WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1977
TOP GOVT. OFFICIALS SEE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOWNS
******
TEN TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TODAY SPENT THE WHOLE DAY SEEING FOR THEMSELVES THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR DEVELOPMENTS OF THE THREE NEW TOWNS OF TSUEN WAN, SHA TIN AND TUEN MUN AND THE FAST GROWING MARKET TOWN OF YUEN LONG,
THEY WERE GIVEN A FULL BRIEFING ON PROGRESS AS WELL AS THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN TRANSFORMING THE AREAS INTO MODERN TOWNS FOR A COMBINED ESTIMATED POPULATION OF OVER 1.1 MILLION BY 1980.
CONSTRUCTION WORKS IN THE THREE NEW TOWNS ALONE WILL COST THE GOVERNMENT AN ESTIMATED $457 MILLION IN THE NEXT FINANCIAL YEAR.
THE PARTY COMPRISED THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, MR. R. BUTLER SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR. L.M. DAVIES DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR. K.G. B. BRIDGE- DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR SOCIAL SERVICES, MR. E.P. HO- DEPUTY COMMISSIONER FOR LABOUR, MR. J.N. HENDERSON DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR. W.C. BELL- DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF URBAN SERVICES, MR. H.S. GREWAL- ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, MR. D. HOGAN PRINCIPAL MEDICAL AND HEALTH OFFICER, DR. C.Y. SAM- AND THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES, MR, RICHARD LAI.
THIS MORNING, THEY JOINED THE REGULAR PASSENGERS ON A 15-MINUTE NORMAL HOVERFERRY RUN FROM CENTRAL TO TSUEN WAN TO START THE IR DAY-LONG TOUR.
THEY WERE ACCOMPANIED ON THE VISIT BY THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR. JOHN TODD THE DIRECTOR OF NEW TERRITORIES DEVELOPMENT, MR. J.R. WHITAKER, AND THE PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT LAND AGENT OF THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, MR. J.D. JOHNSTON,
THE OFFICIAL PARTY SPENT THE NEXT HOUR OR SO SEEING THE PROGRESS AND DISCUSSING SOME OF THE PROBLEMS OF HONG KONG'S FASTEST GROWING NEW TOWN.
TSUEN WAN, ALREADY A WELL-ESTABLISHED INDUSTRIAL TOWN OF NEARLY 500,000 PEOPLE, WILL HAVE A PLANNED POPULATION OF MORE THAN 900,000 BY MID-80S.
THE TOUR THEN TOOK THE PARTY TO THE LEK YUEN ESTATE IN SHA TIN WHERE, FROM THE TOP OF THE ESTATE BUILDING, THEY LOOKED AT THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE NEW TOWN WHICH WOULD BOOST THE POPULATION THERE BY MORE THAN 20,000 IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS THEY SAW INCLUDED THE FIRST STAGE OF THE WO CHE ESTATE, WHICH WAS DUE TO BE COMPLETED LATER THIS YEAR PROVIDING MORE THAN 2,000 FLATS FOR ABOUT 10,000 PEOPLE.
THE SECOND