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TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1974
FARSIGHTED PLANNING NEEDED TO MEET POPULATION GROWTH
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HONG KONG MUST LOOK TO THE NEW TERRITORIES FOR ITS FUTURE URBAN EXPANSION AS MOST OF THE AVAILABLE URBAN PLOTS HAVE BEEN USED UP IN THE PAST TWO DECADES.
THERE IS NOW NO REAL ALTERNATIVE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW URBAN COMMUNITIES -- AWAY FROM THE METROPOLIS CONCENTRATED BETWEEN THE KOWLOON FOOTHILLS AND THE NORTHERN SLOPES OF HONG KONG ISLAND.
THIS WAS STATED BY MR. JAMES ROBSON, SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AT THE WORLD POPULATION YEAR SEMINARS TODAY.
BUT, HE SAID, WE COULD NOT SIMPLY PUSH OUR URBAN EXPANSION ONTO THE NEW TERRITORIES AS IF IT WERE SOME SORT OF HANDY SITE WITH UNLIMITED CAPACITY IN WHICH TO DUMP OUR SURPLUS POPULATION.
+IF ANYTHING, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TERRITORIES MUST BE PLANNED WITH GREATER CARE AND CONCERN THAN WAS EXERCISED IN THE CASE OF KOWLOON AND HONG KONG ISLAND SINCE THEY REPRESENT OUR ONLY REAL NATURAL ASSET AND MUST SERVE ALL OUR REQUIREMENTS
NOT JUST FOR HOUSING AND INDUSTRY BUT FOR RECREATION AS WELL.
+WHATEVER WE DO, WE MUST ENSURE THAT THE PLANNING IS COMPREHENSIVE AND FARSIGHTED AND NOT DICTATED BY MERE EXPEDIENCY AS IT WAS 20 YEARS AGO WHEN WE STARTED OUR GOVERNMENT HOUSING PROGRAMMES. AND MOST IMPORTANT, WE MUST PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITIES.+ MR. ROBSON SAID.
HE NOTED THAT HONG KONG HAS ALREADY SEEN THE SOCIAL EFFECTS OF CROWDING IN ONE CROWDED ENVIRONMENT, AND SO WE COULD NOT CONTEMPLATE A FUTURE IN WHICH WE DID NOT INTEND A SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.
+WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE NOT ONLY TO CONTEND WITH A CONTINUED POPULATION INCREASE BUT ALSO TO STRIVE FOR A CONTINUED IMPROVEMENT IN LIVING STANDARDS, HE SAID.
HOWEVER, HE POINTED OUT THAT IF WE CUT BACK ON THE QUANTITY OF HOUSING WE PREDUCE, IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY, WE WOULD BE DEFEATING OUR OWN ENDS, BECAUSE EITHER THE HOUSES WOULD HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE MORE PEOPLE OR WE WOULD HAVE ANOTHER OUTBURST OF SQUATTING.
+THERE IS CLEARLY NO CHOICE. WE MUST BOTH BUILD MORE HOUSES, AND MUST ALSO DO WHAT WE CAN TO UPGRADE THE STANDARDS, + HE STRESSED.
ACCORDING TO THE LATEST SET OF POPULATION PROJECTIONS PRODUCED BY THE COMMISSIONER FOR CENSUS AND STATISTICS, THE HIGH PROJECTION ENVISAGES THAT THE POPULATION WILL RISE TO 6.34 MILLION BY 1991. THE MEDIUM PROJECTION ASSUMES A GROWTH UP TO 5.9 MILLION AND THE LOW PROJECTION PREDICTS 5.53 MILLION.
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