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4. HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. AMBROSE K. C. CHOI asked the following question (in Cantonese):-
(a) May the Council be informed the whole area of the Wan Chai Sports Ground and its total construction fee?
(b) How many times it has been used each year?
(c) How many applications have been received each year?
(d) How many applications have been granted?
(e) What are the reasons of the refusal?
(f) Why the Council does not encourage to make good use of it?
MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee, replied as follows (in English): This question concerns the use of the Wan Chai Sports Ground and is in six parts.
The answer to the first part of the question is that the Wan Chai Sports Ground covers an area of 2.76 hectares and it cost $15.31 million to build.
In answer to the second part of the question, in 1979, the Wan Chai Sports Ground was used for athletic events on 40 occasions, in 1980, on 122 occasions and in 1981 up to date, on 112 occasions. In addition, the Ground was used for training sessions in 1979 on 51 occasions, in 1980 on 357 occasions and in 1981 up to date on 315 occasions. During 1979, the average monthly usage rate was only 14 per cent and usage rates varied from NIL in June to 62.4 per cent in December 1979. In 1980, the usage rate went up to an average of 46.5 per cent and monthly rates varied from 13.2 per cent in June to 93.4 per cent in March. For 1981, the average rate of usage, including bookings up to the end of the year will be 56.2 per cent with a low of 25.8 per cent in June and a high of 93.3 per cent in November.
To answer the third and fourth parts of the question, I must explain the Council's booking policy which was laid down for the use of the Sports Ground when it was first opened. This is that the use of the Ground should be limited to five groups of hirers, namely:--
(i) The Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association and its affiliated clubs; (ii) Hong Kong and New Territories Schools Sports Associations; (iii) Education Department for Schools in Divisions I & II; (iv) Recreation and Sport Service; and (v) Specific groups approved by the Urban Council including the School Sports Council, the Sport Association for the Physically Handicapped and the Urban Council (Sports Promotion Unit of the Cultural Services Department).
It is therefore not possible for me to give details of individual applications since they are channelled through one or other of the Groups that I have mentioned. Figures for the amount of time allocated to each of the five groups during 1979, 1980 and 1981 are given in the paper which has been tabled for the information of Members.
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The answer to the fifth part of the question is that all applications from hirers other than the five groups I have mentioned are refused as a matter of policy but I do not have figures of the number of such applications. Applications from the five main groups are normally refused only if the Sports Ground has already been booked.
The sixth part of this question suggests that the Sports Ground is not being put to good use. However, as I have already said, the use of the Sports Ground is increasing steadily and allowing for periods of bad weather and the reduced interest in athletics during the hot summer months and the periods when students are concentrating on examinations, I do not think that the current position is unsatisfactory. The Wan Chai Sports Ground is the only sports ground in Hong Kong whose facilities are up to the standards set by the International Amateur Athletic Federation for international competitions and the Council does not consider that it would be advisable to open it to the public for general use. This might well result in damage to the facilities and, in any case, other athletic facilities are available on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Nevertheless, the usage of the Ground is kept under review and, if the Council should decide that usage is not increasing fast enough, the answer might be to allocate more time to the Education Department, which, at present, is only permitted to use the Ground for 50 days per year.
USAGE OF THE WAN CHAI SPORTS GROUND BY THE FIVE ELIGIBLE GROUPS OF HIRERS
(i) The Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association and its Affiliated Club 1979 (Feb.-Dec.) 1980 1981 (ii) Hong Kong and New Territories Schools Sports Association 1701 hours 786.5 hours 929 hours (iii) Education Department 26 hours 110 hours 147 hours (iv) Recreation and Sports Service 377 hours 219 hours 286 hours (v) Specific groups approved by the Urban Council including the School Sports Council, the Sport Association for the Physically Handicapped and the Urban Council (Sports Promotion Unit of the Cultural Services Department) 466 hours 302 hours 424.5 hoursMR. CHOI (in Cantonese):- Mr. Chairman, as regards the piece of land, I understand it's within the urban district and the land value is extremely high and my estimation is that for the 2.6 hectares of land, it would be worth more than $500 million and according to the table I have with me, up to 1979, the ground was only used for some 4531 hours. For the following year, i.e. 1980, up till now, it was only used for some 16684 hours and for the year 1981, the ground was used up to 2000 odd hours. So, I presume it's extremely under-used and it would be a pity for us not to maximize the use of the ground. I think we should have it open to the general public because the ground is subsidized by all the people of Hong Kong, so I don't know why it cannot be used by the people of Hong Kong. I believe the Urban Council ought to amend its regulations and
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4.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
MR. AMBROSE K. C. CHOI asked the following question (in Cantonese):- (a) May the Council be informed the whole area of the Wan Chai Sports
Ground and its total construction fee?
