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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN

CHAIRMAN (in English):-May I call the meeting to order. Before taking the first item on the agenda, I would like to congratulate Mrs. Eleanor LING on being appointed as a member of the Hospital Authority, Mr. Paul YOUNG and Mr. Li Wah-ming on being appointed as members of the Social Welfare Advisory Committee, Miss Carlye TSUI on being elected as the District Governor of the Zonta International District 17 and lastly Mr. Ronald POON on being elected as the Chairman of HK Housing Society.

MINUTES

The minutes of meeting held on 12 November 1991, were confirmed.

PAPER

The following paper was laid on the table:

(1) Report to the Urban Council by the Secretary, Urban Council, for the

month of November 1991.

CHAIRMAN (in English):-I move under Standing Order 19(2) that the order of business be varied by bringing forward Item 4 of the agenda as the next item, i.e. motion.

The motion was carried unanimously.

MOTION

1.

MR. JOSEPH CHAN moved the following motion (in Cantonese):—

'Resolved that the Council's serious concern regarding the lack of consultation with this Council and other relevant organizations on the redevelopment proposal for the Hong Kong Stadium which excludes the re-provisioning of existing running track, but includes proposed new facilities be conveyed to the Government and that the Government be urged to enter into prompt discussion with this Council on the project particularly regarding the provision of the running track and management of the proposed new facilities.'

He said (in Cantonese):-Mr. Chairman, I am shocked and indignant by the joint announcement made to the Council by the Recreation and Culture Branch, the Jockey Club and the Sports Development Board on the re- development of the HK Stadium, which is under the management of Urban Council.

I am shocked because this Council knows nothing about the consultants' report on the redevelopment project. The Council has all along been responsible

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for managing the Stadium, and if the Stadium is to be redeveloped, this Council should be consulted without delay.

I am indignant because this Council, the legitimate managing body of the Stadium, is presented with fait accompli by the Jockey Club and the Sports Development Board. The Council is representing public opinion with statutory decision-making power. Where is our decision-making power? How are we to represent public opinion? How are we to protect public interest? How are we to explain this to the public? Is this an autocratic era? No. Is this a community where everyone scrambles? I believe not! Yet, such unfortunate incident has happened to us. How can one not be indignant?

Why was the Urban Council not consulted on this massive redevelopment project and the enormous amount of expenditure to be incurred? Mr. Chairman, I don't understand. Are members of the public not entitled to know? Is it because there is something sinister involved? Or is it because there are specific political aims behind the whole thing? I really can't find an answer. This incident reflects the bureaucratic ways of some policy secretaries. Such ways run counter to the Government's pains-taking efforts to develop a democratic and open political system. Mr. Chairman, in the so-called re-development programme, the running track is deleted. It is said that the purpose is to expand the seating capacity to 40 000 seats to facilitate the holding of rugby tournament and large-scale entertainment programmes. Although the schools are the main users of the Stadium becuase they hold many athletic meets there, yet, they have not been consulted at all. The interests of 160 000 students and young people from over 120 schools have been brushed aside. Is this in line with the wishes of the general public? Does this accord with the interest of Hong Kong people? Is this conducive to the promotion and development of sports? We know that the running track in Mong Kok Stadium has been deleted in the re-development programme. And now we are told that the track in the Hong Kong Stadium will be deleted too. How can there be enough venues for schools and schools associations to hold athletic meets and provide sports training? The Secretary for Recreation and Culture said that if there weren't enough venues for schools to hold athletic meets, they could hire the turf areas in the Stadium and delineate tracks on it. Mr. Chairman, is it really possible to hold athletic meets on delineated tracks of the turf areas? Do we expect students to gallop on turf areas at one time and sand areas at next time as what animals do?

According to Section 4.22 of the Memorandum of Administrative Arrange- ments, if any Urban Council venues for public uses is required by the Government, it must allocate another site to the Council. Thus, if the Government deletes the tracks to make way for more seats, then it must set aside another site to build a new sports ground as a sort of compensation in order to satisfy the needs of the schools and the public, or else it will be violating the laws.

Mr. Chairman, concerning the rights to manage the re-developed Hong Kong Stadium, up till now, no indication has been made to the effect that the

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