1986 — Page 71

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN

CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order.

MINUTES

The minutes of the meeting held on 8 July 1986, were confirmed.

STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN

CHAIRMAN (in English): The Urban Council is now back in session after the August recess and I trust that you have returned to your civic responsibilities with sharpened minds and have thought of still more ways in which we can continue to upgrade the quality of urban life in Hong Kong.

Regrettably it is my duty this afternoon to report to the Council that one of our most dedicated and hardworking stalwarts, Mrs. Margaret Li, resigned from the Council for personal reasons during the recess.

Margaret served us with dedication, enthusiasm and vigour for more than two years. She served on many Select Committees and made highly significant contributions to our work, especially during her Chairmanship of the Sports and Activities Sub-Committee.

I am sure I echo the thoughts of Council Members in thanking Margaret for her hard work over the past two years and wishing her all the best in the future. A number of major projects have been opened to the public during the past five months. These include the Boating Park in Wong Nai Chung, the Indoor Games Hall in Kwun Tong, the Rockery Garden in Wan Chai, the Choi Sai Woo Park in North Point and Repulse Bay Beach Children's Playground and Rest Garden.

These projects all result from Council discussions and departmental planning going back several years but nevertheless the fact that so much has happened in such a short time illustrates the pace and enthusiasm of the Council in its efforts to meet the growing aspirations of the public.

In anticipation of this, the Council's Capital Works Programme envisages spending some $14 billion over the next five years on many more community facilities.

The well designed and functional Lockhart Road Complex in Wan Chai will be completed next month, followed by other Complexes over the next few years and our most modern and largest squash complex, with its quite unique centre court costing some $22 million, is now in operation and held a most significant well renowned squash competition last week but it would officially be opened when the teething troubles are ironed out on 1 November.

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The Cultural Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui is making good progress and it all that seems a long way off 1989 is just around the corner and the committee affected is making active preparation for its opening in that year.

Also the exciting novel stimulating design for the final development of Kowloon Park is well on and construction is expected to start towards the end of this year. It is of course a Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club project costing some $300 million and the Club will hand the finished article over to the Council in early 1989.

And talking of sport—I would like to take this opportunity to welcome into the Council our newest member, Mr. Ronnie WONG, who is with us today in open meeting for the first time. Ronnie replaces Mr. Howard Young, who resigned last year, and his initial term of appointment will run until 31 March 1988.

Ronnie, being a former cross-harbour swimming star and diving enthusiast, will perform 'swimmingly' as an Urban Councillor and no doubt it is a coincidence that many of the questions during question time will be about swimming pools. His keen interest in sport will undoubtedly be reflected in the constructive ideas he is expected to produce.

Welcome aboard, Ronnie.

PAPER

The following papers were laid on the table:-

(1) Reports to the Urban Council by the Director of Urban Services and Secretary, Urban Council, for the month of July and August 1986.

QUESTIONS

1. MR. JOSEPH Y. S. CHAN asked the following question (in Cantonese):— How many swimming pools are not fully opened to the public during this Summer season? Why?

MR. SAMUEL P. W. Wong, Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee, replied as follows (in Cantonese):-This question asks how many swimming pools are not fully opened to the public during the summer season and why.

Council operates 83 individual swimming pools within the 12 pool complexes which are opened to the general public. The majority of these complexes are of a relatively standard design for the use of a maximum of about 2,100 persons at any one time and generally comprise a main pool, a secondary pool, a diving pool...