Upcoming District Council Elections with wish list of our volunteers from the CWD

The next District Council Election is approaching. Scheduled on Sunday 10th December 2023, voters are invited to elect 88 representatives in the 470 District Council which will assume office from 1st January 2024. This will be the first district council election under the new system set in May this year.

Each of the councilor will represent one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. Their main function will be to advise the Government on matters related to the well-being of the people in their district as well as on the provision and use of public facilities and services within the district.

To vote for this election, you will need to be above 18 years of age, reside currently in the city, be a permanent resident of Hong Kong and be registered as an elector (the deadline to register is now passed. You can visit this website for more details: Registration and Electoral Office (reo.gov.hk)).

We asked some of our LocalHood members living in the Central and Western district, what they expect from their representative during their 4-year mandate. Here are some of the interesting replies we received:

Sarah: (Single, Kennedy Town)

• “This election is the occasion to increase political representation, especially from ethnic minorities. This will not only open up possibilities for ethnic minorities to thrive to succeed, it will also make them feel more included in society in general”.

• “Some of our local services should be improved. Parks and footpaths are not always well maintained and can become dangerous for fragile people, elderlies and parents with young kids. In terms of transportation, we have seen a decline in the frequency of buses since the pandemic. I sincerely hope that the district councilor will find a way to add more buses”.

• “I also see this election as the occasion to increase community engagement and participation. By voting, residents show that they care about their communities and that they are willing to take an active role in shaping their future”.

Vinh: (Married, 1 kid, Sheung Wan)

• “Many dried seafood shops are located in Sheung Wan. This brings a lot of economic dynamism to the district. But this also goes with some issues. In the morning rush hours, many trucks offload their charge while people going to work and kids on their way to school need to need to dip and dodge oncoming carts. It is necessary to better segregate these flows, identify specific drop off places or allow such offloading at different hours so that all can more easily cohabitate”.

• “Most houses have one or more aircon systems. And we know how much these machinese can drip. It would be a great idea at a limited cost for the Government to hand out free self-installing aircon drip trays so residents can fix their dripping aircons”.

• “Our public libraries are great places where to go on our own or with our kids. They offer a large variety of books as well as a quiet place where to concentrate. I am also glad to see the mix of population we can see there, old people reading the newspaper next to younger ones hungrily turning the pages of their comix books. However, I would very much welcome libraries not attached to a wet market”.

Reens: (Married, 2 kids, Mid-Levels)

• “I am staying nearby Hong Kong escalators. It is my view highly needed that rubbish collection points or public rubbish bins are installed near Prince's Terrace. Currently there is no rubbish bin so people usually throw their rubbish illegally on the street or on the side of the Mid-levels escalator. Unsightly, dirty and also inconvenient for residents in this area. More generally, the city needs more recycling bins”.

• “I feel that our area is missing community outreach. I would be glad to see additional culture events and neighborhood get-together being organized. I am sure that many people would be keen to support and attend such events”.

Paulo: (Married, 2 kids, Sai Ying Pun)

• “I have been staying in the district for over 10 years. I could witness the metamorphosis of areas like Sai Ying Pun and Tai Ping Shan have experienced. With great additions like the elevator on Centre Street and trendy restaurants on High Street. But the gentrification is taking away the charm and authenticity of our cherish neighborhood. The increase in real estate prices is pushing away local boutiques and families. I would expect our district councilor to find a way to preserve the authenticity of the areas and allow locals shops and families to remain”.

• “Hong Kong has made a lot of efforts to boost its cultural offering with the creation of M+ and the West Kowloon Cultural district. However, beyond this very concentrated effort, the city misses spaces for culture, accessible to all in all districts. Let’s have more areas or events with dance shows and local markets!”

• “It is now time for Hong Kong to put ESG at the forefront of its policy. We need more recycling facilities at the local level. Those remain pitifully rare all over Hong Kong”.

Altran: (Married, 2 kids, Sai Ying Pun)

• “Overall, Hong Kong is a green city. The many country parks across the territory are making Hong Kong a much greener city than any can expect when arriving in Hong Kong. However, in most urban areas in Hong Kong, we have seen a rapidly reduction of the number of trees and vegetation. New constructions and damages caused by typhoons explain for a large part the disappearance of many historical trees which were making the charm of some districts and which were also contributing to a better air quality. Only a few of these trees have been replaced. It should be a priority of our next district councilors to reverse this trend”.

• “Hong Kong used to have a vibrant cinema scene. Many movies were shot in the city, Hong Kong was concentrating some of the most famous directors worldwide and cinema halls could be found easily across the city. A good part of this is gone while Hong Kong people, locals or expats, are film lovers. Reviving the Hong Kong film industry will come from our districts and local actions”.

• “We are just getting out of 3 weeks marked by a typhoon, a black rain and a red rain. Each time, schools were closed and parents had to urgently find solutions to manage their kids while going to work. Can our district councilor help us find solutions with schools so that they can at least welcome the children who manage to reach schools?”

It’s now your turn to also consider what is missing or needs to be improved in your district. This election is the occasion to be heard on very practical and day-to-day topics that you cherish! So over to you....