approved the Public Work Sub-Committee's decision to erect the water-supply plan for villages in Shatin, Taipo, Tuen Mun and Un Long and the plan has been estimated cost of put on catalogue "A" with an $1,923,000, though a small project, there is still no fixed date for commencement for work.
When the Government demolished the 28 shops in Shatin this Jung, the total compensation has less than $800,000. This small amount of compensation could not even compensate the 28 shops' loss as much as 10%.
The money for developing N.T. comes from the land resources in N.T. every inch of it has the blood and sweat of the N.T. people. Up to this stage, Govern- ment's development of N.T. has not brought to N.T. people new opportunities, new services and new wealth. Though we feel disappointed and regretful, we still believe the Governor's target for N.T. is a correct one and the N.T. people will continue to give support.
On the 6th October 1976, in this opening address to Legislative Council, the Governor has assured the N.T. people that within the next two years, there will be development outside the new towns and that there will be changes. What I have been talking on may not be of high value to the Government when considering development outside new towns, but I hope the officials will take some notice. Unlike United Kingdom which has a "Central Policy Review Committee", any reflection on social problem at this stage is still important. The Governor constant advise the officials to be close to the public and the listen to their views, the purpose is to minimise bias policy.
INTRODUCTION
The New Territories is leased land
land held and
administered by Great Britain basing on the LEASE
OF NEW TERRITORIES signed between the Chinese
and the British Governments on 9th June 1898. Since
it is only a leased territory, it does not belong to great
Britain permanently. The land is originally a part of
Sun On District (now Po On in District) Kwangtung
Province. Its area cover 366 square miles, taking up
91% of the total area of Hong Kong. Its population is
more than quarter of the 4 million odd figure for the
whole of Hong Kong. In 1937, the areas adjacent to
Urban Kowloon were included into its boundaries and
named "New Kowloon" by the Hong Kong Government.
This was the beginning of the disintegration of the
administrative structure of the New Territories.
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