ENG-1972 — Page 238

RECREATION

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the development of four major parks in the New Territories and the provision of picnic areas and hiking facilities on Hong Kong Island. The parks in the New Ter- ritories will each be about two square miles. It is envisaged that they will have sur- faced tracks for service vehicles, surfaced and unsurfaced foot tracks for visitors, barbecue pits, shelters, seats, benches, tables, pavilions, and be provided with toilet facilities, refuse bins and water supplies. More picnic spots, barbecue pits, toilets and other facilities will be provided in the 40 square miles of recreational areas surrounding the parks. On Hong Kong Island the proposed picnic areas will be at Quarry Bay, Tai Tam, Shek O, Brick Hill, Pok Fu Lam, Mount Davis and Wong Nei Chung. The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries will be responsible for the management of these country parks and recreational areas when they materialise.

The Urban Services Department now manages a total of 1,529 acres of public open space (976 acres in the urban areas and 553 acres in the New Territories). During the year, a total of 225,086 trees, shrubs and seasonal flowers were planted in these parks, playgrounds, along roadsides and in other public places. The percentage of survival was very high, mainly because of favourable weather for planting.

In addition to its own planting programme, the Urban Council also encourages horticulture in Hong Kong by its annual flower show held each spring. This year it attracted more than 120,000 people. This highly successful venture has led to an in- vitation to provide exhibits peculiar to Hong Kong for the Singapore Flower Show. The Urban Services Department again participated in the New Territories Agricul- tural Show that was held in December 1972.

Swimming was as usual the most popular outdoor summer activity. It is estimated that some 200,000 people used the 38 gazetted beaches and five public swimming pools under the management of the Urban Services Department on each Sunday and public holiday during the summer months. On one Sunday in July, some 65,000 people used the five Urban Council controlled swimming pools. During the summer holidays, training courses in swimming were held at these pools for 1,000 people. Of these, 650 were beginners who learnt to swim to a minimum distance of 25 yards, while the other 350 attended the intermediate courses and improved their swimming ability to a minimum distance of 400 yards.

All beaches were damaged by the heavy rainstorms which occurred in June and some were denuded of much of their sand. Fortunately, there were no serious out- breaks of Red Eye disease, and only isolated instances of Red Tide.

The first heated swimming pool was opened to the public during the year (gen- erously built and donated by the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club). Of the six public swimming pools, four are located on the Kowloon peninsula. Three of these pool complexes consist of one main and one secondary pool, a diving pool, three teaching pools, a children's pool and a paddling pool. The other two swimming pools are on Hong Kong Island, one of which is the heated swimming pool at Morrison Hill. Swimming activity during the winter months of the year will undoubtedly increase with the completion of this new facility. The construction of a pool complex on Hong Kong Island has started at Kennedy Town and the planning of a further two in the