HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(b) If the above is true, what is the maximum distance a person would be expected to carry his refuse to a refuse collection point?
(c) Is the Council satisfied that within urban areas that the distance refuse has to be transported by residents is not excessive?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): This question concerns the delivery of domestic refuse to refuse collection points and is in three parts.
The first part of the question seeks to ascertain whether residents of multi-storey buildings are required to deliver their own refuse to refuse collection points. The second part asks what is the maximum distance a person would be expected to carry his refuse to such a refuse collection point while the third part asks whether the Urban Council is satisfied that, within the urban areas, such distances are not excessive.
In answer to the first part of the question, I confirm that the Council's policy is to require residents of multi-storey buildings themselves to deliver, or to arrange for the delivery of, their refuse to refuse collection points. We have no statistics on this matter but observation suggests that most people arrange for this task to be undertaken by private refuse collectors.
In answer to the second part of the question, the Council's aim is to locate refuse collection points in such a manner so that the maximum distance which persons have to transport refuse to them is 550 metres. Normally this criterion is met but there are occasions when it is not possible. The main reason for this is the lack of suitable sites for the construction of refuse collection points. Members may rest assured, however, that the Department will continue its efforts to obtain suitable sites for the provision of off-street refuse collection points.
In answer to the third part of the question, the Council considers, given the severe shortage of sites for the purpose of building refuse collection points, that the maximum distance of 550 metres which a person might be required to transport refuse is reasonable. It should also be borne in mind that many blocks of flats have their own refuse chambers from which the U.S.D. collects direct by vehicle.
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I wish to ask, concerning the private multi-storey buildings employing private contractors to move the refuse, do they move the refuse to the nearest refuse collection point; will this settle the matter?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):—I think that whether private contractors will carry refuse to the nearest refuse collection point, there is not, according to legislation but for their convenience and I suppose they will do accordingly. As to refuse at the refuse collection points, I must say that one question which cannot be solved is that, according to our legislation all refuse should be put there ten minutes before the arrival of our vehicles. But for private contractors,
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collecting refuse floor to floor, it is difficult for them to comply with this ruling. So this may be the reason why there is a lot of refuse accumulating in our refuse collection points, I do not know whether I have replied to Mr. SHUM's question.
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, this was replied to, to a great extent, but for those multi-storey buildings employing private contractors or workers to convey refuse, do they need to take it only to the nearest refuse collection point, is this sufficient?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the refuse collection points are areas designated by the Urban Council to be temporary or permanent refuse collection points, and I think this should suffice.
MR. HOWARD YOUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask Dr. HUANG a question that concerns land and the distance that refuse needs to be carried to a refuse collection point. Will there be legislation requiring multi-storey buildings to be provided with refuse chutes and chambers, since this will help to reduce the problem?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, as far as I am aware, over 10 years ago, we asked the Public Works Department to legislate that all the buildings should have refuse chutes as this would greatly help environmental hygiene. But the Public Works Department did not heed our suggestion. Our last Environmental Hygiene Committee Chairman did a lot of hard work and the P.W.D. now agreed that each multi-storey building should be provided with refuse collection chambers, if not a refuse chute and this will certainly help the situation, because the residents can then place refuse in the refuse chamber on the ground floor, from there our vehicles can collect it and so less refuse will be exposed on the streets.
MR. FRANCIS CHAINE (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask, in the course of the Clean Hong Kong Campaign, will our Council give written notification to the owners and corporations of various multi-storey buildings to tell them what role they should play and ask them to co-operate with us to carry out the Clean Hong Kong Campaign and to what extent they can help?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-On this point, I am not the Chairman of the Clean Hong Kong Campaign, so I cannot reply, but I suppose we will of course ask them for their assistance. Maybe Mr. YOUNG can reply?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I think this is not arising out of the question, but I wonder if Mr. YOUNG would volunteer to answer it.
MR. YOUNG (in Cantonese):-I can reply to part of the question. The Clean Hong Kong Campaign Committee has looked into whether it is necessary for Health Inspectors to deliver notices to house-holders door to door. We were
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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
(b) If the above is true, what is the maximum distance a person would be
expected to carry his refuse to a refuse collection point?
