ENG-1985 — Page 312

RECREATION AND THE ARTS

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places, waymarked walks, shelters, toilets, and information and educational services. Road access is being improved to enable park staff to deal more effectively with fires and litter - the most serious problems created by visitors.

During the year, two long distance hiking trails, one on Lantau Island and one on Hong Kong Island, were opened to the public. The first purpose-built visitor centre was opened in Sai Kung Country Park and more are being planned for other parks in the next few years. The Director of Agriculture and Fisheries is the Country Parks Authority and, advised by the Country Parks Board, is responsible for these facilities and for the provision of man- agement and protection services for all lands designated as country parks and special areas.

Urban Council

The Urban Council provides a wide range of recreational and cultural facilities in the urban areas, while the Urban Services Department, as the council's executive arm, is responsible for the management and planning of recreational and cultural facilities. Major recreational facilities include parks, playgrounds, swimming pools and beaches and indoor games halls; cultural facilities include libraries, museums, auditoria and exhibition halls. On April 1, the council's role was further expanded when it assumed responsibility in the urban area for the work of the Recreation and Sports Service (RSS) of the former Recreation and Culture Department.

Urban Council projects completed in 1985 included tennis and squash courts at Morse Park, a new fountain and kiosk in the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, the Sham Shui Po Swimming Pool Complex, and the Shek Ku Lung Road Playground.

To maximise land use, new or redeveloped Urban Council markets are built as multi-storey complexes with one or more floors constructed exclusively for recreational or cultural use. The facilities so provided include indoor games halls, libraries, auditoria, multi-purpose rooms for rehearsals, training, lectures and community functions, visual arts studios and exhibition areas. Four complexes have been completed, in Aberdeen (two), Ngau Tau Kok and To Kwa Wan.

During the year, eight complexes were under construction in the Western, Wan Chai and Eastern Districts of Hong Kong Island, and in the Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok Districts of Kowloon. Nineteen similar projects in various districts are under planning. In addition, six new indoor games halls were under construction, together with 13 under various stages of planning, to supplement the existing indoor facilities at Aberdeen, Kai Tak East, Cheung Sha Wan, Morse Park, Boundary Street, Lai Chi Kok, Ngau Tau Kok, and Chun Wah Road, Kwun Tong.

The Urban Council, through its Sports Promotion Office, works closely with various sports associations and government departments in providing each year sports and recreation programmes for about 0.45 million people. With a provision of $7.7 million in 1985, the council organised and sponsored over 12 114 sports and recreational events, of which 40 specific programmes were organised to mark International Youth Year.

Through its network of 10 district offices, the RSS promotes community-based recrea- tion and sports programmes covering special courses for housewives and factory workers, outdoor recreational pursuits, and events for the handicapped and disabled. During the year, about 200 000 people took part in 3 274 programmes and activities, including 50 000 people who took part in various fitness and dance programmes held at the City Lions Club Sports Centre and the To Kwa Wan Sports Centre.

In 1985, the council organised 460 free outdoor entertainment programmes in parks, playgrounds, gardens, recreational and community halls and commercial plazas through-