(Translation)
A Summary of the 9th Meeting of the
Second Term of Wan Chai District Council
Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Wan Chai District Council held its 9th meeting of on 15 March 2005 and the
issues discussed were as follows:
1. Introduction of HA Standard Drug Formulary
Representatives of the Hospital Authority and the Ruttonjee and Tang Shiu Kin
Hospitals briefed Councillors on the Standard Drug Formulary, saying that the
Formulary contains 1,054 general drug items and 219 special drug items,
representing about 83% and 17% of the total drug items in the Formulary
respectively. Councillors raised questions and expressed views on various issues,
including objective criteria of assessment for the safety net mechanism, the
situation of drug abuse, and how to monitor the regular updates of privately
purchased drug items in the Formulary.
2.
Introduction of Centre of Health Protection – Department of Health
Representative of the Department of Health introduced that the Centre of Health
Protection is a new public health structure set up under the Department to
achieve effective prevention and control of diseases in Hong Kong in
collaboration with major local and international stakeholders. The Seasonal Risk
Communication on Communicable Diseases was also introduced, which is a new
initiative of the Centre of Health Protection aiming at effective communication
on up-to-date news and knowledge of communicable diseases relevant to Hong
Kong.
Councillors raised questions on the Centre’s targets of work, publicity and
education, and the plan for prevention of Avian Influenza.
3. Annual Policing Plan 2005 / Year-end Review of Performance of Wanchai
District Annual policing Plan 2004 – Wanchai Police District / Wan Chai
District Fight Crime Committee’s Report (March 2005)
Representative of the Police briefed Councillors on the paper.
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4.
Enhancing the Harbour Vibrancy – RHKYC
Representatives of the RHKYC briefed Councillors on their detailed conceptions
for developing Wan Chai harbour-front and related sea and shore activities.
RHKYC held that the Central-Wan Chai Bypass must be constructed in tunnel
form; otherwise the bypass would cut off the people flow between the urban
centre and the harbour-front and become a landscaping defect. RHKYC
presented three development proposals, namely: (i) Extend the road now linking
Central harbour-front and the Convention and Exhibition Centre to join up the
Wan Chai harbour-front and Victoria Park and construct a cycling or jogging
track, together with a large clipper ship museum, open-air stalls and night market.
(ii) With Fishermen’s Pier as the theme, turn the typhoon shelter into an inland
lake, with provision of facilities like amphitheatre and public fishing areas. (iii)
Under the theme of Historic and Cultural Complex, Wan Chai harbour-front may
be used for holding International Dragonboat Races or rowing activities, and the
Floating Tin Hau Temple may become part of a Historic and Cultural Water
Village.
5. Resumption of Private Land at Lee Tung Street / Mcgregor Street, Wan Chai,
Hong Kong for Implementation of Development Scheme H15 by the Urban
Renewal Authority
Representatives of the Lands Department and the Urban Renewal Authority
presented the above development plan. After thorough discussions, Councillors
passed the following motion: “Wan Chai District Council requests the Urban
Renewal Authority to be sympathetic with the situation of the residents and
before resumption, provide the residents with better acquisition offers, including
multifarious options; to give due respect to residents’ wish to go on living in Wan
Chai and consider the option of “a flat for a flat and a shop for a shop”; and to
offer a higher acquisition price that the residents are willing to accept.”
6. Attention please, MTR South Island Line is quitting to stop at Wan Chai and
Happy Valley
Representatives of the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau and the MTRC
responded to the above written question. Representative of the MTRC said that
on 25 February 2005, the Panel on Transport of the Legislative Council
conducted another discussion on the West Hong Kong Island Line and South
Hong Kong Island Line and a supplementary proposal was presented by the
MTRC. Since the supplementary proposal was mainly to introduce the
arrangement for phased implementation, so to make it simple, the MTRC
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presented only the simplest option of the section between Admiralty and Ocean
Park. Representative of the Environment, Transport and Works Bureau replied
MTRC’s West and South Hong Kong Island Lines, no matter constructed by
phases or together, would require government funding to cover no more than
50% of the project expenditure; and if the Happy Valley / Wan Chai Station was
to be constructed, more funding support from the government would be required.
But in any case, the Administration would fully consult the District Councils and
the general public during the process, and finally apply to the Finance
Committee of the Legislative Council for funding.
Councillors reiterated their support for the MTR West and South Hong Kong
Island Lines to via Wan Chai / Happy Valley.
7.
How to monitor tsunami donations
In response to the above written question, representative of the Social Welfare
Department said that fund raising organizations must obtain a permit granted by
the Director of Social Welfare for carrying out fund raising activities legally. The
present fund raising arrangements are guidelines on a voluntary basis and the
Social Welfare Department would conduct a review at the end of the year for
further improvements. If there are any doubts concerning on-street fund raisings,
the public may request to check the permit; and in case of doubts concerning use
of the donations, they can inform the police or call the Social Welfare
Department for enquiries.
8.
Considerations of the Government for resumption of land for
re-development
Representative of the Planning Department said that the District Council had
been consulted in 2001 regarding zoning of the site at Mount Nicholson as a
Residential (Group C) area, and afterwards, details for development and sale of
the site were handled by the Lands Department. Representative of the Lands
Department said that since development of the site at Mount Nicholson would be
the same as that of the existing government quarters in respect of land use, scale
and height and no impacts would be posed on neighbouring area, therefore, the
public and the District Office had been consulted on the related land sale.
Councillors said that the Lands Department should not decide on its own accord
that there was no need for the District Council to be informed of the issue. They
hoped the Department would give an explanation at the coming meeting for
further discussions.
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9. Allocation of WCDC Funds for 2005/2006
Councillors approved in principle the proposed fund allocation mechanism.
10. What can WCDC do in support of the Government’s policy to help the poor
Councillors suggested individual Committees to discuss possible actions for
helping the poor first and then at the coming meeting they would decide on
forming a committee to alleviate poverty.
11. Progress Report on the Bowrington Road Revitalization Project
ADO(WC) said that the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department would step
up street management and enforcement actions in the district in early April. Also,
beginning in April, the Buildings Department would carry out enforcement actions
against shops that still having illegal structures. For the time being, the District
Office was discussing with the shops on applications for installation of authorized
canopies.
Wan Chai District Council Secretariat
April 2005
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