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WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1977
DR. THE HON. S.Y. CHUNG, ON BEHALF OF HIS UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES, NOTED THAT A FEW OF THEM WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE NINE MONTHS FURTHER EXTENSION.
+THEY CONSIDER THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION IN THIS AREA, WHICH IS THE MAIN REASON GIVEN FOR THIS BUILDING RESTRICTION, IS NO WORSE THAN IN SOME OTHER AREAS OF KOWLOON AND HONG KONG OR, FOR THAT MATTER, SOME OTHER BIG CITIES OF THE WORLD.
+ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY RECOGNISE THE URGENCY OF INCREASING THE SUPPLY OF RESIDENTIAL ACCOMMODATION IN THIS PRIME RESIDENTIAL AREA OF HONG KONG IN ORDER TO MEET DEMAND AND STABILISE RENTALS, DR. CHUNG SAID.
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+ NONETHELESS, + HE SAID, THE MAJORITY OF MY UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES ACCEPT THE CAUTIOUS APPROACH OF GOVERNMENT AS EXPLAINED BY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS AND SUPPORT THE MOTION BEFORE COUNCIL ON THE CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER EXTENSION OF THE STATUTORY RESTRICTION ON BUILDING DEVELOPMENT IN THE MID-LEVELS AREA BEYOND APRIL 30, 1978.+
THE HON. JAMES WU, WHO ABSTAINED FROM VOTING ON THE RESOLUTION, SAID HE COULD NOT, IN FAIRNESS, SUPPORT IT WITH PRICES AND RENTALS OF FLATS IN THE AREA HAVING DOUBLED DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS, AGGRAVATED NO DOUBT, HE SAID, BY THE EFFECT OF THE MORATORIUM.
HE RECALLED THAT TWO YEARS AGO, HE HAD DRAWN ATTENTION TO WHAT THE HON. OSWALD CHEUNG HAD SAID IN JANUARY 1974 ON THE GRAVITY OF IMPOSING A MORATORIUM WHICH WAS A DEROGATION OF THE RIGHTS GRANTED BY THE CROWN LEASE TO BUILD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF THE LEASE.
HE SAID THE TEMPORARY RESTRICTION OF BUILDING DEVELOPMENT (MID-LEVELS) ORDINANCE WAS FIRST INTRODUCED AND PASSED ON AUGUST 1, 1973 FOR WHAT WAS TO BE A TEMPORARY RESTRICTION OF SIX MONTHS.
+THERE WERE, HOWEVER, THREE SUBSEQUENT EXTENSIONS ESCALATING FROM SIX MONTHS TO TWO YEARS. IN THE PROCESS, FOUR MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL EXPRESSED RESERVATIONS ON GOVERNMENT'S ARGUMENT ON THE POINT OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION, AND THE IR RELUCTANCE TO ACCEPT THE ORDINANCE, HE SAID.
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