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CHAIRMAN: --You will see Mr. SALES, that the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is the authority in these catchment areas.
MR. SALES: Yes, he may well have been the authority in this catchment area, but the question was admitted by you as being within the purview of the Urban Council. In the event, Sir, the information provided by the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries could well have been made available to the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee for him to answer the question in keeping with Urban Council policy. Sir, could you give me the assurance that the next time Mr. NG asks such questions (laughter), the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee will answer them?
CHAIRMAN: I cannot give that assurance. It depends on the nature of the question. It is my prerogative to call on anyone to answer a question.
MR. SALES: --But there is a convention, Sir, and the Urban Council operates on convention as well as Standing Orders. The second supplementary, in the concluding paragraph of your answer you said "members will be aware of the appointment of a Committee to advise Government on recreational development and nature conservation on Hong Kong Island." The words "recreational development" attract me. I have always been given to understand, Mr. Chairman, that Hong Kong Island is considered an Urban area and I would like to be corrected by you if my understanding is not right.
CHAIRMAN: -It is indeed part of the Urban area, but the forestry reserves and catchment areas do not come within our jurisdiction.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, in the past, the Urban Council has concerned itself with the development of such catchment areas and forestry reserves of Hong Kong Island under advice of the relevant department, and if it is still within the jurisdiction of the Urban Council to be entrusted with the responsibility of recreational development, I suggest, Sir, that the terms of reference of this particular Committee be reviewed by the Colonial Secretariat as it is a different Committee from that which advises the Government on the New Territories. Recreational development is the responsibility of the Urban Council within the Urban areas and there should be no fragmentation of authority.
CHAIRMAN:--It isn't quite the case, Mr. SALES. I think we are concerned with the development of the sites which are allocated to us by Government.
MR. SALES: Indeed, Mr. Chairman, I would not like to engage you in discussion of this subject. It would be wholly one-sided, on the side of the Unofficial Members, of course, and so I would like to suggest that this matter be referred to the appropriate Select Committee and even the Standing Committee of the Whole Council.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
383
(6) MR. PETER P. K. NG asked the following question:
Can the Chairman inform this Council if it is possible to include the Stage II development scheme of the Wong Nai Chung Gap Reservoir Recreation Area into the first stage so that we may convert the existing filter pools into swimming pools for the benefit of the public? When can the plan for this area be completed? And when construction work can commence on the proposed facilities?
Can the area between Sir Cecil Ride and the new Girl Guides Headquarters be also included in the Wong Nai Chung Gap Reservoir Recreation Scheme so as to facilitate more parking spaces for the park users as well as for club members in the vicinity?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:
In reply to the first part of the question, I understand that no decision or recommendation has been made by the Select Committee that the filter beds, i.e. that part of the scheme covered by Stage II, be converted into swimming pools. There has been a tentative departmental proposal that they be converted into paddling and boating pools but no work has been done on that idea as yet. A preliminary and rough assessment has indicated that although it is possible to convert the existing beds into swimming pools, the end product is not worth the capital outlay. The four beds are each about 40 ft. by 30 ft. with insufficient space in between for walkways and even if some walls were knocked out to link the pools, there would still be very little surrounding area available for movement, sun-bathing, etc. The cost involved in knocking out concrete walls, varying the depth of the pools from the existing depth of about 4 ft. 6 ins., refacing walls, renewing gutters, installing filter plant and piping and constructing plant house, changing accommodation, lavatories, etc. would produce less than 5,000 sq. ft. of water area and would not appear to be justified.
In reply to the second part of the question, the Wong Nai Chung Gap Reservoir Park is at present in Category B of the Public Works Programme and detailed planning for Stage I development is under way. Sketch plans have not yet been finalized pending settlement of the site boundaries and engineering conditions. Once these are resolved, final sketch plans will be submitted for the approval of the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee. Thereafter, estimates will be prepared, and
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN: --You will see Mr. SALES, that the Director of Agricul- ture and Fisheries is the authority in these catchment areas.
