Ngau Tau Kok and Yau Tong estates.
The policy of installing floodlighting, where justified, as an integral part of new active recreation projects in the Public Works Programme dates back only to the end of 1968. Older playgrounds, and those financed from the Council's block vote, thus have to be floodlit retrospectively. This means that there is a considerable backlog of playgrounds
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
377
which must be floodlit if deemed appropriate, so items are inserted annually into the Public Works Programme covering groups of playgrounds to be floodlit. The group I mentioned earlier, which includes Lam Tin estate, will be the fifth such group in the urban areas.
At present 23 playgrounds are floodlit, 4 being in resettlement estates: 2 at Tsz Wan Shan, 1 at Shek Pai Wan, and 1 rooftop playground at Lam Tin estate. Work on 5 other playgrounds is almost complete and there are two other groups in Category A of the Public Works Programme, which between them comprise 12 playgrounds. Of these 12, 1 is at Chai Wan, 2 each at Tin Wan, Lam Tin, Ngau Tau Kok, and 1 each at Shek Kip Mei, Wang Tau Hom, Tung Tau, Sau Mau Ping and Yau Tong estates.
There are now 146 estate playgrounds in the urban area of various sizes and usages, and the number continues to increase steadily. 4 have floodlighting. Of the remaining 142 not all require floodlighting; with children's play- grounds, for instance, there is hardly the need for it. Priority for floodlighting must continue to go to active recreation playgrounds which are well-used and where there are no other floodlit grounds in the vicinity; of course, the needs of areas other than in resettlement estates must also be considered. My Committee is of course keenly aware of the importance of floodlighting as many areas as possible. There is no reason to believe that the momentum of the floodlighting programme will not be maintained or even increased. I thank Mr. RAFEEK for the opportunity to clarify in public the Council's programme for floodlighting our playgrounds.
MR. RAFEEK:-Mr. Chairman, may I thank Mr. SALES for his detailed reply to my question and as I have no supplementary ques- tions, may I proceed to ask question No. 2.
(2) MR. SOLOMON RAFEEK asked the following question:-
The success of Urban Council libraries suggests that an Urban Council film library should now be looked into. I have heard from many students that it would help them if films of a documentary nature could be shown in the library precincts to groups of 10 or 20 on request. They feel that the City Hall Library service should be extended to make appreciation of documentary films more widespread. Can this be considered?
age 199 of 24)
i
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.