Wednesday, April 7, 1976
13
DEVELOPMENT OF N.T. GATHERING MOMENTUM
Vast sums of public and private money are being spent in the New
Territories and expenditure on the New Towns is gathering momentum, Mr. David
Akers-Jones, Secretary for the New Territories, said today.
Speaking during the resumed Budget Debate in the Legislative Council,
Mr. Akers-Jones said that #100 million was spent on the New Towns in 1973, $260 mil
million in 1974, $450 million last year and $600 million would be spent this
year.
"But it is important," he said, "that areas other than the New Towns
are not left behind. Engineering reports on these other towns and large
villages are now coming in and a programme of development for Tai Po, Yuen
Long, Lantau and Sai Kung is being drawn up which will lead to individual
projects being submitted for public works expenditure."
Indeed, he went on, some proposals for a reclamation at Tai Po and
roads and other works at Sai Kung would be put forward for urgent consideration
during the next few months. At Tai Po, it was important to proceed quickly
with urban development to match the growth of the industrial estate, to clear
up the "shameful conditions" of the boat squatters at Yuen Chau Tsai and to
provide land for private development in which there was very keen interest.
"In 1974, we were worried about the slow rate of industrial development
at Tuen Mun," Mr. Akers-Jones said. "Now, it is tending to get ahead of the
housing. There are at present ten factories being built and more than 30
applications for the 200,000 square feet of land not yet in the hands of
industrial developers."
/At Sha Tin