Page 68 of 241
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. LOBO:-The plan was to incorporate the hawker bazaar, so that hawkers could move into the hawkers bazaar—some of them will be incorporated inside the market.
MR. BERNACCHI:-I ask that question, because this morning I visited Ngau Tau Kok and saw the appalling state of the hawkers there. In one part of the estate in particular, the hawkers are swarming all over with little, if anything, done to control the size of the stalls.
MR. SALES:-Mr. Chairman, is Mr. BERNACCHI not aware that before he became Chairman of the Markets Select Committee, combined with the Hawkers Select Committee, there was a policy on the part of the Urban Council to establish two markets a year, either new ones or reprovisioning old ones, and that policy was abandoned under the Chairmanship of Mr. BERNACCHI?
MR. BERNACCHI:-Abandoned before I became Chairman.
MR. SALES: It was abandoned at the instigation of the Reform Club who thought that markets were unnecessary in Hong Kong because they wanted to encourage frozen foods in shops.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Have you finished?
MR. SALES:-Yes, if you are unable to answer.
MR. BERNACCHI:-If it arises, Mr. Chairman, if Mr. SALES' comments arise out of the question, I would be pleased to answer, but I don't think myself they do, and I don't think myself you should have allowed him to make them. Now, would you answer my question please. What measures, if any, are being contemplated to control the hawkers in Ngau Tau Kok area, in the Ngau Tau Kok resettlement estate, when the new market is fully constructed?
MR. LOBO:-Well, I can only say that I hope that when the new market is ready we will have the same control as we have in our North Point and other new markets where hawkers are controlled and are not causing the nuisance they cause now, with hawkers incorporated inside the market and in the hawkers bazaar.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, perhaps the answer to the question of Ngau Tau Kok, whether concerning the market or hawkers, could be referred to the Hawkers Management Select Committee in view of the visit this morning by Mr. BERNACCHI and myself. We have gathered a lot of material, including the paper tabled on the table. Perhaps this matter could be considered as a question of some priority.
MR. LOBO:-I am quite prepared to answer that question, because both Mr. BERNACCHI and Mr. CHAN are members of the Hawkers Select Committee, and we would welcome them raising the question in Committee.
CHAIRMAN: It is my impression that these matters are under continual and non-ending review by the Hawker Committee.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, if I may make a personal statement. I have got from the Resettlement Department, whenever I raise the question on hawkers in Ngau Tau Kok Resettlement Estate, copied to the Urban Services Department, the answer that nothing can be done for the time being, and if the new market is opened without something being done, then it is a useless effort. So I hope sincerely that the manpower on the ground can be obtained to control the hawkers in the Ngau Tau Kok Resettlement Estate as the new market is opened.
(13) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question:
I understand that there is a rapid increase of population in Kwun Tong area and it has now reached the half-million mark. Could the Chairman inform the Council what are the present recreation facilities and areas of open space in that area? Are they far from being adequate? Is the standard requirement for open space about 28 acres for 100,000 persons, whereas in Kwun Tong there is only 35 acres of open space for a population of 500,000?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Hu is correct in assuming that there are about 35 acres (actually 35.6 acres) of developed public open space in Kwun Tong district, and that the population of this district is probably in the region of 500,000. The main facilities comprise 34 public gardens, 39 children's playgrounds, 8 hard-surfaced mini-soccer pitches, 44 basketball or volleyball courts, 4 concrete table-tennis tables, 2 roller skating rinks and 12 television sets.
By the end of the year we hope to add another 17 acres to the existing 35 acres, made up of the 11 acre Kwun Tong Swimming Pool and recreation ground and 3.1 acre Yuet Wah Street Playground, both of which are nearing completion; and smaller playgrounds amounting to 2.4 acres at Ngau Tau Kok Road and in Sau Mau Ping resettlement estate which are to be built out of the Council's block vote. Three other large playgrounds (at Tsun Yip Street, Hong Ning Road, and at Sai Cho Wan), are in either
Page 69 of 241
116 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
117 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 70 of 241
1
Pa
Page 68 of 241
116
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. LOBO:-The plan was to incorporate the hawker bazaar, so that hawkers could move into the hawkers bazaar-some of them will be incorporated inside the market.
