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December, 1970, conveying precisely the effect of the Council's decision as it affected them individually. In addition, a separate letter to the same effect addressed to the Kwun Tong Resettlement Factory Building (Blocks I and II) Manufacturers Ltd., which claimed to have sponsored the petition of 10th August, 1970, was also delivered to its registered address on the same day.
In accordance with the Council's wish, as expressed at the Standing Committee of the Whole meeting on 8th December, 1970, a press release was issued on the same day as the letters were delivered, and senior officers of my department also gave television and radio interviews explaining the Council's position in this matter.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Commissioner for Resettlement about the second part of my question which said that the people have not been informed. Why is it necessary to keep them waiting so long? I wonder if the Commissioner replied a few days ago to avoid answering this question?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Sir, the delay in conveying the Council's decision to the factory operators in question is regretted, but it must be pointed out that it was necessary to clear our lines with Government Information Services and the Legal Department and to consider the implications of the Council's decision carefully before taking action.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, can the Commissioner assure me that the delay was not caused by the Department's determination to get all Councillors to agree with it, or at least the majority of the Councillors, because we never got unanimity on it?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Mr. Chairman, the Department has got over a million tenants to serve. I don't think we can give priority to any particular group in this instance.
(5) MR. PETER P. K. NG asked the following question:-
Is the Chairman of the Urban Council aware that catchment areas between the Wong Nai Chung Gap Service Reservoir and the Tai Tam Reservoir are being covered by huge amount of debris deposited by picnickers?
Can the Chairman advise this Council which department is responsible for keeping the catchment area mentioned above in a clean and presentable condition?
Can the Chairman also advise the Council what effective means he will take to keep the catchment area clean? In view of the popularity of that area for picnickers, should the Urban Council consider the possibility of providing barbecue facilities as well as sanitary facilities so as to keep our water catchment area clean and healthy?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-
This question concerns the littering by picnickers of the catchment areas between the Wong Nai Chung Gap Service Reservoir and Tai Tam Reservoir.
I am aware of this problem which is common to all popular picnic areas in Hong Kong. It is at its worst on a Sunday or public holiday afternoon, before litter has been cleared. The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is responsible for keeping clean the catchment areas referred to in the question and I am informed by him that, for the present, his Forestry Division maintains a gang of seven labourers under the charge of a Field Assistant solely to clear up litter within the catchment areas of Hong Kong Island. The work follows a systematic programme under which the areas concerned are dealt with twice weekly. Should this prove insufficient, additional resources will be sought to deal with the problem.
Members will be aware of the appointment of a committee to advise Government on recreational development and nature conservation on Hong Kong Island. The question of providing facilities for picnickers is now under consideration by that committee but providing facilities will not necessarily solve the problem. The public must play its part and use them.
MR. NG: Mr. Chairman, thank you for your very detailed answer to my question, but I am sure you will realize that it may take a few years for the Committee to come to any conclusion about providing facilities and so forth. In the meantime our catchment areas, which convey our drinking water, are being soiled by picnickers. Do you think temporary latrines or facilities of a similar nature can be provided?
CHAIRMAN:- I shall certainly look into this problem.
MR. NG: Thank you.
MR. A. de O. SALES:- Just as a matter of clarification, could not this question have been answered by an Unofficial Member of the Council, for example, the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, according to Council policy?
of 241
was corrected toof 24
as per the original, but it seems more likely that "of 241" is correct in the context. However, following the instructions strictly, the correction should not be made. The original text had "of 24" at the end. Here is the corrected version with proper HTML formatting:380
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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December, 1970, conveying precisely the effect of the Council's decision as it affected them individually. In addition, a separate letter to the same effect addressed to the Kwun Tong Resettlement Factory Building (Blocks I and II) Manufacturers Ltd., which claimed to have sponsored the petition of 10th August, 1970, was also delivered to its registered address on the same day.
In accordance with the Council's wish, as expressed at the Standing Committee of the Whole meeting on 8th December, 1970, a press release was issued on the same day as the letters were delivered, and senior officers of my department also gave television and radio interviews explaining the Council's position in this matter.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Commissioner for Resettlement about the second part of my question which said that the people have not been informed. Why is it necessary to keep them waiting so long? I wonder if the Commissioner replied a few days ago to avoid answering this question?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Sir, the delay in conveying the Council's decision to the factory operators in question is regretted, but it must be pointed out that it was necessary to clear our lines with Government Information Services and the Legal Department and to consider the implications of the Council's decision carefully before taking action.
MRS. ELLIOTT:- Mr. Chairman, can the Commissioner assure me that the delay was not caused by the Department's determination to get all Councillors to agree with it, or at least the majority of the Councillors, because we never got unanimity on it?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:- Mr. Chairman, the Department has got over a million tenants to serve. I don't think we can give priority to any particular group in this instance.
(5) MR. PETER P. K. NG asked the following question:-
Is the Chairman of the Urban Council aware that catchment areas between the Wong Nai Chung Gap Service Reservoir and the Tai Tam Reservoir are being covered by huge amount of debris deposited by picnickers?
Can the Chairman advise this Council which department is responsible for keeping the catchment area mentioned above in a clean and presentable condition?
