Minutes of 964 Meeting of the Town Planning Board held on 20.8 ...

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in <strong>the</strong> past few years and <strong>the</strong>y could provide 240,000 niches. Due to local
objection, <strong>the</strong> projects covering <strong>the</strong>se 240,000 niches had to be shelved.
Alongside with <strong>the</strong> review <strong>of</strong> columbarium policy, <strong>the</strong> Government had
re-doubled its effort to identify suitable sites, and formulated a
district-based columbarium development strategy with a view to securing
local support; and
(e) private columbaria played an important role in meeting public demand for
niches. Some patrons preferred private columbaria mainly because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir
personalised services such as pre-death purchase and daily worship
services. Like all o<strong>the</strong>r trades in Hong Kong, <strong>the</strong> operation <strong>of</strong> private
columbaria should comply with <strong>the</strong> statutory or o<strong>the</strong>r requirements
stipulated by <strong>the</strong> Government.
29. The same member said that <strong>the</strong> number <strong>of</strong> deaths in <strong>the</strong> territory was projected
to be about 40,000 per year in <strong>the</strong> next twenty years. This Member enquired about <strong>the</strong>
target set by <strong>the</strong> Government in supplying <strong>the</strong> niches. According to this Member, <strong>the</strong>
Government had committed several years ago to supply some 80% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> total niches to be
provided in <strong>the</strong> territory.
30. Mrs. Lai Chan Chi Kuen, Marion referred to paragraph 13 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> subject Public
Consultation Document and said that in <strong>the</strong> last ten years (2000 – 2009), niches provided by
<strong>the</strong> Government accounted for about 14% <strong>of</strong> cremations in <strong>the</strong> same period, or 40% if
BMCPC was to be taken into account. The supply <strong>of</strong> public niches in <strong>the</strong> future would
depend on <strong>the</strong> availability <strong>of</strong> suitable sites and success or o<strong>the</strong>rwise <strong>of</strong> gaining local
support.
31. In relation to <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> columbarium facilities in Wo Hop Shek
Cemetery, ano<strong>the</strong>r Member supplemented that it was a potential site as only one-tenth <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> cemetery had been developed. The upper platforms <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cemetery were largely
undeveloped but inaccessible. Building roads to serve <strong>the</strong> upper platforms would be costly.
BMCPC had previously considered co-developing <strong>the</strong> cemetery site with FEHD. This
Member envisaged that with <strong>the</strong> Government policy to increase <strong>the</strong> supply <strong>of</strong> niches, <strong>the</strong>re
should be opportunity for cooperation between BMCPC and <strong>the</strong> Government in developing