Page 364 of 485
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
results. I hope you would consider extending the anti-smoking campaign to Urban Council parks. The parks are the 'lungs' of our city. If people smoke in the 'lungs' everyday, not only will the health of Hong Kong people be affected, the parks will sooner or later become a place where only smokers frequent. To maintain a fresh environment in our parks and protect non-smokers, I think the Council should consider prohibiting smoking in all Urban Council parks so as to make our parks greener and prevent them from being shrouded by mist and covered by cigarette ashes.
Active promotion of waste recovery
Now, I would like to express my views on waste recovery. At present, Hong Kong still does not have a standard policy for handling solid waste. Various ways of waste handling are being employed. There is no co-ordination even between the Urban Services Department and the Housing Department, though both of them are government departments. In my opinion, since one of the responsibilities of the Urban Council is to promote the environmental protection concept and we have also launched the Keep Hong Kong Green Campaign, we should take the lead to turn the concept into policy and the campaign into operations. For instance, the Council can set up in various districts refuse collection bins for the segregation and collection of refuse. We can also co-operate with the Housing Department, the Housing Authority as well as large private housing estates to implement the refuse recovery and segregation scheme, by which refuse such as waste paper, aluminium cans and plastic waste are separated and treated separately. I believe that it is only through actions, not empty talks that people's habit of wasting resources can be changed effectively, and through the setting up of collection bins that Hong Kong people's awareness of environmental protection can be aroused. Otherwise, we will only end up with shouting empty slogans while the amount of refuse produced daily keeps on rising.
Development strategies for recreation and sport activities are outdated
Having worked in the Recreation and Sports Services and being the Vice-Chairman of the Recreation Select Committee, I pay special attention to the development of recreation and sports activities. In the 94/95 financial year, the overall expenditure on leisure services amounted to $961,000,000 ($961.69M to be exact), i.e. 18% of the Council's total expenditure, whereas the establishment for leisure services was 2,900, which accounted for 19% of the total establishment. From these figures, we can see that leisure services as a whole come second both in terms of expenditure and establishment. It is a very important sector in the Council.
As far as I know, every year the District Recreation and Sport Officers will plan the programme for that year's activities for the residents to take part and improve their fitness. While it is a good thing to set a clear principle, however, the implementation of such principles fails to meet the actual needs of the public. First, the District Recreation and Sport Officers usually set the programmes by revising the programmes of the previous year basing on their own experience and
Page 364 of 485
Page 364 of 485
Page 364 of 485
78
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
results. I hope you would consider extending the anti-smoking campaign to Urban Council parks. The parks are the 'lungs' of our city. If people smoke in the 'lungs' everyday, not only will the health of Hong Kong people be affected, the parks will sooner or later become a place where only smokers frequent. To maintain a fresh environment in our parks and protect non-smokers, I think the Council should consider prohibiting smoking in all Urban Council parks so as to make our parks greener and prevent them from being shrouded by mist and covered by cigarette ashes.
Active promotion of waste recovery
Now, I would like to express my views on waste recovery. At present, Hong Kong still does not have a standard policy for handling solid waste. Various ways of waste handling are being employed. There is no co-ordination even between the Urban Services Department and the Housing Department, though both of them are government departments. In my opinion, since one of the responsibilities of the Urban Council is to promote the environmental protection concept and we have also launched the Keep Hong Kong Green Campaign, we should take the lead to turn the concept into policy and the campaign into operations. For instance, the Council can set up in various districts refuse collection bins for the segregation and collection of refuse. We can also co-operate with the Housing Department, the Housing Authority as well as large private housing estates to implement the refuse recovery and segregation scheme, by which refuse such as waste paper, aluminium cans and plastic waste are separated and treated separately. I believe that it is only through actions, not empty talks that people's habit of wasting resources can be changed effectively, and through the setting up of collection bins that Hong Kong people's awareness of environmental protection can be aroused. Otherwise, we will only end up with shouting empty slogans while the amount of refuse produced daily keeps on rising.
Development strategies for recreation and sport activities are outdated
Having worked in the Recreation and Sports Services and being the Vice- Chainman of the Recreation Select Committee, I pay special attention to the development of recreation and sports activities. In the 94/95 financial year, the overall expenditure on leisure services amounted to $961,000,000 ($961.69M to be exact), i.e. 18% of the Council's total expenditure, whereas the establishment for leisure services was 2 900, which accounted for 19% of the total establishment. From these figures, we can see that leisure services as a whole come second both in terms of expenditure and establishment. It is a very important sector in the Council.
As far as I know, every year the District Recreation and Sport Officers will plan the programme for that year's activities for the residents to take part and improve their fitness. While it is a good thing to set a clear principle, however, the implementation of such principles fails to meet the actual needs of the public. First, the District Recreation and Sport Officers usually set the programmes by revising the programmes of the previous year basing on their own experience and
Page 364 of 485
640f485
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.