Can the Chairman also advise the Council what effective means he will take to keep the catchment area clean? In view of the popularity of that area for picnickers, should the Urban Council consider the possibility of providing barbecue facilities as well as sanitary facilities so as to keep our water catchment area clean and healthy?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-
This question concerns the littering by picnickers of the catchment areas between the Wong Nai Chung Gap Service Reservoir and Tai Tam Reservoir.
I am aware of this problem which is common to all popular picnic areas in Hong Kong. It is at its worst on a Sunday or public holiday afternoon, before litter has been cleared. The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is responsible for keeping clean the catchment areas referred to in the question and I am informed by him that, for the present, his Forestry Division maintains a gang of seven labourers under the charge of a Field Assistant solely to clear up litter within the catchment areas of Hong Kong Island. The work follows a systematic programme under which the areas concerned are dealt with twice weekly. Should this prove insufficient, additional resources will be sought to deal with the problem.
Members will be aware of the appointment of a committee to advise Government on recreational development and nature conservation on Hong Kong Island. The question of providing facilities for picnickers is now under consideration by that committee but providing facilities will not necessarily solve the problem. The public must play its part and use them.
MR. NG: Mr. Chairman, thank you for your very detailed answer to my question, but I am sure you will realize that it may take a few years for the Committee to come to any conclusion about providing facilities and so forth. In the meantime our catchment areas, which convey our drinking water, are being soiled by picnickers. Do you think temporary latrines or facilities of a similar nature can be provided?
CHAIRMAN:- I shall certainly look into this problem.
MR. NG: Thank you.
MR. A. de O. SALES:- Just as a matter of clarification, could not this question have been answered by an Unofficial Member of the Council, for example, the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, according to Council policy?
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380
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 201 of 241
381
December, 1970, conveying precisely the effect of the Council's decision as it affected them individually. In addition, a separate letter to the same effect addressed to the Kwun Tong Resettlement Factory Building (Blocks I and II) Manufacturers Ltd., which claimed to have sponsored the petition of 10th August, 1970, was also delivered to its registered address on the same day.
In accordance with the Council's wish, as expressed at the Standing Committee of the Whole meeting on 8th December, 1970, a press release was issued on the same day as the letters were delivered, and senior officers of my department also gave television and radio interviews explaining the Council's position in this matter.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask the Commis- sioner for Resettlement about the second part of my question which said that the people have not been informed. Why is it necessary to keep them waiting so long? I wonder if the Commissioner replied a few days ago to avoid answering this question?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Sir, the delay in conveying the Council's decision to the factory operators in question is regretted, but it must be pointed out that it was necessary to clear our lines with Government Information Services and the Legal Department and to consider the implications of the Council's decision carefully before tak- ing action.
MRS. ELLIOTT:-Mr. Chairman, can the Commissioner assure me that the delay was not caused by the Department's determination to get all Councillors to agree with it, or at least the majority of the Council- lors, because we never got unanimity on it?
COMMISSIONER FOR RESETTLEMENT:-Mr. Chairman, the Depart- ment has got over a million tenants to serve. I don't think we can give priority to any particular group in this instance.
(5) MR. PETER P. K. NG asked the following question:-
Is the Chairman of the Urban Council aware that catchment areas between the Wong Nai Chung Gap Service Reservoir and the Tai Tam Reservoir are being covered by huge amount of debris deposited by picnickers?
Can the Chairman advise this Council which department is responsible for keeping the catchment area mentioned above in a clean and presentable condition?
¡
Can the Chairman also advise the Council what effective means
he will take to keep the catchment area clean? In view of the popularity of that area for picnickers, should the Urban Council consider the possibility of providing barbecue facilities as well as sanitary facilities so as to keep our water catchment area clean and healthy?
THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-
This question concerns the littering by picnickers of the catch- ment areas between the Wong Nai Chung Gap Service Reservoir and Tai Tam Reservoir.
I am aware of this problem which is common to all popular picnic areas in Hong Kong. It is at its worst on a Sunday or public holiday afternoon, before litter has been cleared. The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is responsible for keeping clean the catchment areas referred to in the question and I am informed by him that, for the present, his Forestry Division maintains a gang of seven labourers under the charge of a Field Assistant solely to clear up litter within the catchment areas of Hong Kong Island. The work follows a systematic programme under which the areas concerned are dealt with twice weekly. Should this prove insufficient, additional resources will be sought to deal with the problem.
Members will be aware of the appointment of a committee to advise Government on recreational development and nature conservation on Hong Kong Island. The question of providing facilities for picnickers is now under con- sideration by that committee but providing facilities will not necessarily solve the problem. The public must play its part and use them.
MR. NG: Mr. Chairman, thank you for your very detailed answer to my question, but I am sure you will realize that it may take a few years for the Committee to come to any conclusion about providing facilities and so forth. In the meantime our catchment areas, which convey our drinking water, are being soiled by picnickers. Do you think temporary latrines or facilities of a similar nature can be provided?
CHAIRMAN:--I shall certainly look into this problem.
MR. NG: Thank you.
MR. A. de O. SALES:-Just as a matter of clarification, could not this question have been answered by an Unofficial Member of the Council, for example, the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee, according to Council policy?
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