Page 20 of 201
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):—Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order and welcome to the first meeting of our new session.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 1986, were confirmed.
STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):—First, allow me to thank my fellow Councillors for the confidence they have placed in me by honouring me with the Chairmanship of this Council. It is far more than a signal honour... it represents a very large commitment to the people of Hong Kong, a commitment I intend to carry out to the full to ensure that the Council, through the Urban Services Department, continues to upgrade services and facilities and thereby improve the quality of life in Hong Kong.
Also, may I congratulate my Council colleague of so many years, Mrs. Elsie Tu, on becoming Vice-Chairman, a job I am sure she will carry out with the great dedication she brings to everything she involves herself in; congratulations too to the new Chairmen of six of the Council's 13 Select Committees: Mr. PAO Ping-wing, who will chair the Capital Works Select Committee; Dr. Ronald LEUNG, Environmental Hygiene Select Committee; Mr. Walter SULKE, Finance Select Committee; Miss Cecilia YEUNG, Food Hygiene Select Committee; Mr. LEE Chik-yuet, Markets and Street Traders Select Committee; and the former Chairman of the Council, Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN, District Relations Select Committee... and finally congratulations to our five newly elected Councillors, Ms. CHEUNG Wai-ping, Ms. Fok Pui-yee and Messrs. CHOW Wai-keung, CHAN Kwok-ming, and MAN Sai-cheong, all of whom are with us today in open Council for the first time.
With so many changes having taken place in the past week we are now something of a 'new-look' Council, and this I am sure must be for the better. There should be new thinking, and new ideas; new approaches and new policies... and again this will be good not only for the Council, but for the people we serve, the 4.4 million urban dwellers of Hong Kong.
My intention is to aim for greater integration of the Council in future to bring about greater togetherness, and, as a result, enhance team spirit and produce better teamwork. I think I can do no better but digress from my written word to take something out of the policy of a very large construction company in the UK which has its motto, four men pulling on a rope all in the same direction; I would like to think all 30 of us will all put on the rope, of course, all in the same direction. I think we could gain, for instance, from getting together more often to exchange ideas and talk over problems... and not just in the formality of the Committee Room, but on an ad hoc basis where we could figuratively roll up our sleeves and thrash out our problems.
The Chairmen and members of our 13 Select Committees will, I am sure, welcome the opportunity to get even deeper into the mainstream of Hong Kong's civic affairs and further expand contacts with the grassroots, whether this be related to sport, recreation, culture, or any of the Council's manifold activities.
In this context, I am very glad to note that all five of our newly elected colleagues are influential members of their respective constituencies and will, I am sure, quickly let us know what the man-in-the-street is thinking about on civic matters.
The Council must keep pace with the rising civic aspirations of Hong Kong, and all 30 of us must play our part.
I do not wish to be seen as running a one-man band.
A Chairman and a Vice-Chairman, for that matter, who is loaded down with ceremonies, openings, interviews, and attendances at many other functions runs the risk of being enmeshed in the chains of office and losing sight of the Council's main goals—so let me make it clear now that I will be calling on all Councillors to take up their share of these necessary if time-consuming duties, so as to spread the load on Mrs. Tu and myself.
As the Urban Council heads into the 90's, let us gear ourselves up to do an even better job in future and so ensure that the Council keeps in step with this prosperous and tremendously vital territory where we work and live.
QUESTIONS
1. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):—Mr. Chairman, I am very honoured to be able to ask the first question under this new chairmanship, the one standing in my name. The Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade in East Tsim Sha Tsui is very bare and in summer very hot. Is it possible to plant trees to give some shade and incidentally improve the appearance of the Promenade?
MR. HOWARD H. W. YOUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT COMMITTEE, replied as follows (in Cantonese): Mr. Chairman, I am honoured to try and find the answer to the first question.
This question concerns tree planting at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade in East Tsim Sha Tsui.
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Page 21
Page 20 of 201
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order and welcome to the first meeting of our new session.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 11 March 1986, were confirmed.
STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):—First, allow me to thank my fellow Councillors for the confidence they have placed in me by honouring me with the Chairmanship of this Council. It is far more than a signal honour . . . it represents a very large commitment to the people of Hong Kong, a commitment I intend to carry out to the full to ensure that the Council, through the Urban Services Department, continues to upgrade services and facilities and thereby improve the quality of life in Hong Kong.
Also, may I congratulate my Council colleague of so many years, Mrs. Elsie Tu, on becoming Vice-Chairman, a job I am sure she will carry out with the great dedication she brings to everything she involves herself in congratulations too to the new Chairmen of six of the Council's 13 Select Committees Mr. PAO Ping-wing who will chair the Capital Works Select Committee; Dr. Ronald LEUNG, Environmental Hygiene Select Committee; Mr. Walter SULKE, Finance Select Committee; Miss Cecilia YEUNG, Food Hygiene Select Committee; Mr. LEE Chik-yuet, Markets and Street Traders Select Committee and the former Chairman of the Council, Mr. Hilton CHEONG-LEEN, District Relations Select Committee . . . and finally congratulations to our five newly elected Councillors, Ms. CHEUNG Wai-ping, Ms. Fok Pui-yee and Messrs. CHOW Wai-keung, CHAN Kwok-ming and MAN Sai-cheong, all of whom are with us today in open Council for the first time.
With so many changes having taken place in the past week we are now something of a 'new-look' Council, and this I am sure must be for the better. There should be new thinking, and new ideas; new approaches and new policies... and again this will be good not only for the Council, but for the people we serve, the 44 million urban dwellers of Hong Kong.
My intention is to aim for greater integration of the Council in future to bring about greater togetherness, and, as a result, enhance team spirit and produce better teamwork. I think I can do no better but digress from my written word to take something out of the policy of a very large construction company in the UK which has its motto, four men pulling on a rope all in the same direction, I would like to think all 30 of us will all put on the rope, of course, all in the same
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Page 20 of 201
3
direction. I think we could gain, for instance, from getting together more often to exchange ideas and talk over problems... and not just in the formality of the Committee Room, but on an ad hoc basis where we could figuratively roll up our sleeves and thrash out our problems.
The Chairmen and members of our 13 Select Committees will I am sure welcome the opportunity to get even deeper into the mainstream of Hong Kong's civic affairs and further expand contacts with the grassroots, whether this be related to sport, recreation, culture or any of the Council's manifold activities.
In this context I am very glad to note that all five of our newly elected colleagues are influential members of their respective constituencies and will, I am sure, quickly let us know what the man-in-the-street is thinking about on civic matters.
The Council must keep pace with the rising civic aspirations of Hong Kong, and all 30 of us must play our part.
I do not wish to be seen as running a one-man band.
A Chairman and a Vice-Chairman, for that matter who is loaded down with ceremonies, openings, interviews and attendances at many other functions runs the risk of being enmeshed in the chains of office and losing sight of the Council's main goals-so let me make it clear now that I will be calling on all Councillors to take up their share of these necessary if time-consuming duties, so as to spread the load on Mrs. Tu and myself.
As the Urban Council heads into the 90's let us gear ourselves up to do an even better job in future and so ensure that the Council keeps in step with this prosperous and tremendously vital territory where we work and live.
QUESTIONS
1. MR. WALTER M. SULKE asked the following question (in English):-—Mr. Chairman, I am very honoured to be able to ask the first question under this new chairmanship, the one standing in my name. The Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade in East Tsim Sha Tsui is very hare and in summer very hot. Is it possible to plant trees to give some shade and incidentally improve the appearance of the
Promenade?
MR. HOWARD H. W. YOUNG, CHAIRMAN OF THE RECREATION SELECT Committee, replied as follows (in Cantonese); Mr. Chairman, I am honoured to try and find the answer to the first question.
This question concerns tree planting at the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade in East Tsim Sha Tsui.
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