Budget Speech

Upgrade Recreational Facilities

150. The Government has launched a five-year plan to modify more than 170 public play spaces managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) across the territory since 2019 with a view to providing children's play equipment which incorporate more elements of fun, creativity and challenge.  To cater for people's diverse needs for fitness equipment, the LCSD will install some novel outdoor fitness equipment as appropriate when constructing new parks or renovating existing ones, such as the Yat Ming Road Park in North District which is near completion and the Butterfly Beach Park in Tuen Mun.

151. Football has long been one of the most popular sports. The Kai Tak Sports Park, scheduled for completion in 2023, will provide, among others, two main stadiums for hosting both international and local football matches.  The Five-year Plan for Sports and Recreational Facilities also includes the construction or reconstruction of 12 football pitches, including the redevelopment of Yuen Long Stadium.

152. I will earmark $318 million to implement a five-year plan for upgrading over 70 football pitches under the management of LCSD, including substantially increasing the number of 5-a-side football pitches meeting international standards, exploring the possibility of expanding the existing football pitches into standard 11-a-side turf pitches and expediting the replacement of artificial turf on football pitches.  Relevant national sports associations and their affiliates, district football groups, schools and other organisations will have more up-to-standard football pitches to organise football training programmes and football matches in the future.  The general public, in particular young people, will have more opportunities to play football regularly and develop their potential, thereby contributing to the long-term development of football in Hong Kong.