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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
It is Urbco's duty to clear away refuse, improve environmental hygiene and sternly take action against litter bugs. If possible, environmental hygiene should be included in school curriculum so as to make every resident fully aware of its importance and co-operate with the Council.
The government has already drawn up regulations to control air pollution, punishing offenders severely. But it seems that air pollution affecting squatter areas is receiving no attention. Some squatter areas are experiencing very serious air pollution. On entering such an area, one can immediately smell nauseating foul air. In those areas, various offensive trades are in operation. Industrial waste and refuse are being piled up. Foul water can be seen everywhere. Chimneys of different lengths and shapes emit columns of thick smoke of various colours. Tolo Channel and Tolo Harbour have been declared as water control zones. Has the government drawn up any codes of control or improvement schemes for squatter factories in urban areas?
Squatters, numbering about 600,000, and mainly belonging to the low-income group, are not well-educated. Every day, they have to work industriously to earn their living, leaving not much time for things happening just beyond their immediate proximity. But they are people who work silently and serve the community for their entire life. It is hoped that the government and the departments concerned will take immediate steps to improve their living conditions properly and prevent those conditions from getting worse.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, I support your motion.
(The Hon. F. K. Hu left at this point—4.50 p.m.)
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, as I have spent some years in the building construction industries in Hong Kong, I am naturally interested in the various capital works programmes of the Council. I began to familiarize myself by reading the Council's annual reports, especially those published some seven or eight years ago and I should like to, if I may, share with you some facts and figures of those bygone years.
According to the 1974 Annual Report, the total income of the Council was HK$273 million and the total expenditure was 211 million. Seventeen projects in the Public Works Programmes were completed at a total cost of 4.5 million. On 1 November 1973, a Planning and Development Unit was set up, headed by a Staff Officer (Planning), and its work spanned the entire planning spectrum from reservation of land to completion of individual projects.
In the ensuing year an Assistant Director (Planning) was appointed, under the Deputy Director of U.S.D. Twenty-five items of capital work were completed at a total cost of $6.3 million.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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In early 1974 it was announced that Government funds would not be available to begin the construction projects which the Government was committed to build on the Urban Council's behalf, and arrangements were then concluded with Government under a switch finance scheme where the Urban Council financed selected Council projects which were the commitment of the Government in order to expedite the building programme. In return, the Government undertook the responsibility of financing Urban Council counterpart projects.
In October 1976, the Works Planning Select Committee conducted a careful study of the delays affecting Urban Council development projects and the employment of private architects by the P.W.D. was eventually agreed. Two groups of Urban Council projects were passed out to private architects on an experimental basis. Today, a total of ten packages of projects of various sizes have been farmed out to private consulting architects.
Up to March 1981, i.e., eight years after the Council's independence, a total of 337 items of capital work had been completed at a total cost of 280 million. Spending on capital work for the several years were:—
1977-1978 $26.4 million
1978-1979 $63.3 million
1979-1980 $57.6 million
1980-1981 $86.6 million
1981-1982 $139.7 million
1982-1983 $211.9 million
1983-1984 $220.3 million
Currently, we have in hand a capital work programme comprising some 175 projects of various sizes and the estimated construction budget should be at least $1,620 million at present-day cost level. We would have in the next few years a quite busy construction programme and it is befitting to thank the Building Development Department for their understanding, hard work, and unfailing co-operation both at present and in the past. We must also give a vote of thanks to the private architects who have completed the several packaged projects for us in the past seven years.
For the switch finance scheme started nearly ten years ago, two projects remain for the Urban Council to complete while on the Government side, a total of nine projects are still outstanding, of which only two are under construction. We hope that not before long, this switch finance scheme would come to an end.
I am a bit puzzled to find that the Planning and Development Division of the City Services Department is not really responsible for all the Urban Council Projects. Examples are the construction of libraries, museums, and cultural centres. In order to streamline the planning and monitoring procedures,
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Page 146
Page 146 of 194
Page 145 of 194
256
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
It is Urbco's duty to clear away refuse, improve environmental hygiene and sternly take action against litter bugs. If possible, environmental hygiene should be included in school curriculum so as to make every resident fully aware of its importance and co-operate with the Council.
