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5.
TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1974
+PRESENT ESTIMATES INDICATE THAT IT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO BUILD AN ADDITIONAL 1.8 MILLION INDIVIDUAL UNITS OF ACCOMMODATION OVER THE NEXT DECADE TO PROVIDE FOR NATURAL POPULATION GROWTH, THE REHOUSING OF SQUATTERS, THE DECANTATION OF FAMILIES FROM CONGESTED TENEMENTS AND THE RELIEF OF OVERCROWDING IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.
+BY 1983, IT IS EXPECTED THAT SOME THREE MILLION PERSONS, OR 60 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL POPULATION, WILL BE HOUSED THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG HOUSING SOCIETY.+ HE SAID.
HE ESTIMATED THAT ALL THE SITES REMAINING TO BE DEVELOPED ON HONG KONG ISLAND, KOWLOON AND NEW KOWLOON COULD ONLY ABSORB ANOTHER 374,000 PERSONS.
THE MAIN RESERVOIR OF LAND TO MEET FUTURE COMMITMENTS, HE SAID, WAS WITHIN THE NEW TOWNS OF TSUEN WAN, SHA TIN, AND TUEN MUN, WHICH HAD BEEN DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE 1.3 MILLION PERSONS IN PUBLIC HOUSING OUT OF AN OVERALL PLANNED POPULATION OF 1.8 MILLION.
+SIMILAR ESTATES WILL PROVIDE FOR A FURTHER 80,000 PERSONS IN THE OLDER TOWNS OF YUEN LONG, TAI PO, FAN LING AND SHEK WU HUI, WHICH HAVE BEEN DESIGNATED A POPULATION OF ABOUT 300,000.
+ALTOGETHER THEN, ABOUT 63 PER CENT OF THE POPULATION IN THE MAIN CENTRES OF GROWTH IN THE NEW TERRITORIES WILL BE IN PUBLIC HOUSING+, HE SAID.
MR. ROBSON FELT THAT IT WAS EVIDENT THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S ROLE IN THE PROVISION OF HOUSING SHOULD BE A MAJOR FACTOR IN ACHIEVING A POLICY OF LARGE SCALE DECENTRALISATION,
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE BASIS FOR FUTURE ACTION RECOGNISED THAT FOR LARGE SCALE DECENTRALISATION TO SUCCEED, THE NEW TOWNS MUST BE MORE ATTRACTIVE THAN THE PRESENT URBAN AREAS IN TERMS OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACHIEVING A HIGHER STANDARD OF LIVING.
+WHILE WE HAVE TO DESIGN TO HIGHER POPULATION DENSITIES THAN IS NORMAL ELSEWHERE, THE NEW GENERATION OF PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES WILL PROVIDE A MUCH HIGHER STANDARD OF ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN THAN HITHERTO ACHIEVED IN HONG KONG.
HE SUGGESTED THAT CERTAIN INCENTIVES SHOULD BE OFFERED BY NEW ESTATES IN REMOTE AREAS TO +PRIME THE PUMP+ BECAUSE OF THE RELUCTANCE OF PEOPLE IN MOVING TO NEW ESTATES IN OUTLYING DISTRICTS.
ON THE QUESTION OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN NEW TOWNS, MR. ROBSON FELT THAT THE GOVERNMENT MUST TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE A CATALYST FOR INDUSTRIAL GROWTH DURING THE FORMATIVE STAGES OF NEW ESTATES.
/AFTER ..............