340
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Ladies and gentlemen, before taking the first item on the agenda today, I would like to welcome to the Council our new Vice-Chairman, Dr. K. L. THONG, who is taking his seat for the first time this afternoon in place of Dr. J. K. CRAIG. I hope Dr. THONG will find his work with the Council interesting and stimulating during his short stay with us. (Applause). Dr. CRAIG has gone on vacation leave and I am sure you would want us to record, in our minutes, our thanks to him for his services to us for the past 21 years. (Applause).
MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting held on 12th December, 1972 were confirmed.
PAPER
The Chairman laid upon the table the following paper:-
Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services Department for the month of December 1972.
MR. A. de O. SALES (In English):-This Council must be pleased with the news that negotiation is proceeding with the Services to relinquish their vast land holdings in the urban areas for public use. For many years now public opinion has shown clearly that there can be no justification at the present time for these extensive areas to be held unless they are actually needed for the security of Hong Kong.
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Mr. SALES, are you talking to the monthly report?
MR. SALES (In English):-Yes, Sir, the extension of our open space for that purpose.
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Thank you.
MR. SALES (In English):-With the vast and intensive development of our urban areas, the shortage of well-located sites for community use has become acute. This is felt even more because of high-density development. Of course, with such intensive land-use of all available sites, the need for public open-space has become critical. It continues to be so in spite of the impressive construction of play facilities in the last ten years or so as reported by you, Sir. With increase in population and high concentration of people, demand for play space must grow in measure. This is made much more pressing by growing affluence and more leisure-time. Side by side with plans for setting aside attractive areas in the New Territories for recreation on weekends and public holidays there must be greater development of neighbourhood play amenities not only for the recreation of the young but also for the rest and relaxation of other age-groups.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
341
The point has been reached when nearly all available and readily accessible Crown land has been taken up. Only these Service lands remain for such development and also for environmental improvements. Consequently, the Government must respond to urgent public need by intensifying negotiation for the early release of such lands for general use.
(Mr. R. H. LOBO arrived at this point.)
This Council has long laid claim on such service holdings. Your Department may recall that Council staked a claim on the Argyle Street site many years ago and also for such open space in Chatham Road as may be reserved for recreation in the new plan for that area. In the circumstances, Sir, I would like you to take up our claim once more and to renew the representations previously made with the Colonial Secretariat and also the Town Planning Board.
Another matter with which this Council is very seriously concerned is the need to engage qualified staff to look after our parks and playgrounds so that they may be properly used by the public. Many years ago I proposed that such staff should be employed but the Government turned a deaf ear to the representations then made.
(Mr. H. M. G. FORSGATE arrived at this point.)
The Government has all along given this Council the impression that all that was required was to set aside land for parks, playgrounds and other sports facilities and to arrange for the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club to foot the bill for their development. Indeed, the Government's expenditure of funds was made somewhat grudgingly whenever it had to pay for the cost. Then, the Government sat back hoping that all these amenities would run themselves with minimal intervention by the Government in the way of staff and maintenance. The result is that many of our facilities are now sadly in need of repair and renovation. More important, complaints have been received from many sources that some of our playgrounds have been taken over by thugs and other bad elements to the extent that the parties to whom such facilities have been allocated for games have even been afraid to use them. I hope that with the re-organization of the Urban Services Department on a territorial basis with specific district responsibilities,
Page 181 of zou
340
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Ladies and gentlemen, before taking the first item on the agenda today, I would like to welcome to the Council our new Vice-Chairman, Dr. K. L. THONG, who is taking his seat for the first time this afternoon in place of Dr. J. K. CRAIG. I hope Dr. THONG will find his work with the Council interesting and stimulating during his short stay with us. (Applause). Dr. CRAIG has gone on vacation leave and I am sure you would want us to record, in our minutes, our thanks to him for his services to us for the past 21 years. (Applause).
MINUTES
The Minutes of the meeting held on 12th December, 1972 were confirmed.
PAPER
The Chairman laid upon the table the following paper:-
Report on the work of the Urban Council and Urban Services
Department for the month of December 1972.
MR. A. de O. SALES (In English):-This Council must be pleased with the news that negotiation is proceeding with the Services to relinquish their vast land holdings in the urban areas for public use. For many years now public opinion has shown clearly that there can be no justification at the present time for these extensive areas to be held unless they are actually needed for the security of Hong Kong. CHAIRMAN (In English):-Mr. SALES, are you talking to the monthly report?
MR. SALES (In English):-Yes, Sir, the extension of our open space for that purpose.
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Thank you.
MR. SALES (In English):--With the vast and intensive develop- ment of our urban areas, the shortage of well-located sites for com- munity use has become acute. This is felt even more because of high-density development. Of course, with such intensive land-use of all available sites, the need for public open-space has become critical. It continues to be so in spite of the impressive construction of play facilities in the last ten years or so as reported by you, Sir. With increase in population and high concentration of people, demand for play space must grow in measure. This is made much more press-
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
341
ing by growing affluence and more leisure-time. Side by side with plans for setting aside attractive areas in the New Territories for recreation on weekends and public holidays there must be greater development of neighbourhood play amenities not only for the recrea- tion of the young but also for the rest and relaxation of other age- groups.
The point has been reached when nearly all available and readily accessible Crown land has been taken up. Only these Service lands remain for such development and also for environmental improve- ments. Consequently, the Government must respond to urgent public need by intensifying negotiation for the early release of such lands for general use.
(Mr. R. H. LOBO arrived at this point.)
This Council has long laid claim on such service holdings. Your Department may recall that Council staked a claim on the Argyle Street site many years ago and also for such open space in Chatham Road as may be reserved for recreation in the new plan for that area. In the circumstances, Sir, I would like you to take up our claim once more and to renew the representations previously made with the Colonial Secretariat and also the Town Planning Board.
Another matter with which this Council is very seriously con- cerned is the need to engage qualified staff to look after our parks and playgrounds so that they may be properly used by the public. Many years ago I proposed that such staff should be employed but the Government turned a deaf ear to the representations then made.
(Mr. H. M. G. FORSGATE arrived at this point.)
The Government has all along given this Council the impression that all that was required was to set aside land for parks, playgrounds and other sports facilities and to arrange for the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club to foot the bill for their development. Indeed, the Government's expenditure of funds was made somewhat grudgingly whenever it had to pay for the cost. Then, the Government sat back hoping that all these amenities would run themselves with minimal intervention by the Government in the way of staff and maintenance. The result is that many of our facilities are now sadly in need of repair and renova- tion. More important, complaints have been received from many sources that some of our playgrounds have been taken over by thugs and other bad elements to the extent that the parties to whom such facilities have been allocated for games have even been afraid to use them. I hope that with the re-organization of the Urban Services Department on a territorial basis with specific district responsibilities,
Page 181 of zou
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