TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1976
150 ADDITIONAL MAC'S FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES
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THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION IS PLANNING TO ESTABLISH 150 MORE MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR.
THIS WILL BRING THE NUMBER OF N.T. MAC'S TO 410, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. JOHN CHAMBERS, SAID TODAY.
HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT ATTACHED GREAT IMPORTANCE TO SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISHING MAC'S IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, ESPECIALLY IN THE FAST GROWING NEW TOWNS.
+THE NEW TOWNS, IN FACT, GIVE US A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THE MAC SYSTEM IN THE SENSE THAT WE CAN MOVE IN VERY EARLY AS NEW RESIDENTIAL AREAS OPEN UP AND ENCOURAGE THE MAC'S TO GROW AS PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT,+ HE ADDED.
+ IN THIS WAY, THE MAC'S CAN HELP PREVENT SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE DENSELY POPULATED AREAS OF KOWLOON AND HONG KONG ISLAND.
+OUR EXPERIENCE WITH MAC'S IN THE NEW TERRITORIES SO FAR HAS BEEN REASSURING, AND, WE BELIEVE, SUCCESSFUL.
+CERTAINLY, THE EXISTING MAC'S HAVE MADE A VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION IN OUR MORE URBANISED AREAS.+
MR. CHAMBERS SAID THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THE PRESENT MAC'S WERE IN TSUEN WAN AND KWAI CHUNG, WHERE THERE ARE ALREADY 400,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.
MOST OF THE NEW MAC'S WILL ALSO BE SET UP IN THE TSUEN WAN NEW TOWN, HE ADDED, BUT AS THE OTHER NEW TOWNS DEVELOP WE WILL ESTABLISH MAC'S FROM THE START BOTH IN NEW PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS.
THERE WOULD ALSO BE MAC'S ELSEWHERE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.
MR. CHAMBERS SAID THAT THE TARGET OF 150 MAC'S NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR WAS SUBJECT TO THE N.T.A.'S REQUEST, NOW BEING PREPARED, FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF TO ESTABLISH AND SERVICE THEM.
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