1970 — Page 92

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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. CHEONG-LEEN:-Mr. Chairman, in which year did you read about all the people in the world possibly standing on the Isle of Wight? Are you sure that with the population increase this month that they all shouldn't be standing in the water?

CHAIRMAN:-It was about three years ago, Mr. CHEONG-LEEN.

(15) MR. PETER P. K. NG asked the following question:

In the Annual Debate in 1969 I did raise the question of further developing the area between Wong Nai Chung Gap Reservoir and Tai Tam Reservoir by additional facilities such as public conveniences and picnic tables. Has the department studied this matter further to see if the proposal is feasible?

If the answer is affirmative, can the Chairman advise the Council if Government is prepared to proceed with the scheme as soon as possible?

THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL, replied as follows:-

I am sorry, Sir, but no, the department has not studied Mr. NG's proposal further since last year's annual debate. At that time Mr. ALEXANDER replied that any extensive parks would have to be considered in the context of what would result from the deliberations of the Provisional Council on the Use and Conservation of the Countryside; he also alluded to the special problem of water pollution in catchment areas.

Members will be aware that the Report of the Provisional Council has just been published, together with a statement of the action the Government proposes to take. This involves the establishment of two advisory committees, one being for Hong Kong Island. I have been invited to nominate a representative of this Council to that committee, and a paper has already been issued on this subject to the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee. The advisory committee will be required, among other things, to give the Director of Public Works advice, in a form that is compatible with the conservation of water catchments, on schemes to foster the recreational use of the countryside within any areas specifically referred to the Committee by the Government. I understand that it is not unlikely that the area Mr. NG has in mind will be among those referred to the committee.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

MR. NG: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

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MR. LO TAK-SHING:-Mr. Chairman, I do have a supplementary on that. Apart from living in the Tai Tam area, I was also a Member of this Provisional Council, and your first paragraph does give rise to some doubt in my mind as to what really Mr. ALEXANDER's reply meant, because when we were discussing the matter in the Provisional Council great pains were made to tell us that in fact Hong Kong island wasn't within our context at all. It wasn't in our terms of reference, so in fact of course we didn't discuss what Mr. NG is thinking about.

CHAIRMAN:-Well, all I can say, Mr. Lo, is that it does look as though what Mr. NG is talking about now will be referred to this new Council--this new Advisory Committee, which will not be provisional.

MR. LO:-I wonder whether the new Council has its terms of reference decided now, because it may well be again that it won't be within its terms of reference.

CHAIRMAN:-It has been decided. I don't know whether the Director of Public Works would like to answer this supplementary in part.

DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS:-I will do my best. It has been decided to set up these two councils-one is working through me or to me, the other one for D.C.N.T. The idea, quite frankly, is to try and put forward recommendations for this type of thing within our own specific areas. I'll be quite frank with you-I had hoped to be given a small vote of money which I could have used myself and just done these things, but that has not been agreed at this moment in time. I am hoping that it will be agreed. So I will have to put forward recommendations for this type of thing to Government and get a programme for development approved, then as the programme is approved we'd get on--so I am hoping this one could perhaps be put to this new Council, and this would be one of the first ones to come through.

MR. BERNACCHI:-Hear, hear.

REPORT BY CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE.

DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG:-Mr. Chairman, in accordance with the proviso to the resolution adopted by this Council at its meeting on 7th April, 1970 I wish to announce a change in the Membership of the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee.

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