News Stories:

Click-on these handy "jump links" to quickly access the news item
you're looking for.

1.Legco ire on Tin Shui Wai facilities

2. Disney may woo rich tourists in phase two

1. Legco ire on Tin Shui Wai facilities
Matthew Lee, The Standard 6 May 2005

The government has admitted it has been slow to build community facilities in Tin Shui Wai, one of the SAR's most under-privileged areas, due to limited resources.

The admission came in a Legislative Council welfare services panel meeting.

In his last policy address, former chief executive Tung Chee-hwa identified 25 capital projects left by the now-defunct municipal councils, that were to be carried out in the coming years. Tung had earmarked HK$4.4 billion for the projects.

Some of the projects - including sports venues, community halls and exercise equipment for the elderly - were planned for Tin Shui Wai, which has seen an influx of new immigrants in recent years.

A family tragedy in the district last year raised concerns for the increasing need of welfare services in the area, which suffers from high rates of domestic violence, youth unemployment and poverty.

On April 11 last year, a man stabbed his wife and two daughters to death before killing himself.

The woman had sought help from welfare agencies and police before the killings, but her pleas went unnoticed amid poor coordination among government departments and welfare agencies.

It is believed a comprehensive welfare service network could help alleviate the problems.

Legislators criticised officials' priorities for the projects, some of which will be not finished by 2011.

``Most of the community facilities in the district are parks and rest areas, but the residents, especially teenagers, need facilities like sporting venues,'' said independent legislator Albert Chan Thursday. ``The government has not attended to the needs of residents in its planning.''

Both unionist representatives, Lee Cheuk-yan and Chan Yuen-han, blasted officials for slow progress on the projects, saying they were needed years ago.

``Progress is as slow as a snail,'' said Lee.

Chan Yuen-han said the government must focus on the needs of the poorest communities, and provide adequate facilities to help ease the conditions that give rise to family violence and youth problems.

``Had I known the process would be so slow and involve so much red tape, I would not have supported disbanding the [municipal councils],'' she said.

The government insisted that the existing sports ground and library are sufficient to meet the basic needs of the 265,000 residents in the area.

Assistant Director for Leisure Services Eddy Yau said that according to the department's planning standards and guidelines, the community facilities provided are enough for the district.

``Of course, in reality, the facilities may not fulfill residents' needs,'' he conceded.

``It is a fact that the projects are progressing slowly. But since the department has taken over the projects left behind by the municipal councils, the way funding is sought is also different.

``The Urban Council can allocate resources for projects on their own, but now we, along with other departments, have to go through a mechanism for funding, and we also have to compare spending with welfare and medical services.''

The Planning Department said it has provided sufficient land for facilities and that it is up to other departments to decide when to start building them.

Fernando Cheung, who represents the social-welfare sector in Legco, said the government's planning failed to take into account the size of Tin Shui Wai district.

``The area is so big, residents living in the suburban area are unlikely to travel to the urban area where more facilities are located,'' Cheung said.

``There are low incentives for social economic activities, less job opportunities and high transport costs for the residents in the district, but the government chooses to keep neglecting it.''

Director of Social Welfare Paul Tang insisted facilities in the district are sufficient.

But for strategies tackling family violence problems to work, he said, the ``software'' - the way services and facilities are used and coordinated - is equally important.

``There are three comprehensive family service centers in the area, which is more than other districts have,'' Tang said.

``But the software, including networking, promotion and support from local concern groups, is more crucial.

``For example, some teenagers do not like to go to service centers, so outreach services are more effective.''

2. Disney may woo rich tourists in phase two
DENNIS ENG , SCMP 6 May 2005

Disney's Hong Kong theme park might try to appeal to more affluent tourists by bringing in celebrity American chef Wolfgang Puck and international hotel chains to run businesses there.

According to InvestHK director-general Mike Rowse, a number of hotel operators have expressed an interest in Hong Kong. The idea of their managing any - or all - of the three hotels slated for the park's second phase has been broached.

"The Disney park can accommodate three hotels in the first phase of construction and three more in the second phase. Do they really want to manage all of them?" Mr Rowse said yesterday.

A Disney spokeswoman said the park's immediate priority was the September 12 opening with two hotels, which the company owns and manages. The second phase will not begin until the park draws 10 million visitors a year.

Disney's parks usually have enough attractions to last a visitor longer than a single day's stay, and the company prefers to maintain control of hotels within its destination resorts, to capture the overnight visitor market. This is not surprising given that tourists who spend two or three days at the park represent a much more lucrative target market than those who just visit for the day and stay with friends and family.

Although Hong Kong Disneyland said it would also operate all the park eateries, apart from two Chinese-style outlets run by Maxim's Caterers, the addition of a Wolfgang Puck restaurant would signal a strategy the company had tried before.

Disney's California Adventure, which opened in February 2001, had Avalon Cove, an upscale seafood restaurant by Mr Puck. It also featured high-end wine producer Robert Mondavi's posh Golden Vine Winery restaurant in a bid to lure big-spending customers.

However, in October that year, low visitor numbers forced the two partners to reduce their investment and close the restaurants.

The Wolfgang Puck Express eatery now operates in Disney Marketplace and Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida. These outlets serve pizzas, salads and sandwiches. InvestHK said the chef had discussed the possibility of setting up shop in Hong Kong.

"If Wolfgang Puck and Disney already have a relationship, they would be talking," Mr Rowse added without elaborating.