HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
month. This is our experience ever since its opening nearly fifteen years ago. Every reasonable measure to enlarge its scope and its amenities has been taken; work to convert some parts of the two buildings into offices, refreshment counters, and a musical library has been done while an additional small recital hall is planned. The limit of conversion possibilities is being reached; therefore, to acquire additional space, we will have to erect a high block adjoining the existing one as we thought of doing before or even put extra floors on the adjacent public car-park.
Side by side with small improvements to our physical facilities, there is a steady increase in our own cultural activities. In fact, much is being done to encourage local art, music, dance, and drama. Overseas groups and artists will also be brought here more than hitherto in order to enrich the life of the community with far better opportunities for appreciation of the arts.
Some years ago, we started community recreation and entertainment programmes in all ten districts, more so in the overcrowded areas where most of our people live. Since coming into our own, such activities have been greatly stepped up and much diversified by long, careful, and regular evaluation of their worth, cost, and acceptance in changing conditions. Some are also designed to maintain Chinese traditional art forms and to support their local development. Others are intended to encourage talent among the young. Still, others are organized just for them to play together. Even more will be done, within our means, for mass enjoyment.
Many amenities for the recreation of the mass of our population now exist, although far from enough. They are found in all districts, varying in size and standard but all serving a most useful community purpose. Indeed, these play facilities for our people are well spread out; full advantage has been taken wherever land has been allocated to the Council in our overcrowded urban areas. Such a situation did not come about by chance but by a well-planned development programme in each amenity zone. It is essential that we continue this basic construction programme; for this purpose, we must find more sites in the crowded neighbourhoods where they are most needed. Such land is not easy to come by in the old districts but, with the co-operation of the Government, Hong Kong will be much better served in time, particularly if substantial parts of the Army land now being relinquished in the urban areas are developed for recreation. However, the Government seems to be taking an inordinately long time to give them to us, even for temporary use by the people.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
The point now is to maximize utilization. The Council offers all reasonable support to voluntary bodies with the aim of encouraging them to organize activities to attract the people. There is also the new Recreation Service, which works closely with the Urban Services Department and indeed could well be made part of it without difficulty.
Had heed been paid two decades ago to our appeals, the recreation programmes now slowly getting into stride would have already done much good to the community. Instead, our young people had little or nothing to keep them busy. But, had funds been given for their leisure-time to be spent in well-organized activities for their mental and physical well-being, perhaps there might not have been such a disquietingly high incidence of crime committed by the generation so sadly neglected by the authorities. In prosperous times gone by, while most children had only streets to play in, the Government was minding its pennies, but the pounds have not taken care of themselves.
Any The right to play is a community responsibility to meet. money spent on recreational facilities or activities is an investment in good citizenship. It has taken the authorities a generation to grasp their responsibility and to start taking some positive action. There is much leeway to make good in consequence.
Public Information
Let us now turn to this interesting question of how to communicate with the public. Surely, there can be no real misunderstanding of what the Council strives to do. Simply, we do all we can to let the community know what our policies are, what plans we have, and what we do for their benefit. Right from the start, we sought professional advice from both the Government and other well-qualified sources. After assessing the various possibilities objectively, we determined a course of action deemed most likely to achieve our worthy purpose without undue expenditure. We have a good team of competent and hard-working staff in our public information office backed by experienced consultants. Thus, we have prepared our plans carefully, and they are being put into practice by capable professional staff. The initial results have surpassed our expectations.
The people must know what services there are for their benefit and enjoyment, while we ought to find out from them what more the Council could do for them within reason. It is essential for our policies and activities to be explained clearly to the public because so much that we do affects their lives and livelihoods. All Members will agree, I am sure, that the Council should take the public into its con-
Page 145 of 154
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Page 145 of 154
254
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
month. This is our experience ever since its opening nearly fifteen years ago. Every reasonable measure to enlarge its scope and its amenities has been taken; work to convert some parts of the two buildings into offices, refreshment counters and a musical library has been done while an additional small recital hall is planned. The limit of conversion possibilities is being reached; therefore, to acquire addi- tional space we will have to erect a high block adjoining the existing one as we thought of doing before or even put extra floors on the adjacent public car-park.
Side by side with small improvements to our physical facilities, there is a steady increase in our own cultural activities. In fact, much is being done to encourage local art, music, dance and drama. Over- seas groups and artists will also be brought here more than hitherto in order to enrich the life of the community with far better opportuni- ties for appreciation of the arts.
Some years ago we started community recreation and entertain- ment programmes in all ten districts, more so in the overcrowded areas where most of our people live. Since coming into our own, such activities have been greatly stepped up and much diversified by long, careful and regular evaluation of their worth, cost and acceptance in changing conditions. Some are also designed to maintain Chinese traditional art forms and to support their local development. Others are intended to encourage talent among the young. Still others are organized just for them to play together. Even more will be done, within our means, for mass enjoyment.
Many amenities for the recreation of the mass of our population now exist although far from enough. They are found in all districts, varying in size and standard but all serving a most useful community purpose. Indeed, these play facilities for our people are well spread out; full advantage has been taken wherever land has been allocated to the Council in our overcrowded urban areas. Such a situation did not come about by chance but by a well-planned development programme in each amenity zone. It is essential that we continue this basic con- struction programme; for this purpose we must find more sites in the crowded neighbourhoods where they are most needed. Such land is not easy to come by in the old districts but, with the co-operation of the Government, Hong Kong will be much better served in time par- ticularly if substantial parts of the Army land now being relinquished in the urban areas are developed for recreation. However, the Govern- ment seems to be taking an inordinately long time to give them to us even for temporary use by the people,
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
255
The point now is to maximize utilization. The Council offers all reasonable support to voluntary bodies with the aim of encouraging them to organize activities to attract the people. There is also the new Recreation Service which works closely with the Urban Services Depart- ment and indeed could well be made part of it without difficulty.
Had heed been paid two decades ago to our appeals, the recreation programmes now slowly getting into stride would have already done much good to the community. Instead, our young people had little or nothing to keep them busy. But, had funds been given for their leisure-time to be spent in well-organized activities for their mental and physical well-being, perhaps there might not have been such a dis- quietingly high incidence of crime committed by the generation so sadly neglected by the authorities. In prosperous times gone by, while most children had only streets to play in, the Government was minding its pennies, but the pounds have not taken care of themselves.
Any The right to play is a community responsibility to meet. money spent on recreational facilities or activities is an investment in good citizenship. It has taken the authorities a generation to grasp their responsibility and to start taking some positive action. There is much leeway to make good in consequence.
Public Information
Let us now turn to this interesting question of how to communicate with the public. Surely, there can be no real misunderstanding of what the Council strives to do. Simply, we do all we can to let the community know what our policies are, what plans we have and what we do for their benefit. Right from the start, we sought professional advice from both the Government and other well-qualified sources. After assessing the various possibilities objectively, we determined a course of action deemed most likely to achieve our worthy purpose without undue expenditure. We have a good team of competent and hard-working staff in our public information office backed by exper- ienced consultants. Thus, we have prepared our plans carefully and they are being put into practice by capable professional staff. The initial results have surpassed our expectations.
The people must know what services there are for their benefit and enjoyment while we ought to find out from them what more the Council could do for them within reason. It is essential for our policies and activities to be explained clearly to the public because so much that we do affects their lives and livelihoods. All Members will agree, I am sure, that the Council should take the public into its con-
Page 145Page 146
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