Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, dear adjudicators and opponents. Should the government build columbaria in all 18 districts? This issue turned hot after a poll which showed the inadequacy of columbaria in Hong Kong. According to official statistics, 90% of the dead in Hong Kong are cremated each year. After the dead are cremated, where should the urns be placed? Columbaria! With the growing demand for the columbaria, there must be a solution to the problem. Some suggested the columbaria be built in all 18 districts, which means every district in Hong Kong including Central Business District and the Disney Resort. According to this definition towards building columbaria in ALL 18 districts, our side does not support today’s motion. Our side fully sees that building columbaria in ALL 18 districts unnecessary, impossible and impractical to solve the growing demand for the cinerary urns.
First, building columbaria wastes much more precious land in such a small city. Investigated by the International Society for Photogrammetric and Remote Sensing, the building density of Hong Kong has reached 45% of the total land use. It is obvious that we cannot afford any impractical land uses in such a tiny piece of land with high population density. Everyone knows that the property prices are skyrocketing. If the government builds columbaria in all 18 districts, fewer places would be built for residents and so the demand for the residential land would sharply increase. Can our opposing team imagine the consequences of the shortage of land for residents? Land should be used for the people who are still alive but not just for the dead. Though we should respect the dead, is it necessary to ask the people who are still alive to live in the cubical flats and give most of the land to the columbaria? Besides columbaria, there are more facilities that Hong Kong people lack like schools, hospitals and some new recreational facilities. If our opposing team agrees that columbaria should be built in every district, they should also agree that more flats and other more urgent facilities be built in every district too.
Second, people living near columbaria will cause disturbances. Columbaria contain ashes of the dead. It is normal and understandable for people to feel disturbed by the operation of this structure. When people visit their deceased relatives, according to the Chinese traditions, they usually burn joss sticks and burn some offerings to show respect to the dead. It then caused air pollution and more disturbances to the neighbour residents. To cover the negative image of columbaria, some even suggested building it with an impressive and pleasant design to the building. Does it mean that the one who suggested this idea also feels afraid of the columbaria? However, is the change of the architectural design able to change the practical use of the columbaria? No, never! Residents nearby will still see it as a building for placing the cinerary urns. Clearly, building columbaria in ALL 18 districts is impossible and make most people uncomfortable. Our side believes that it should not be built in all 18 districts.
Third, building columbaria in all districts wastes lots of money. Originally, columbaria are built in a certain area, which is allocated in a few districts. So, what if the government build it in all districts? Lots of resources have to be reallocated for the building and maintenance of those columbaria. The huge cost of building 18 columbaria can indeed be used to solve the short term demand for the places and urns in the columbaria but they should also consider the maintenance in the long run. The government should plan the use of money in a more productive way.
Undoubtedly, today’s debate uncovers the disadvantages of building columbaria in all 18 districts. Not only does it waste the government land and taxes, but it also affects citizens’ lives. How can the affirmative side still argues that columbaria should be built in each district when it is not cost-effective and brings negative impact to society? As building columbaria in ALL 18 districts is unnecessary, impractical and impossible , today’s motion must fall.