The government has already drawn up regulations to control air pollution, punishing offenders severly. But it seems that air pollution affecting squatter areas is receiving no attention. Some squatter areas are
experiencing very serious air pollution. On entering such an area, one can
immediately smell nauseating foul air. In those areas, various offensive trades are in operation. Industrial waste and refuse are being piled up. Foul water can be seen everywhere. Chimneys of different lengths and shapes emit columns of thick smoke of various colours. Tolo Channel and Tolo Harbour have been declared as water control zones. Has the government drawn up any codes of control or improvement schemes for squatter factories in urban areas?
Squatters, numbering about 600 000, and mainly belonging to the low income group, are not well-educated. Every day, they have to work industri ously to earn their living, leaving not much time for things happening just beyond their immediate proximity. But they are people who work silently and serve the community for their entire life. It is hoped that the government and the departments concerned will take immediate steps to improve their living conditions properly and prevent those conditions from getting worse.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, I support your motion.
(The Hon. F. K. Hu left at this point—4.50 p.m.)
MR. SAMUEL P. W. WONG (in English):—Mr. Chairman, as I have spent some years in the building construction industries in Hong Kong, I am naturally interested in the various capital works programmes of the Council. I began to familiarize myself by reading the Council's annual reports, especially those published some seven or eight years ago and I should like to, if I may, share with you some facts and figures of those bygone years.
According to the 1974 Annual Report, the total income of the Council was HK$273 million and the total expenditure was 211 million. Seventeen projects in the Public Works Programmes were completed at a total cost of 4.5 million. On 1 November 1973, a Planning and Development Unit was set up, headed by a Staff Officer (Planning), and its work spanned the entire planning spectrum from reservation of land to completion of individual projects.
In the ensuing year an Assistant Director (Planning) was appointed, under the Deputy Director of U.S.D. Twenty-five items of capital work were completed at a total cost of $6.3 million.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 145 of 194
257
In early 1974 it was announced that Government funds would not be available to begin the construction projects which the Government was committed to build on the Urban Council's behalf, and arrangements were then concluded with Government under a switch finance scheme where the Urban Council financed selected Council projects which were the commitment of the Government in order to expedite the building programme. In return the Government undertook the responsibility of financing Urban Council counter- part project.
In October 1976, the Works Planning Select Committee conducted a careful study of the delays affecting Urban Council development project and the employment of private architects by the P.W.D. was eventually agreed. Two groups of Urban Council projects were passed out to private architects on an experimental basis. To-day, a total of ten packages of projects of various sizes have be farmed out to private consulting architects.
Up to March 1981, i.e. eight years after the Council's independence, a total of 337 items of capital work had been completed at a total cost of 280 million. Spending on capital work for the several years were:—
1977-1978
1978-1979
1979-1980
1980-1981
1981-1982
1982-1983
1983-1984
$ 26.4 million
$ 63.3 million
$ 57.6 million
S 86.6 million
$139.7 million
$211.9 million
$220.3 million
Currently we have in hand a capital work programme comprizing some 175 projects of various sizes and the estimated construction budget should be at least $1,620 million at present-day cost level. We would have in the next few years a quite busy construction programme and it is befitting to thank the Building Development Department for their understanding, hard work and unfailing co-operation both at present, and in the past. We must also give a vote of thanks to the private architects who have completed the several packaged projects for us in the past seven years.
For the switch finance scheme started nearly ten years ago, two projects remain for the Urban Council to complete while on the Government side, a total of nine projects are still outstanding, of which only two are under construction. We hope that not before long, this switch finance scheme would come to an end.
I am a bit puzzled to find that the Planning and Development Division of the City Services Department is not really responsible for all the Urban Council Projects. Examples are the construction of libraries, museums and cultural centres. In order to streamline the planning and monitoring procedures,
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