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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1977
THE GOVERNOR, SIR MURRAY MACLEHOSE, SAID IN HIS SPEECH TO THE OPENING SESSION OF THE COUNCIL LAST MONTH THAT THE TIME IS RIPE FOR FRESH THINKING ON THE SUBJECT OF THE METHOD AND RATES OF COMPENSATION FOR RESUMPTION OF AGRICULTURAL LAND.+
MR. AKERS-JONES SAID: +THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF AN ALMOST CONTINUOUS DIALOGUE BETWEEN MY PREDECESSORS, MYSELF AND THE HEUNG YEE KUK FOR A GREAT MANY YEARS.+
CHANGES AND ADJUSTMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE, HE SAID, BUT THE SCALE OF RESUMPTION BEING IMPLEMENTED AND REQUIRED DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS TO PROVIDE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT, SUGGESTS MOST STRONGLY THAT A FRESH LOOK NEEDS TO BE TAKEN AT THE WHOLE QUESTION OF COMPENSATION FOR LAND RESUMED AND THE LAND EXCHANGED SYSTEM, WHICH IS UNDER A SEVERE STRAIN FROM THE SCALE OF RESUMPTIONS AND THE EXTENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR LAND FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES.
+PERHAPS I COULD ILLUSTRATE THIS BY SAYING THAT RESUMPTIONS THIS YEAR AMOUNT TO SOMETHING IN THE ORDER OF 16 MILLION SQUARE FEET,+ HE SAID.
COMMENTING ON POINTS RAISED BY THE HON. CHARLES YEUNG ON THE PARTICULAR PROBLEMS OF CLEARANCE IN SHA TIN, MR. AKERS-JONES REVEALED THAT THE COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE MARKET WERE BEING MADE THE SUBJECT OF A SPECIAL STUDY.
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HE EXPLAINED THAT THE EXISTING SHOPS, RESTAURANTS AND STALLS THAT MADE UP SHA TIN MARKET WERE BUILT EITHER ON LEASED AGRICULTURAL LAND OR ON CROWN LAND.
+WE ARE BUILDING A NEW TOWN AND IT WOULD QUITE BE INAPPROPRIATE TO REPEAT THE TEMPORARY EXPEDIENTS OF THE PAST, HE SAID.
ON THE SETTING UP OF N.T. DISTRICT ADVISORY BOARDS MR. AKERS-JONES, SAID THE APPOINTMENT OF ADVISORY BOARDS IN ALL THE SEVEN ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS OF THE NEW TERRITORIES WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY.
HE SAID THEIR TERMS OF REFERENCE WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE BOARDS WOULD COVER THE GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS OF THE N.T. AND WOULD NOT INTERFERE IN THE AFFAIRS OF INDIVIDUAL RURAL COMMITTEES.
THE RURAL COMMITTEES WILL CONTINUE TO SAFEGUARD THE TRADITIONAL RIGHTS AND CUSTOMS OF THE INDIGENOUS INHABITANTS, R. AKERS-JONES SAID.
AT THE SAME TIME, HE SAID, THE SCALE OF THE DEVELOPMENT EVERYWHERE IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND THE INCREASING POPULATION MAKES IT MOST IMPORTANT TO OBTAIN ADVICE FROM A BROAD SPECTRUM OF THE PEOPLE ON WHAT IS BEING DONE IN THE DISTRICTS AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, AS WELL AS TO GUIDE THE ACTIVITIES OF THE GOVERNMENT'S SPECIAL IST ORGANISERS IN VARIOUS FIELDS.
+UNLESS WE CAN CREATE A SENSE OF INVOLVEMENT AND PARTICIPATION, WE RUN THE RISK, AT BEST, OF STEP ILE SPOON-FEEDING, AND AT WORST, A TOTAL LACK OF RESPONSE AND MISDIRECTED EFFORT,+ HE SAID,
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