Page 153 of 212
216
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you very much. It is not my memory that you have to refresh. You have to refresh the memory of my successor, the Chairman of the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee. (Laughter).
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):-Mr. Chairman, as I stated in my reply, this Morrison Hill Centre was carefully considered at the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee meeting in October 1973, when we decided to adopt one of the sketches, and so the project has made some progress.
MR. F. K. HU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, can Mr. Lo indicate what facilities this Morrison Hill Games Hall will provide?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the scheme which the Select Committee decided to adopt provides for a main hall at the first floor level which will seat 3,700 persons, around an arena large enough to accommodate a full range of table tennis, volleyball and badminton championships; and there will be two other floors for table tennis practice and competition, and practice space for such other indoor-games as judo, fencing, gymnastics, archery, target shooting, international and Chinese chess, and also Chinese billiards. The scheme also incorporates separate facilities for squash and gymnastics, and a building with lecture and committee rooms, sports offices, club premises and possibly also dormitory accommodation.
MR. F. K. HU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, Mr. Lo mentioned possibly dormitory accommodation. Could he clarify what he meant by "possibly"? Did he mean that dormitory accommodation will be provided in the second stage, or will it be considered in the very beginning?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):-It will all be part of the one building, but of course we may decide not to use it for dormitory. The question is whether we think it would be desirable or not. The idea is that overseas teams when they come would be able to put up there.
MR. ALEX S. C. Wu (in English):-Mr. Chairman, would the Chairman of the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee be so kind as to further clarify the scope of the proposals for the Causeway Bay Velodrome and Sports Training Centre?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):-The scheme for the velodrome will have spectator stands for about a thousand people on one side, and a grassed games pitch in the centre for such activities as mini-soccer, Little League baseball, hockey training, and athletics training. There will be six championship-size tennis courts, a multi-purpose training centre with a games hall for basketball, volleyball, badminton and table tennis, lecture rooms, visual-aid rooms, and martial arts training facilities, a football field, a jumping area, hurdle practice tracks and a car-parking area.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
217
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the Chairman of the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee has said that in his opinion these projects have not proceeded unduly slowly. I think on the other hand it is evident from what Mr. Peter P. K. NG has said that he feels otherwise, and also I am concerned that members are not familiar with some of these major projects within the Council's planning area. Does not this indicate that some form of regular review of outstanding projects of this nature should be made by the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee, and by other committees which have work of public interest and value in hand?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):-Certainly that would be valuable. In fact, the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee do have such a review.
(3) MR. PETER P. K. NG asked the following question (in English):-
Can the Chairman advise this Council if, in view of the extensive use by various organizations of the football field at the Hong Kong Stadium at So Kon Po, it is possible for the Urban Council to investigate into installing artificial grass so that the court could be kept in a good state for use at a reduced maintenance cost?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT Committee, replied as follows (in English):-
The short answer to this question is that it would be possible for the Urban Council to make such an investigation into the use of artificial grass at the Stadium, and indeed the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee has already considered the question of new turfing material with specific reference to the new football stadium at Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, now under planning.
Page 153 of 212
Page 153 of 212
216
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you very much. It is not my memory that you have to refresh. You have to refresh the memory of my successor, the Chairman of the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee. (Laughter).
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English): -Mr. Chairman, as I stated in my reply, this Morrison Hill Centre was carefully considered at the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee meeting in October 1973, when we decided to adopt one of the sketches, and so the project has made some progress.
MR. F. K. HU (in English):---Mr. Chairman, can Mr. Lo indicate what facilities this Morrison Hill Games Hall will provide?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):--Mr. Chairman, the scheme which the Select Committee decided to adopt provides for a main hall at the first floor level which will seat 3,700 persons, around an arena large enough to accommodate a full range of table tennis, volleyball and badminton championships; and there will be two other floors for table tennis practice and competition, and practice space for such other indoor-games as judo, fencing, gymnastics, archery, target shooting, international and Chinese chess, and also Chinese billiards. The scheme also incorporates separate facilities for squash and gymnastics, and a building with lecture and committee rooms, sports offices, club premises and possibly also dormitory accommodation.
MR. F. K. HU (in English):-Mr. Chairman, Mr. Lo mentioned possibly dormitory accommodation. Could he clarify what he meant by "possibly"? Did he mean that dormitory accommodation will be provided in the second stage, or will it be considered in the very beginning?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):-It will all be part of the one building, but of course we may decide not to use it for dormitory. The question is whether we think it would be desirable or not. The idea is that overseas teams when they come would be able to put up there.
MR. ALEX S. C. Wu (in English):-Mr. Chairman, would the Chairman of the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee be so kind as to further clarify the scope of the proposals for the Causeway Bay Velodrome and Sports Training Centre?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):-The scheme for the velo- drome will have spectator stands for about a thousand people on one
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
217
side, and a grassed games pitch in the centre for such activities as mini-soccer, Little League baseball, hockey training, and athletics train- ing. There will be six championship-size tennis courts, a multi-purpose training centre with a games hall for basketball, volleyball, badminton and table tennis, lecture rooms, visual-aid rooms, and martial arts training facilities, a football field, a jumping area, hurdle practice tracks and a car-parking area.
MR. JOHN MACKENZIE (in English):-Mr. Chairman, the Chairman of the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee has said that in his opinion these projects have not proceeded unduly slowly. I think on the other hand it is evident from what Mr. Peter P. K. NG has said that he feels otherwise, and also I am concerned that members are not familiar with some of these major projects within the Council's plan- ning area. Does not this indicate that some form of regular review of outstanding projects of this nature should be made by the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee, and by other committees which have work of public interest and value in hand?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo (in English):-Certainly that would be valuable. In fact, the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee do have such a review.
(3) MR. PETER P. K. NG asked the following question (in English):-
Can the Chairman advise this Council if, in view of the extensive use by various organizations of the football field at the Hong Kong Stadium at So Kon Po, it is possible for the Urban Council to investigate into in- stalling artificial grass so that the court could be kept in a good state for use at a reduced maintenance cost?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELEct Committee, replied as follows (in English):-
The short answer to this question is that it would be possible for the Urban Council to make such an investigation into the use of artificial grass at the Stadium, and indeed the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee has already considered the question of new turfing material with specific reference to the new football stadium at Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, now under planning.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.