Mayor’s Remarks:
1. Accelerating the construction of advanced transportation with the support of professionals
(1) Advanced transportation systems are symbols of modern cities. However, it is difficult to settle enormous transportation infrastructure expenditures in one go. Therefore, the municipal team pragmatically started with the bus rapid transit system. A complete bus rapid transit system was built, which successfully enhanced the passenger volume and transportation quality of the public transport system in the greater Tainan area. The Tainan City Government has also launched an advanced transportation system plan to allow the city to further develop and improve.
(2) I would like to thank the Central Government for fully supporting this city’s advanced transportation construction by including the NT $75 billion expenditure of the blue, green, and red lines priority network in the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program’s phase 2 special budget. The feasibility report of the first stage of the blue line has already been amended and approved by the National Development Council, and the preparatory work for the actual undertaking can begin. Construction is expected to begin at the end of 2020 and be completed by 2025.
(3) Rapid transit is an important foundation for the development of Tainan. Rapid transit construction is expected to give the city a completely new atmosphere. Therefore, the Tainan City Government established the Tainan City Rapid Transit Preparatory Office on November 24 last year (2017) to handle preliminary work. Last week, it inaugurated the Tainan City Rapid Transit Office, where specialists will focus on the task of promoting rapid transit construction. We hope to accelerate the promotional timetable with the support of professionals. I would like to ask the Bureau of Transportation and the Rapid Transit Office to make a full effort while integrating public opinions and using professional and prudent assessments to accelerate Tainan’s entry into the rapid transit era.
2. Balanced regional construction, prosperous growth for the greater Sinying area
(1) In response to the growth of the greater Sinying living circle, the Tainan City Government made a supreme effort to secure funds from the central government for the construction of surrounding roads. At last, the TN80 and TN74 junction to County Road No. 172 in Sinying and Yanshui Districts Road Construction Work project, which Sinying residents have waited many years for, has been completed and is open to traffic. In addition to easing local transport bottlenecks and facilitating local residents in returning home, it also upgrades the efficacy of regional industrial transport and balances regional growth. I would like to thank local representatives, district chiefs, borough chiefs, and residents for their support, as well as the Public Works Bureau team for its excellent work.
(2) During the past eight years, the municipal team has been committed to balancing regional development and building up the greater Sinying area. The Tainan City Government spent nearly NT $5 billion on road construction alone. On the 24th, we held the opening ceremonies for the TN80 and TN74 junction to County Road No. 172 in Sinying and Yanshui Districts, the Liuying Interchange, and the Houbi Outer Ring Road, as well as progressively carried out transport infrastructure such as the Eastern Section of the South 74th District Railway in Houbi District Construction Work and the Widening of the Ansiliao Section of Tainan City Road 172 that Connects to Baihe District. I would like to ask the Public Works Bureau and other relevant departments to continue their efforts to accelerate the construction of the road network in the greater Sinying’s living circle.
(3) In addition, we are promoting the inclusion of Yuejin Port in the Central Government’s Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program. This will allow us to widen annular bodies of water, establish parks, and remodel the landscape of Yanshui Station. We also obtained the Central Government’s support to turn Annei Sugar Factory into a film production base, achieved the selection of Sinying as the site of the Southern Branch of the National Central Library and National Repository Library, activated the Minzhi Council Room, and established the Win-Win Incubator. I believe the progressive completion of these important construction projects will certainly bring brighter and more prosperous prospects to the greater Sinying area. I would like to ask the Bureau of Urban Development, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Economic Development Bureau, and other relevant departments to fully cooperate with and keep track of the implementation pace.
3. The groundbreaking ceremony for Yanhang Junior High School demonstrates the Tainan City Government’s execution power
(1) Local residents have eagerly awaited and fought 20 years for the construction of Yanhang Junior High School in Yongkang District. Following operating procedures such as urban planning modifications and zone expropriation, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new school buildings was held on October 27. I would like to thank Premier Lai and National Development Council Minister Chen for specially traveling to Tainan to attend the ceremony and jointly witnessing with everyone the dedication and execution power of the municipal team in municipal construction.
(2) Due to the rapid population growth in the Yongkang Yanhang area, residents have long hoped for the construction of a new junior high school to allow their children to attend school nearby without having to cross freeways, north-south highways, or industrial zones to get to school. They also had concerns about traffic safety. To respond to these long-standing expectations, the municipal team, under the leadership of then-mayor Premier Lai, launched the preparatory work after Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality. It also integrated the plan for the “overall development of surrounding areas for the new construction of Yanhang Junior High School and the widening of Yongan Road” to promote the quality of life of local residents and carry out high-level local development plans.
