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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):—As far as I know, we are concerned only with new buildings. Before they are built, there should be some areas for refuse storage chambers. As to the old buildings, we can make use of on-street RCPS or other RCPs to solve the problem. In fact, there will be no difficulty in implementing the proposal, except that it will affect the profits made by the building

contractors.

3. THE HONOURABLE SELINA CHOW asked the following question (in English):---What is the progress of the development of the Wong Nei Chung Reservoir into a park?

MR. KENNETH T. C. LO, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in English):—This question concerns the development of the Wong Nei Chung Reservoir into a park.

This project will be carried out in two stages. The first stage includes the construction of a pavilion with pontoons for boating, a snack bar, toilets, a booking kiosk, and a store on the northern side of the reservoir. In addition there will be a sitting out area to the north-west of the reservoir on the other side of the Tai Tam Reservoir Road. Construction of the first stage started in early October and is expected to be completed in January 1984. Once the pavilion is completed, the public will be able to use the reservoir for boating. A children's playground and a car park to accommodate 60 cars and 6 coaches will also be completed at about the same time. These facilities are being provided as part of the development of a private residential housing project on an adjacent site.

Stage two of the development scheme will consist of the construction of four squash courts and associated facilities on the adjacent disused filter beds to the west of the reservoir. This stage is still the subject of a feasibility study.

4. MR. H.M.G. FORSGATE asked the following question (in English):-Mr. Chairman, as Mr. SULKE is indisposed, can I ask question 4 standing in his name? I understand the Council has decided to purchase a car crusher. In view of the existence of several such car crushers being operated here by private enterprise and a new very large machine just being imported by one of our manufacturers, what was the reason for coming to this decision and how much will the machine cost and how much will it cost to operate?

DR. DENNY M. H. HUANG, CHAIRMAN OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-The question concerns the Urban Council's involvement in car crushing.

A little more than a year ago, the Council agreed in principle to take over from the Police the responsibility for the removal of abandoned vehicles from public roads in the urban areas, subject to agreement with the Government on a number of associated issues such as the provision of adequate vehicle pounds. The background to this was the proven inability of the present disposal system

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(under which a contractor collects and crushes vehicles) to cope with the existing numbers of abandoned vehicles, let alone the far greater numbers envisaged when more comprehensive testing of old vehicles really gets under

way next year.

After further study, the Council agreed in principle to establish a disposal plant, that is to say a crusher and associated facilities.

No final decision has yet been made and none will be possible until departmental staff have had the opportunity to examine car disposal operations overseas and further discussions with Government have taken place. The question of capital and maintenance costs cannot therefore be accurately assessed though initial estimates suggest figures of $6.2 million and $0.6 million

respectively.

per annum

There are no purpose-built car crushers in Hong Kong, though a number of metal balers are in operation. By far the most effective of these is presently operated by the existing Government contractor for disposal of abandoned vehicles. The Council is aware that a private operator is about to import sophisticated crushing equipment but understands its probable site of operation precludes the storage of abandoned vehicles before disposal. Such storage is essential to the successful operation of a vehicle crushing plant. The site presently has no road access, making transport of vehicles for disposal even more problematical.

MR. FORSGATE (in English):-Speaking on behalf of Mr. SULKE, I don't think he or myself was aware that the Council had agreed in principle to establish a disposal plant. I thought all we'd agreed was to investigate it by sending a team overseas. So, could I have assurance, to pass on to Mr. SULKE from the Chairman of Environmental Hygiene Select Committee that is all is entailed at the moment, and we will re-examine the whole question of car crushing and collecting abandoned vehicles in due course.

DR. HUANG (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, as far as I remember, not only the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee has, in principle, accepted to remove the abandoned vehicles from the Government, the Standing Committee has also agreed this in principle. As to when we are going to purchase the equipment, it is decided to send a senior officer from U.C. and a senior officer from P.W.D. to Japan, U.S.A. and England to look at the various methods of car crushing, then we will examine the local situation and come to a final decision as to which kind of equipment we should use.

MR. FORSGATE (in English):—With due respect to Dr. HUANG. I don't think the question of agreement in principle by select committee binds the Council as a whole. A decision has not, as far as I am aware, been approved in the Council's Committee of the Whole. And so, what I am really asking is assurance that the

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