WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 161974
16
HE POINTED OUT THAT DURING THE SUCCEEDING MONTHS THE SECRETARIAT HAD SYSTEMATICALLY SUBJECTED THEM TO SCRUTINY AND THE IMPOSITION OF ORDERS OF PRIORITY.
+IN THIS PROCESS, ONE OF THE PRIORITIES HAS BEEN TO ENSURE PROGRESS ON HOUSING AND THE NEW TOWNS, AND IN PRACTICE A BALANCE HAS ALSO BEEN HELD BETWEEN SPENDING ON THE NEW TOWNS AND IN THE OLD URBAN AREAS,+ THE GOVERNOR ADDED.
BUT HAVING ACCORDED HOUSING AND NEW TOWNS A PRIORITY OF THE IR OWN, SIR MURRAY WENT ON, IT WAS ALSO DECIDED THAT A VERY HIGH PRIORITY SHOULD GO TO PROJECTS WHICH FACILITATE THE GROWTH AND EARNING POTENTIAL OF INDUSTRY AND PROVIDE EXPORT-ORIENTED JOBS.
HIGH PRIORITY, HE SAID, WAS ALSO GIVEN TO SELF-LIQUIDATING PROJECTS, WHICH PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT REVENUE RETURN FOR INSTANCE THE PROVISION OF LAND.
IN THIS CONNECTION, THE GOVERNOR CITED THE TUEN MUN MOTOR ROAD AS AN EXAMPLE, NOTING THAT IT MUST BE ON THIS THAT THE INDUSTRIAL AND RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF NOT ONLY TUEN MUN ITSELF MUST BE BASED, BUT ALSO THAT OF THE WHOLE YUEN LONG PLAIN.
SIR MURRAY CONTINUED TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAD BEEN DONE AND THAT WAS PROPOSED IN THE FIELDS OF THE NEW TOWNS AND HOUSING IN THE OLD URBAN AREAS WHICH WILL TAKE A LARGE SLICE OF THE CAKE.+
ON THE OLD URBAN AREAS, THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THE HOUSING PROGRAMME THERE HAD ENVISAGED AN EXPENDITURE OF $140 MILLION THIS YEAR, $200 MILLION NEXT, AND $250 MILLION IN EACH OF THE FOLLOWING THREE YEARS. THIS, HE SAID, WOULD LARGELY USE UP DEVELOPABLE SITES IN THE OLD AREAS.
AS FOR EXPENDITURE ON THE NEW TOWNS, INCLUDING INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, INCLUDING SCHOOLS, CLINICS AND SO ON,
IT WAS PLANNED TO RISE FROM $280 MILLION TO $740 NEXT YEAR AND NEARLY $1,000 MILLION IN 1976/77, AND TO CONTINUE THEREAFTER AT RATHER ABOVE THAT LEVEL.
SIR MURRAY POINTED OUT THAT AS THESE FIGURES WERE VERY LARGE, THE GOVERNMENT HAD FELT IT RIGHT TO BUILD FLEXIBILITY INTO
ITS PLANS.
AS A RESULT, HE SAID, THE PLANS FOR EACH OF THE NEW TOWNS HAD BEEN DIVIDED INTO SMALL UNITS WHICH WERE CONSTRUCTIONALLY AND SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY VIABLE IN THEMSELVES.
+WE HOPE IN THIS WAY THAT THE TOWNS CAN BE DEVELOPED IN A BALANCED WAY WHETHER IN THE YEARS AHEAD OUR RESOURCES SUGGEST THAT THE RATE OF CONSTRUCTION SHOULD BE SLOVER AT ONE TIME OR FASTER AT ANOTHER,+ THE GOVERNOR CONCLUDED.
IN HIS SUMMARY OF THE APPROACH TO STOCK-TAKING AND ITS OUTCOME, SIR MURRAY TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S APPROACH AT THIS TIME WAS ONE OF DETERMINATION, BUT ALSO OF PRUDENT AND HARD-HEADED DETERMINATION, TO PRESS ON TOWARDS THE OBJECTIVES WHICH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS HAD CONSTANTLY
SUPPORTED.
WHILE PARTS