(b) How many times it has been used each year?
(c) How many applications have been received each year?
(d) How many applications have been granted?
(e) What are the reasons of the refusal?
(f) Why the Council does not encourage to make good use of it?
MR. KENNETH T. C. Lo, Chairman of the RecREATION SELECT Committee, replied as follows (in English): This question concerns the use of the Wan Chai Sports Ground and is in six parts.
The answer to the first part of the question is that the Wan Chai Sports Ground covers an area of 2.76 hectares and it cost $15.31 million to build.
In answer to the second part of the question, in 1979, the Wan Chai Sports Ground was used for athletic events on 40 occasions, in 1980, on 122 occasions and in 1981 up to date, on 112 occasions. In addition, the Ground was used for training sessions in 1979 on 51 occasions, in 1980 on 357 occasions and in 1981 up to date on 315 occasions. During 1979, the average monthly usage rate was only 14 per cent and usage rates varied from NIL in June to 62.4 per cent in December 1979. In 1980, the usage rate went up to an average of 46.5 per cent and monthly rates varied from 13.2 per cent in June to 93.4 per cent in March. For 1981, the average rate of usage, including bookings up to the end of the year will be 56.2 per cent with a low of 25.8 per cent in June and a high of 93.3 per cent in November.
To answer the third and fourth parts of the question, I must explain the Council's booking policy which was laid down for the use of the Sports Ground when it was first opened. This is that the use of the Ground should be limited to five groups of hirers, namely:--
(i) The Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association and its affiliated clubs; (ii) Hong Kong and New Territories Schools Sports Associations; (iii) Education Department for Schools in Divisions I & II; (iv) Recreation and Sport Service; and
(v) Specific groups approved by the Urban Council including the School Sports Council, the Sport Association for the Physically Handicapped and the Urban Council (Sports Promotion Unit of the Cultural Services Department).
It is therefore not possible for me to give details of individual applications since they are channelled through one or other of the Groups that I have mentioned. Figures for the amount of time allocated to each of the five groups during 1979, 1980 and 1981 are given in the paper which has been tabled for the information of Members.
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The answer to the fifth part of the question is that all applications from hirers other than the five groups I have mentioned are refused as a matter of policy but I do not have figures of the number of such applications. Applications from the five main groups are normally refused only if the Sports Ground has already been booked.
The sixth part of this question suggests that the Sports Ground is not being put to good use. However, as I have already said, the use of the Sports Ground is increasing steadily and allowing for periods of bad weather and the reduced interest in athletics during the hot summer months and the periods when students are concentrating on examinations, I do not think that the current position is unsatisfactory. The Wan Chai Sports Ground is the only sports ground in Hong Kong whose facilities are up to the standards set by the International Amateur Athletic Federation for international competitions and the Council does not consider that it would be advisable to open it to the public for general use. This might well result in damage to the facilities and, in any case, other athletic facilities are available on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
Nevertheless, the usage of the Ground is kept under review and, if the Council should decide that usage is not increasing fast enough, the answer might be to allocate more time to the Education Department, which, at present, is only permitted to use the Ground for 50 days per year.
USAGE OF THE WAN CHAI SPORTS GROUND BY THE FIVE ELIGIBLE GROUPS OF HIRERS
(i) The Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association and its Affiliated Club
(ii) Hong Kong and New Territories Schools
Sports Association
(iii) Education Department
(iv) Recreation and Sports Service (v) Specific groups approved by the Urban Council including the School Sports Council, the Sport Association for the Physically Handicapped and the Urban Council (Sports Promotion Unit of the Cultural Services Department)
1979 (Feb.-Dec.)
1980
1701 hours
786.5 hours
1981 929 hours
26 hours 110 hours 147 hours
377 hours 219 hours 286 hours
466 hours 302 hours
424.5 hours
MR. CHOI (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, as regards the piece of land, I understand it's within the urban district and the land value is extremely high and my estimation is that for the 2.6 hectares of land, it would be worth more than $500 million and according to the table I have with me, up to 1979, the ground was only used for some 4531 hours. For the following year, i.e. 1980, up till now, it was only used for some 1 6684 hours and for the year 1981, the ground was used up to 2 000 odd hours. So, I presume it's extremely under-used and it would be a pity for us not to maximize the use of the ground. I think we should have it open to the general public because the ground is subsidized by all the people of Hong Kong, so I don't know why it cannot be used by the people of Hong Kong. I believe the Urban Council ought to amend its regulations and
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