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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1974
MORE RESIDENTIAL LAND TO BE MADE AVAILABLE IN NEW TERRITORIES ******
THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE HON. DAVID .AKERS- JONES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY THAT MORE LAND WILL BE RESUMED IN THE NEW TERRITORIES NEXT YEAR TO PROVIDE YET MORE LAND FOR HOUSING PROJECTS.
LAST YEAR, HE SAID, SOME EIGHT MILLION SQUARE FEET OF PRIVATE LAND WERE RESUMED FOR PUBLIC USE.
MR. AKERS-JONES ADDED THAT WITH REGARD TO THE ACQUISITION OF PRIVATE LAND IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST, THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION LAST YEAR INTRODUCED A NEW METHOD OF COMPENSATING. OWNERS OF LAND OUTSIDE THE NEW TOWNS AT A MORE REALISTIC RATE.
HOWEVER, HE SAID, THE LAND EXCHANGE SYSTEM, WHICH DEPENDS ON THE AVAILABILITY OF SUITABLE LAND FOR EXCHANGE, WAS NOT FUNCTIONING AS WELL AS HE WOULD LIKE.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS BECAUSE THE DEMAND FOR LAND FOR PUBLIC HOUSING WAS SO GREAT THAT THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT LAND READILY AVAILABLE WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SPAN TO ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO GRANT LAND IN EXCHANGE.
+THIS, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER LAND PROBLEMS ARE CONCERNING MY DEPARTMENT AT THIS MOMENT AND I MENTION THEM TODAY BY WAY OF EXPLANATION TO THIS COUNCIL AND TO A WIDER PUBLIC SO THAT THERE IS A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE FREQUENT REFERENCES IN OUR DAILY NEWSPAPERS TO THE VIGOROUS DISSATISFACTION SO FREQUENTLY VOICED ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT'S LAND POLICIES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE REGULAR DISCUSSIONS I HOLD WITH THE HEUNG YEE KUK. WE HAVE TO FIND AN EQUITABLE SOLUTION TO THESE QUESTIONS,+ MR. AKERS- JONES SAID.
IN REPLY TO A POINT RAISED BY THE HON. Q.W. LEE, ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OLD MARKET TOWNS THE SECRETARY SAID: THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE OLD MARKET TOWNS IN THE NEW
TERRITORIES IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TOWNS THE TWO SHOULD GO ALONG SIDE BY SIDE.
+ IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT WE ARE JUST ABOUT TO ENGAGE CONSULTANTS TO ADVICE US ON THE ENGINEERING REQUIREMENTS TO EXPAND THE MARKET TOWNS OF TAIPO, YUEN LONG AND SHEUNG SHUI, HE SAID.
WHEN THE BASIC INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM THESE ENGINEERING STUDIES A COMPARATIVELY MODEST GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN A STAGED DEVELOPMENT OF ROADS AND DRAINS AT THESE TOWNS WOULD BE AMPLY REPAID, AND WOULD ENABLE THE PRIVATE DEVELOPER TO MAKE A FURTHER SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE FULFILMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT'S HOUSING TARGET IN THESE EXISTING CENTRES OF POPULATION.
SPEAKING ABOUT THE FUTURE, MR. AKERS-JONES SAID ALMOST ALL THE GREAT DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS FOR HONG KONG LIE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
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