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CHAIRMAN (in English):—Any other supplementary questions please? Nobody has asked about UC 3. (Laughter). Then, we move on to Question No. 7.
7 MR JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question (in English):-I note an apparent lack of maintenance and repair in certain playgrounds and sitting-out areas administered by the Urban Council. Specifically, I refer to the sitting-out area in Kowloon at the junction of Fa Yuen Street and Prince Edward Road where there is much broken surface and the seats, frequently used by older people, are in poor condition. There is also an absence of shade. May I enquire what system of survey, maintenance and repair now prevails in such Council administered areas, and if any steps are proposed to improve these procedures?
MR KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-The need to improve the sitting-out area at the junction of Fa Yuen Street and Prince Edward Road has been recognized and an improvement scheme entitled 'Improvement of Nullah Road/Prince Edward Road Rest Garden' incorporating the provision of flower beds and trees, an arbour with garden benches, concrete chess tables and stools and a hopscotch pitch at an estimated cost of $146,000 was approved by the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee at its meeting on 20 October. The Architectural Office of the Public Works Department has been asked to proceed with the work as soon as possible.
The present system for surveying, maintaining and repairing Council facilities is for District staff to carry out inspections from time to time and to report damage or other deficiencies. These, in turn, are brought to the attention of the Government Maintenance Surveyor in the Public Works Department or contractors, as appropriate. The system has not proved to be entirely satisfactory and the Department is at present drawing up proposals for more frequent and thorough inspections which will ensure higher standards of repair and maintenance and will identify deficiencies at an early stage. The revised arrangements will be introduced in the near future and their effectiveness will be kept under review.
MR CHAN CHI-KWAN (in English):-This kind of repair and maintenance is always under some sort of criticism. Am I right that the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee, or whichever committee, has been considering whether we should have our own maintenance department or workshop for this kind of quick repair instead of waiting for the Government Maintenance Surveyor of the Public Works Department to get contractors and arrange after inspection when a certain deficiency has been reported? There is a lot of red tape. Can we have our own maintenance section or has that been considered?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Thank you very much. Mr Lo will answer this supplementary if he has understood it.
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MR Lo (in English):-I will try my best, Mr Chairman. In my reply, I have said that the department is now drawing up proposals and of course this will be examined by the various committees concerned. I suggest that Mr CHAN awaits the results of this deliberation. I cannot say at this time whether the intention is for the department to set up its own maintenance section or otherwise.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-For Mr CHAN's information, consideration has been given for works teams to be set up. The matter is still under study.
ADJOURNMENT-4.42pm
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I now adjourn Council until Tuesday, 5 December 1978, at 4.00pm.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY D. R. RICK, GOVERNMENT PRINTER AT THE GOVERNMENT PRESS, Java Road, HONG KONG
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
CHAIRMAN (in English):—Any other supplementary questions please? Nobody has asked about UC 3. (Laughter). Then, we move on to Question No. 7.
7 MR JOHN MACKENZIE asked the following question (in English):-I note an apparent lack of maintenance and repair in certain playgrounds and sitting. out areas administered by the Urban Council. Specifically, I refer to the sitting-out area in Kowloon at the junction of Fa Yuen Street and Prince Edward Road where there is much broken surface and the seats, frequently used by older people, are in poor condition. There is also an absence of shade. May I enquire what system of survey, maintenance and repair now prevails in such Council administered areas, and if any steps are proposed to improve these procedures?
MR KENNETH T. C. Lo, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION AND AMENITIES SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):-The need to improve the sitting-out area at the junction of Fa Yuen Street and Prince Edward Road has been recognized and an improvement scheme entitled 'Improve ment of Nullah Road/Prince Edward Road Rest Garden' incorporating the provision of flower beds and trees, an arbour with garden benches concrete chess tables and stools and a hopscotch pitch at an estimated cost of $146,000 was approved by the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee at its meeting on 20 October. The Architectural Office of the Public Works Depart- ment has been asked to proceed with the work as soon as possible.
The present system for surveying, maintaining and repairing Council faci lities is for District staff to carry out inspections from time to time and to report damage or other deficiencies. These, in turn, are brought to the attention of the Government Maintenance Surveyor in the Publc Works Department or contractors, as appropriate. The system has not proved to be entirely satisfactory and the Department is at present drawing up proposals for more frequent and thorough inspections which will ensure higher standards of repair and maintenance and will identify deficiences at an early stage. The revised arrangements will be introduced in the near future and their effectiveness will be kept under review.
MR CHAN CHI-KWAN (in English):-This kind of repair and maintenance is always under some sort of criticism. Am I right that the Recreation and Amenities Select Committee, or whichever committee, has been considering whether we should have our own maintenance department or workshop for this kind of quick repair instead of waiting for the Government Maintenance Surveyor of the Public Works Department to get contractors and arrange after inspection when a certain deficiency has been reported? There is a lot of red tape. Can we have our own maintenance section or has that been considered?
CHAIRMAN (in English):----Thank you very much. Mr Lo will answer this supplementary if he has understood it.
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MR Lo (in English):-I will try my best, Mr Chairman. In my reply, I have mid that the department is now drawing up proposals and of course this will be examined by the various committees concerned. I suggest that Mr CHAN awaits the results of this deliberation. I cannot say at this time whether the intention is for the department to set up its own maintenance section
or otherwise.
CHAIRMAN (in English):-For Mr CHAN's information, consideration has been given for works teams to be set up. The matter is still under study.
ADJOURNMENT-4.42pm
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I now adjourn Council until Tuesday, 5 December 1978, at 4.00pm.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY D. R. RICK, GOVERNMENT PRINTER AT THE GOVERNMENT PRESS, Java Road, HONG KONG
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