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(3) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question (In English):
There are certain complaints concerning the noise at our beaches. Would the Chairman please inform the Council whether any action or measures could be taken to abate noise?
MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (In English):-
At its meeting on 16th February, the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee decided that there should be a total ban on noise created by the operation, playing or the making of any sounds by means of any musical or other instrument, including any gramophone or radio apparatus or by singing, within Pleasure Grounds and Bathing Beaches. This decision cannot be implemented immediately since it is first necessary to amend the existing legislation. Steps have been taken to get this done.
In the meantime, we are seeking the co-operation of the public in this matter, and since we can only act when noise is an annoyance to other members of the public, this must continue to be our present aim.
To this end, and to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary confrontation, the department has produced a notice which brings to the attention of persons who are disturbing the peaceful enjoyment of our beaches by other users, that they are acting illegally. This notice is polite and self-explanatory and is in Chinese and English. It has been reproduced as a leaflet and is being handed out to individuals when this becomes necessary. This scheme is proving to be successful, as an interim measure, and public co-operation is generally being obtained. The beach staff regard these leaflets as a useful aid to this end, and are clearly relieved that the handing over of a leaflet avoids the confrontation that they used to fear.
It is considered that a ban on the audible use of transistor radios is still necessary and draft by-laws will be laid before the Full Council as soon as they are received, when it is hoped that they will be approved in the interest of the public in general who, it is believed, will welcome these measures.
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39
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Thank you. Mr. Henry Hu's timely appearance has saved the day for our agenda. (Laughter). So, would you like to ask question 4 please?
MR. FORSGATE (In English):-May I ask a supplementary? I may have been at the meeting of the Select Committee when it was suggested to create this by-law. But I think it is rather heavy to prohibit people from singing. How is the attendant going to differentiate between someone singing and somebody talking in a sing-song sort of way, Mr. Chairman? Are we going to take action against children happily singing on the beaches? They should be allowed to express themselves happily.
Radios and so on I do agree, but I think people-
MR. T. C. Lo (In English):-Mr. FORSGATE has raised a good point. Perhaps we could reconsider our position on singing.
CHAIRMAN (In English):-But that has to be referred to the new Noise Pollution Committee, hasn't it? Rather than the Urban Council. (Laughter).
MR. MACKENZIE (In English):-Mr. Chairman, as a total ban on noise is almost impossible to implement, might it not be a thought to ban noise perhaps on prescribed beaches and tolerate a reasonable degree of jubilation on the others?
MR. T. C. Lo (In English):-Mr. Chairman, the Select Committee would certainly be considering Mr. MACKENZIE's point. However, I would think that the public would perhaps be misled if noise is allowed at some beaches and not at others. This may lead to confusion.
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Do Members wish to ask any more supplementary questions before I give the floor to Mr. HENRY HU?
MR. HENRY Hu (In English):-I have no supplementary to ask, only to express my grateful feeling that this problem has now been formally looked into by this Council.
(4) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question (In English):-
In many multi-storey buildings, air-conditioners are installed with total disregard to the interest of the neighbours, e.g. noise and hot air are unnecessarily discharged into the neighbouring house. Could this Council look into this matter, so that some action may be taken to improve the living environment of Hong Kong's inhabitants?
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I
Page 53 of 212
38
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(3) MR. HENRY H. L. HU asked the following question (In English):
There are certain complaints concerning the noise at our beaches. Would the Chairman please inform the Council whether any action or measures could be taken to abate noise?
MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (In English) :-
At its meeting on 16th February, the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee decided that there should be a total ban on noise created by the operation, playing or the making of any sounds by means of any musical or other instru ment, including any gramophone or radio apparatus or by singing, within Pleasure Grounds and Bathing Beaches. This decision cannot be implemented immediately since it is first necessary to amend the existing legislation. Steps have been taken to get this done.
In the meantime, we are seeking the co-operation of the public in this matter, and since we can only act when noise is an annoyance to other members of the public, this must continue to be our present aim.
To this end, and to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary confrontation, the department has produced a notice which brings to the attention of persons who are disturbing the peaceful enjoyment of our beaches by other users, that they are acting illegally. This notice is polite and self- explanatory and is in Chinese and English. It has been reproduced as a leaflet and is being handed out to indivi duals when this becomes necessary. This scheme is proving to be successful, as an interim measure, and public co-operation is generally being obtained. The beach staff regard these leaflets as a useful aid to this end, and are clearly relieved that the handing over of a leaflet avoids the confrontation that they used to fear.
It is considered that a ban on the audible use of transistor radios is still necessary and draft by-laws will be laid before the Full Council as soon as they are received, when it is hoped that they will be approved in the interest of the public in general who, it is believed, will welcome these measures.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
39
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Thank you. Mr. Henry Hu's timely appearance has saved the day for our agenda. (Laughter). So, would
like to ask question 4 please?
you
MR. FORSGATE (In English) :—May I ask a supplementary? I may have been at the meeting of the Select Committee when it was suggested to create this by-law. But I think it is a rather heavy to prohibit people from singing. How is the attendant going to differentiate between someone singing and somebody talking in a sing song sort of way, Mr. Chairman? Are we going to take action against children happily sing- should be allowed to express themselves happily.
Radios and so on I do agree, but I think people ing on the beaches?
MR. T. C. Lo (In English):-Mr. FORSGATE has raised a good point.
Perhaps we could reconsider our position on singing. CHAIRMAN (In English):-But that has to be referred to the new Noise Pollution Committee, hasn't it? Rather than the Urban Council. (Laughter).
MR. MACKENZIE (In English):-Mr. Chairman, as a total ban on noise is almost impossible to implement, might it not be a thought to ban noise perhaps on prescribed beaches and tolerate at a reasonable degree of jubilation on the others?
MR. T. C. Lo (In English):-Mr. Chairman, the Select Committee would certainly be considering Mr. MACKENZIE's point. However, I would think that the public would perhaps be misled if noise is allowed at some beaches and not at others. This may lead to confusion.
CHAIRMAN (In English):-Do Members wish to ask any more sup- plementary questions before I give the floor to Mr. HENRY HU?
MR. HENRY Hu (In English):-I have no supplementary to ask only to express my grateful feeling that this problem has now been formally looked into by this Council.
(4) MR. HENRY H. L. Hu asked the following question (In English) :-
In many multi-storey buildings, air-conditioners are installed with total disregard to the interest of the neighbours, e.g. noise and hot air are unnecessarily discharged into the neighbouring house. Could this Council look into this matter, so that some action may be taken to improve the living environment of Hong Kong's inhabitants?
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.