MR. SALES: Yes, he may well have been the authority in this catchment area, but the question was admitted by you as being within the purview of the Urban Council. In the event, Sir, the information provided by the Director of Agriculture and Fisheries could well have been made available to the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee for him to answer the question in keeping with Urban Council policy. Sir, could you give me the assurance that the next time Mr. NG asks such questions (laughter), the Chairman of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee will answer them?
CHAIRMAN: I cannot give that assurance. It depends on the nature of the question. It is my prerogative to call on anyone to answer a question.
MR, SALES: --But there is a convention, Sir, and the Urban Council operates on convention as well as Standing Orders. The second sup- plementary, in the concluding paragraph of your answer you said "members will be aware of the appointment of a Committee to advise Government on recreational development and nature conservation on Hong Kong Island." The words "recreational development" attract me. I have always been given to understand, Mr. Chairman, that Hong Kong Island is considered an Urban area and I would like to be cor- rected by you if my understanding is not right.
CHAIRMAN: -It is indeed part of the Urban area, but the forestry reserves and catchment areas do not come within our jurisdiction.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, in the past, the Urban Council has concerned itself with the development of such catchment areas and forestry reserves of Hong Kong Island under advice of the relevant department, and if it is still within the jurisdiction of the Urban Council to be entrusted with the responsibility of recreational development, I suggest, Sir, that the terms of reference of this particular Committee be reviewed by the Colonial Secretariat as it is a different Committee from that which advises the Government on the New Territories. Recrea- tional development is the responsibility of the Urban Council within the Urban areas and there should be no fragmentation of authority.
CHAIRMAN:--It isn't quite the case, Mr. SALES. I think we are concerned with the development of the sites which are allocated to us by Government.
MR. SALES: Indeed, Mr. Chairman, I would not like to engage you in discussion of this subject. It would be wholly one-sided, on the side of the Unofficial Members, of course, and so I would like to suggest that this matter be referred to the appropriate Select Committee and even the Standing Committee of the Whole Council.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
383
(6) MR. PETER P. K. NG asked the following question:----
Can the Chairman inform this Council if it is possible to include the Stage II development scheme of the Wong Nai Chung Gap Reservoir Recreation Area into the first stage so that we may convert the existing filter pools into swimming pools for the benefit of the public? When can the plan for this area be completed? And when con- struction work can commence on the proposed facilities?
Can the area between Sir Cecil Ride and the new Girl Guides Headquarters be also included in the Wong Nai Chung Gap Reservoir Recreation Scheme so as to facilitate more parking spaces for the park users as well as for club members in the vicinity?
THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS replied as follows:
In reply to the first part of the question, I understand that no decision or recommendation has been made by the Select Committee that the filter beds, i.e. that part of the scheme covered by Stage II, be converted into swimming pools. There has been a tentative departmental proposal that they be converted into paddling and boating pools but no work has been done on that idea as yet. A preliminary and rough assessment has indicated that although it is possible to convert the existing beds into swimming pools, the end product is not worth the capital outlay. The four beds are each about 40 ft. by 30 ft. with insufficient space in between for walkways and even if some walls were knocked out to link the pools, there would still be very little surrounding area available for movement, sun- bathing, etc. The cost involved in knocking out concrete walls, varying the depth of the pools from the existing depth of about 4 ft. 6 ins., refacing walls, renewing gutters, installing fitter plant and piping and constructing plant house, changing accommodation, lavatories, etc. would produce less than 5,000 sq. ft. of water area and would not appear to be justified.
In reply to the second part of the question, the Wong Nai Chung Gap Reservoir Park is at present in Category B of the Public Works Programme and detailed planning for Stage I development is under way. Sketch plans have not yet been finalized pending settlement of the site boundaries and engineering conditions. Once these are resolved, final sketch plans will be submitted for the approval of the Recreation and Amenities Select Com- mittee. Thereafter, estimates will be prepared, and
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.