(c) Is the Council satisfied that within urban areas that the distance refuse has to
be transported by residents is not excessive?
DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): This question concerns the delivery of domestic refuse to refuse collection points and is in three parts.
The first part of the question seeks to ascertain whether residents of multi- storey buildings are required to deliver their own refuse to refuse collection points. The second part asks what is the maximum distance a person would be expected to carry his refuse to such a refuse collection point while the third part asks whether the Urban Council is satisfied that, within the urban areas, such distances are not excessive.
In answer to the first part of the question, I confirm that the Council's policy is to require residents of multi-storey buildings themselves to deliver, or to arrange for the delivery of, their refuse to refuse collection points. We have no statistics on this matter but observation suggests that most people arrange for this task to be undertaken by private refuse collectors.
In answer to the second part of the question, the Council's aim is to locate refuse collection points in such a manner so that the maximum distance which persons have to transport refuse to them is 550 metres Normally this criterion is met but there are occasions when it is not possible. The main reason for this is the lack of suitable sites for the construction of refuse collection points. Members may rest assured, however, that the Department will continue its efforts to obtain suitable sites for the provision of off-street refuse collection points.
In answer to the third part of the question, the Council considers, given the severe shortage of sites for the purpose of building refuse collection points, that the maximum distance of 550 metres which a person might be required to transport refuse is reasonable. It should also be borne in mind that many blocks of flats have their own refuse chambers from which the U.S.D. collects direct by vehicle.
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I wish to ask, concerning the private multi-storey buildings employing private contractors to move the refuse, do they move the refuse to the nearest refuse collection point; will this settle the matter?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):—I think that whether private contractors will carry refuse to the nearest refuse collection point, there is not, according to legislation but for their convenience and I suppose they will do accordingly. As to refuse at the refuse collection points, I must say that one question which cannot be solved is that, according to our legislation all refuse should be put there ten minutes before the arrival of our vehicles. But for private contractors,
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collecting refuse floor to floor, it is difficult for them to comply with this ruling. So this may be the reason why there is a lot of refuse accumulating in our refuse collection points, I do not know whether I have replied to Mr. SHUM's question.
MR. SHUM (in Cantonese):--Mr. Chairman, this was replied to, to a great extent, but for those multi-storey buildings employing private contractors or workers to convey refuse, do they need to take it only to the nearest refuse collection point, is this sufficient?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, the refuse collection points are areas designated by the Urban Council to be temporary or permanent refuse collection points, and I think this should suffice.
MR. HOWARD YOUNG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask Dr. HUANG a question that concerns land and the distance that refuse needs to be carried to a refuse collection point. Will there be legislation requiring multi-storey buildings to be provided with refuse shutes and chambers, since this will help to reduce the problem?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, as far as I am aware, over 10 years ago, we asked the Public Works Department to legislate that all the buildings should have refuse shutes as this would greatly help environmental hygiene. But the Public Works Department did not heed our suggestion. Our last Environmental Hygiene Committee Chairman did a lot of hard work and the P.W.D. now agreed that each multi-storey building should be provided with refuse collection chambers, if not a refuse shute and this will certainly help the situation, because the residents can then place refuse in the refuse chamber on the ground floor, from there our vehicles can collect it and so less refuse will be exposed on the streets.
MR. FRANCIS CHAINE (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, I would like to ask, in the course of the Clean Hong Kong Campaign, will our Council give written notification to the owners and corporations of various multi-storey buildings to tell them what role they should play and ask them to co-operate with us to carry out the Clean Hong Kong Campaign and to what extent they can help?
DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-On this point, I am not the Chairman of the Clean Hong Kong Campaign, so I cannot reply, but I suppose we will of course ask them for their assistance. Maybe Mr. YoUNG can reply?
CHAIRMAN (in English):-I think this is not arising out of the question, but I wonder if Mr. YOUNG would volunteer to answer it.
MR. YOUNG (in Cantonese):-I can reply to part of the question. The Clean Hong Kong Campaign Committee has looked into whether it is necessary for Health Inspectors to deliver notices to house-holders door to door. We were
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