(3) Yanhang Junior High School occupies an area of 4.5 hectares. We have not only incorporated eco-friendly and sustainable practices into the campus construction, but have also planned for a gymnasium, administrative offices, classrooms, specialized classrooms, and a kitchen. There will also be one 200-meter playground and one outdoor multiuse sports field. The construction work is scheduled to be completed in 2020, after which the school can begin enrolling students. I would like to ask the Bureau of Education to keep track of the construction progress. It is necessary to complete the construction of the school as scheduled in order to provide local students with the safest and most comfortable learning environment.
Announcements:
1. The Water Resources Bureau’s report on its administrative achievements (refer to written sources for details)
Decision: Approved for reference filing
Mayor’s Remarks:
(1) I would like to thank Director-General Peng for his report. In the past, flooding was a constant headache for many residents of the greater Tainan area. I remember when Rende Industrial Zone flooded two years after Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality. I accompanied the mayor at that time, Premier Lai, to the site to assess the damage, and deeply felt the pain of residents and their eagerness for flood control.
(2) Tainan’s flood-proned areas account for one-third of the country’s total, making it the most flood-prone region in Taiwan. According to the overall plan of the Ministry of the Interior’s Water Resources Agency at that time, Tainan City would require at least NT $65 billion in overall flood control expenditures. After Tainan was upgraded as a special municipality, the municipal flood control team worked hard to push for flood control engineering projects. In addition to striving for central government funds, it also raised funds for emergency projects. At present, it has already secured NT $25 billion and completed NT $20 billion’s worth of engineering projects. We have so far only completed one-third of our overall flood control plan. Once the entire plan is completed, the protection standard will be 300 millimeters of accumulated daily rainfall. The risk of flooding remains if the rainfall is in excess of the protection standard. In recent years, strategies including restoring sandbars; maintaining the primary natural defense lines of coasts; building storm drains; adopting synthetic flood control measures; constructing detention basins, flood diversion channels, water pumping stations, and embankments; adopting non-engineering disaster prevention measures; and controlling runoff distribution and outlets have been used to adapt to extreme climate conditions where heavy rainfall exceeding the protection standard has become the norm and to achieve reductions in the area of flooded land, the frequency of floods, and the amount of time spent flooded. Notable flood control regions include Syuejia’s Huazong Bridge, the Baoan Industrial Area, Cigu’s Longshan, Sinhua’s Sinhejhuang, the North District, the Central and West Districts, Anping District, the South District, Yongkang’s Niaosong, Liujiading, along Sanye River, and Annan District’s Haiwei Temple. I would like to thank all staff members of the Water Resources Bureau for their concerted efforts to actively carry out flood control engineering projects.
(3) In the past eight years, the Tainan City Government and the Central Government have worked together to carry out water conservancy construction. At present, we have completed one-third of the flood control plan. However, it is like building a castle, although you have already completed walls on two sides, there are still two sides that remain to be completed. Therefore, we need to continue working hard. I would like to ask the Water Resources Bureau to integrate the strength of all sectors of society on the existing water conservancy foundation, and for the public and private sectors to join forces and come up with good ideas so that we can create a resilient city that does not fear flooding.
(4) With the regards to the implementation of the promise to turn Tainan into a green waterfront city, the municipal team is sparing no efforts. It is integrating the strength of all sectors of society to implement flood control, water purification, and water accessibility policies. In addition to doubling the number of households connected to sanitary sewers to over 120,000 households, it has also constructed water recycling centers and water purification plants; promoted reclaimed water plants; and improved the water environment. It has completed the construction of the Shanhai Zhen greenway and “dual museum” bicycle paths. Meanwhile, promoting the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program’s water environment plans will greatly improve the water environments of Zhu River, Yuejin Port, and Tainan Canal, which will be another big step forward in water purification and accessibility construction. I would like to ask the Water Resources Bureau to continue to work hard to lead the city into a green and happy future.
(5) This city has already achieved outstanding results in flood control. I would like to request the Water Resources Bureau to issue press releases on a timely basis to explain these results, and the Department of Information and International Relations to assist with the promotion. More and more water pumping stations, sluice gates, sanitary sewer connections, bike paths, and green areas are being established, and we can consider using technology to replace manpower for their maintenance and management. For the funding, I would like to ask the Finance and Local Tax Bureau and the Department of Budget, Accounting and Statistics for support.