MR. BERNACCHI:-I ask that question, because this morning I visited Ngau Tau Kok and saw the appalling state of the hawkers there. In one part of the estate in particular, the hawkers are swarming all over with little, if anything, done to control the size of the stalls.
MR. SALES: -Mr. Chairman, is Mr. BERNACCHI not aware that before he became Chairman of the Markets Select Committee, combined with the Hawkers Select Committee, there was a policy on the part of the Urban Council to establish two markets a year, either new ones or reprovisioning old ones, and that policy was abandoned under the Chairmanship of Mr. BERNACCHI?
MR. BERNACCHI :-Abandoned before I became Chairman.
MR. SALES: It was abandoned at the instigation of the Reform Club who thought that markets were unnecessary in Hong Kong because they wanted to encourage frozen foods in shops.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Have you finished?
MR. SALES: --Yes, if you are unable to answer.
MR. BERNACCHI-If it arises, Mr. Chairman, if Mr. SALES' com- ments arise out of the question, I would be pleased to answer, but I don't think myself they do, and I don't think myself you should have allowed him to make them. Now, would you answer my question please. What measures, if any, are being contemplated to control the hawkers in Ngau Tau Kok area, in the Ngau Tau Kok resettlement estate, when the new market is fully constructed?
MR. LOBO:-Well, I can only say that I hope that when the new market is ready we will have the same control as we have in our North Point and other new markets where hawkers are controlled and are not causing the nuisance they cause now, with hawkers incorporated inside the market and in the hawkers bazaar.
MR. C. K. CHAN:-Mr. Chairman, perhaps the answer to the question of Ngau Tau Kok, whether concerning the market or hawkers, could be referred to the Hawkers Management Select Committee in view of the visit this morning by Mr. BERNACCHI and myself. We have gathered a lot of material, including the paper tabled on the table. Perhaps this matter could be considered as a question of some priority.
MR. LOBO:-I am quite prepared to answer that question, because both Mr. BERNACCHI and Mr. CHAN are members of the Hawkers Select
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
117
Committee, and we would welcome them raising the question in Com- mittee.
CHAIRMAN: It is my impression that these matters are under con- tinual and non-ending review by the Hawker Committee.
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, if I may make a personal state- ment. I have got from the Resettlement Department, whenever I raise the question on hawkers in Ngau Tau Kok Resettlement Estate, copied to the Urban Services Department, the answer that nothing can be done for the time being, and if the new market is opened without something being done, then it is a useless effort. So I hope sincerely that the manpower on the ground can be obtained to control the hawkers in the Ngau Tau Kok Resettlement Estate as the new market is opened.
(13) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question:
I understand that there is a rapid increase of population in Kwun Tong area and it has now reached the half-million mark. Could the Chairman inform the Council what are the present recreation facilities and areas of open space in that area? Are they far from being adequate? Is the standard requirement for open space about 28 acres for 100,000 persons, whereas in Kwun Tong there is only
35 acres of open space for a population of 500,000?
MR. A. de O. SALES, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows:-
Mr. Chairman, Mr. Hu is correct in assuming that there are about 35 acres (actually 35.6 acres) of developed public open space in Kwun Tong district, and that the population of this district is probably in the region of 500,000. The main facilities comprise 34 public gardens, 39 children's playgrounds, 8 hard-surfaced mini-soccer pitches, 44 basketball or volleyball courts, 4 concrete table-tennis tables, 2 roller skating rinks and 12 television sets.
By the end of the year we hope to add another 17 acres to the existing 35 acres, made up of the 11 acre Kwun Tong Swimming Pool and recreation ground and 3.1 acre Yuet Wah Street Playground, both of which are nearing com- pletion; and smaller playgrounds amounting to 2.4 acres at Ngau Tau Kok Road and in Sau Mau Ping resettlement estate which are to be built out of the Council's block vote. Three other large playgrounds (at Tsun Yip Street, Hong Ning Road, and at Sai Cho Wan), are in either
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.